Lucy Monroe invites you to find out what went Between the Sheets of Moon Craving, the second book in her Children of the Moon Series just released this month.

BYS: What went Between the Sheets of this book?

LM: Moon Craving is a book I was more than eager to write, I was aching for it, but due to health issues (some serious, some not so much – thank goodness), I had to put writing it off for more than a year.  When I finally got the contract, I thought everything was hunky dory, but then life took another curve and I saw the cliff careening off to my right and the wall of rock soaring up to my left.  That left this really narrow patch of road in which to capture my creativity without a serious accident.  I wanted to write the book.  I needed to write the book, but there was so much in the way of me writing the book.  The good thing?  By the time I got the book started, I knew these characters.  I knew the story that needed telling and I told it, with some trepidation – what author isn't worried when she puts a book this close to her heart to paper?  But it has absolutely been worth the journey!

BYS: When did you decide to sit down and write your first novel and what led up to the publication of your first book?

LM: Hmmm...had a conversation in the bathtub with...God.  Yep, I find the bathtub one of the few truly private places to chat with God, or my hubby.  Not as private as I'd like with my kids, but still...better than the living room sofa. LOL  I wrote my first book, and then my second, and so on and so forth, until Book #13, which sold to Harlequin Presents as The Greek Tycoon's Ultimatum.

BYS: Why this story at this time?

LM: I absolutely love shapechangers and as the Children of the Moon world developed in my brain, I realized I wanted to tell lots of stories set there.  Because I'd already established a certain level of success with contemporary romance, it wasn't easy finding the time to carve out to work in my paranormal world.  But that old adage, where there is a will, there is a way is very true!  And I had a will.

BYS: Are you a visual writer?   Do you see scenes and characters in your head?   Or do you hear the characters voices?

LM: I'm very visual.  I keep pictures for inspiration of everything from what my characters look like to the rooms in their homes.  Some books require an entire notebook to hold all the peripheral pictures and descriptions I have and others are written on a single Character Information Sheet with inspiration pictures.  I do hear my characters voices in my head, but I've been told that is psychologically suspect, so I don't advertise the fact. LOL

BYS: What are your thoughts on First Person verses Third Person?  Which is your preference?

LM: I prefer 3^rd Person (Closely Held) because it allows me to go into more than one character's view point.  I've read several stories done in 1^st Person and the biggest complaint I have with them is not being able to see what the other characters are thinking.  For me, it adds depths to a story.  It's the same reason I prefer reading to watching a movie.  In a movie, I don't usually get to hear the character's thoughts.  I will say that some authors do such an amazing job with the 1^st Person POV that they manage to convey the other characters thoughts and feelings without going into their heads.

BYS: What is your re-writing and editing process?  Do you let anyone read your work in progress before it goes to your editor? 

LM: I do raw writing (what you'd call the 1^st draft), upload the pages from my Neo to the computer, print them off and then edit them.  Put the revisions in and usually make very few changes thereafter.  I don't let anyone read my books for comment before they go to editor, though my husband and daughter have both been generous enough to enter my paper edits and therefore get a chance to read the WIP.  I used to have my husband read all my work for male POV.  As my confidence with my male characters grew, I no longer felt the need for that affirmation.

BYS: What is your opinion of critique groups?  Do you find them helpful?

LM: They can be very helpful for some writers.  They can also stifle creativity and cause a certain lack of cohesion in a writer's stories.  It all depends on how the writer responds to his/her critique group and how the group is encouraged to operate.

BYS: How is your family affected by your writing career?

LM: The same as any other consuming passion. LOL  It takes a lot from me and gives a great deal back.  My family is extremely supportive and proud of me, which makes me VERY blessed.

BYS: What keeps you going and motivated when life throws you a curveball?

LM: My faith.  My family.  My friends.  My books.

BYS: What are you working on now?

LM: Close Quarters, the next in my Goddard Project series for Brava.  This book introduces my upcoming series – The Atrati (Latin for The Men in Black).  Roman is sent to plug an information leak, the fact the leak turns out to be his sister's new sister-in-law and that he wants her more than his next breath is kind of a problem.

© 2010 Interview by BetweenYourSheets.com

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