L.M. Stull

I thought I'd mix it up a little bit this week and invited L.M. Stull for an interview.  You all know I eat, breath, and sleep paranormal romance / urban fantasy, while Ms. Stull writes contemporary.  She has also offered to give away an e-copy of one of her books: Thirty-Something Girl or Contemplations (winner's choice)!!  All you have to do to win is: insert a comment below.  I'll randomly pick someone Sunday 8/5/12.    

1. What do you look for in the books you read?

Life. Real life. Don't get me wrong, I love the occasional paranormal and fantasy novel. But nothing, for me, will ever compare to stories that speak to our souls. I am particularly drawn to stories that have an element of darkness. Because it's in the hardest moments of life when we learn the most. Stories that speak to that are an automatic win for me.

I'm also a huge fan of self-help books. But not the preachy ones; I'm talking about the ones that are told from a truly heartfelt personal journey. Again, speaking about real life. A lot of folks give self-help books a bad name, but, honestly, there is a lot to be learned if we just listen to each other.

2. Who is your favorite author? Favorite book?

My favorite author is the amazing William Faulkner and my favorite book is his 'As I Lay Dying'.

But I have to say I have come to know and love some truly amazing new authors. At the top of my list, is an author whose words are so powerful that they linger for an eternity after savoring them – Robert James Russell (@Robhollywood). His writing is, of course, literary, which makes me particularly drawn to it. But I dare anyone to sample some of his work and put it down. It's real, it's raw, and it's breathtaking.

Eden Baylee (@EdenBaylee) has forever changed my opinion of erotica. I've never really been one to read that genre, but she brings the literary element to it. Her stories tell of more than passion and sex, but of life and lessons and fantasies, and you can tell that each sentence, each scene, each story is carefully and deliciously crafted. And on top of all that, Eden is probably one of the sweetest, kindest women I've ever met.

Kimberly Kinrade (@KimberlyKinrade) writes all things paranormal and, my goodness, they are all addictive (even her series for children are ones every adult will truly enjoy!). Her writing is captivating and will always have a home in my kindle :)

There are literally thousands (@MarniMann, @threecifer, @maxwellcynn, @vanplank, @dcpryia, and on and on and on!) And I'm so honored to be able to call so many of them friend.

3. What is the best part about being an author?

Writing enables a part of my soul to speak that I am otherwise not able to articulate. A part of me that is the most pure, the most genuine, and, often the most dark. Writing, simply put, is my life. Without it, the world really wouldn't seem right... at all.

4. What is the worst part about being an author?

E-D-I-T-I-N-G. Oh my god it's horrendous. I LOVE writing. I LOVE reading, but I loathe editing. Ironically, I don't mind editing others works, but my own? Ugh.

5. What do you want others to know about you?

That I am truly grateful for all my friends (many of whom I've never actually met in person – I plan on correcting that one day). Without these wonderful people, my life would be incomplete. I'm not quite sure they all realize how integral they have been to me on my journey, not just as a writer, but as a person. And so many of these friends are artists of some sort. The writing/art community truly has restored my faith in mankind. So, I want them to know that not a day goes by that I don't wish I could say this to each of them, “Thank you.”

6. What is the last book you read?

I just finished Kimberly Kinrade's 'Forbidden Fire', book 2 of the 'Forbidden Series'. It's good. Really good! Now she needs to hurry up and finish the last book!

7. Where do you see yourself in 1, 5 and 10 years?

I try not to dwell on the future and past too frequently, as we often then seem to forget about the now, and miss so many precious opportunities that life presents to us on a daily basis. So, my answer is the same for each of those time periods – I hope to spend each day of my life happy, healthy, and filling my days with the many things that I love (writing, reading, running, and.... eating cake!)

8. Who is your favorite Book Blogger?

Oh my! There are so many! But my favorite, favorite book blog would be The Picky Girl Reads (@picky_girl).

9. What project are you working on now?

I am currently working on finishing up the first draft to my next novel, 'Together We Are One.' For anyone interested, I've recently revealed the cover and a sneak peek. 

10. If you could meet anyone (alive or dead) at Starbucks for a cup of White Mocha Latte, who would it be?

Hmmm!! So many to choose from. But I'd have to say... Dean Martin. I absolutely adore him (I, truly, was born in the wrong generation).

Thank you again for the opportunity to be featured on your site. I'm also very much looking forward to reading your work!  Awe, Thanks Lisa! I'm glad to have you and thanks for offering a free copy here!  You rock!

You can find L.M.. Stull here:

1. Twitter ID (@LMStull) https://twitter.com/#!/LMStull

2. Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4500992.L_M_Stull

3. Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/LMSTULL

4. B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-thirty-something-girl-lm-stull/1107994580?ean=2940013861015&itm=1&usri=a+thirty-something+girl

5. Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/A-Thirty-Something-Girl-ebook/dp/B006LW1GHM/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1333822828&sr=8-1

6. Her Website: http://lmstull.com/

BIO:

A Washington, DC native, L.M. Stull spends her days chained to a desk at a law firm in southern Virginia. When she’s not feverishly taking orders from attorneys, she writes. Her stories tell of the human spirit – sometimes sad, sometimes not – most can relate to them on some level or another.