Victoria's Thoughts and Reviews: Meet The Author

Welcome all.

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Lainie Suzanne author of

The Nexus Series:

1. Nexus

2. Soleil

3. Deceit

4. Fate

5. Wicked

6. Pernicious *coming soon*

ME: Hi Lainie Suzanne, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

LAINIE SUZANNE: I’m Lainie Suzanne and I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. I currently live in North Carolina with my husband, my best friend, the love of my life. We have four grown children, who have all

flown the nest. We share our home with our speckled rescue pup.

I love reading Erotic Romance, but often found myself unable to relate to the characters. I wanted to read about a heroine I could relate to and thought other women would too. The heroine in Nexus, Katherine, is in her mid-forties, divorced, curvaceous, insecure, sassy, and feels self-conscious about her body. Things many women can relate to.

I never thought of myself as a writer, and honestly, I still don’t. I have stories and characters in my head that I want to know more about and see what kind of wicked kinkery they can get into along the way. Oh my…they get do love their kink. My characters mean a lot to me; they’re part of me. I’m protective of them.

When I’m not writing or reading…I’m listening to music. I love music! I have an eclectic taste of music. Rock, Pop, Country, R&B, Hip Hop, New Age, Big Band, Classical… There’s a strong connection between music and my writing. Each of my books have a playlist.

ME: What genre do you write?

LAINIE SUZANNE: Realistic Erotic Romance and Erotic Paranormal

ME: What are you working on at the minute?

LAINIE SUZANNE: I'm currently working on Pernicious, book #5 in the Nexus Series.

ME: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

LAINIE SUZANNE: Pernicious revisits Gina and Leo from Deceit, as well as Patrick and the entire Nexus family. The plot of Pernicious revolves around current events and could be stripped from today's news headlines.

ME: Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

LAINIE SUZANNE: I really don't think about actors and actresses. I seek out visuals for my characters, but most of my muses are not actors.

ME: When did you decide to become a writer?

LAINIE SUZANNE: My husband/Sir encouraged me to put the stories in my head on paper. I was very reluctant because I don't consider myself a writer. But I did as my Sir requested. He loved it, so I continued the story.

ME: Which writers inspire you?

LAINIE SUZANNE: Cherise Sinclair, Lexi Blake, Ella Dominguez, and Jenna Jacob among others, are favorites of mine, so I'm naturally inspired by their writing.

ME: Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand?

LAINIE SUZANNE: I write all of my books longhand before transferring to my laptop. If I sit in front of a computer to write, I draw a blank.

ME: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just to see where an idea takes you?

LAINIE SUZANNE: I write a general outline, but I always listen to my

characters and go where they lead me.

ME: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors.

LAINIE SUZANNE: Not as much as I would like. There's just not enough time in the day. Cherise Sinclair, Lexi Blake, Jenna Jacob, Ella Dominguez, Annabel Joseph, Patricia Cornell and of course my Wicked Sisters - Brooke Lee, Muffy Wilson, Taylor Johns, Virginia Lee Johnson, Shannon Youngblood, Jane Anthony, and Cordelia Michelsen

ME: Do you think that giving books away free works and why?

LAINIE SUZANNE: To a point, yes. It gets my stories in the hands of readers.

An author is hopeful a reader will like the free book and then purchase their other books. However, publishing a book is not cheap. Costs for editors, cover designs, formatters, and marketing can soar into the thousands, so selling books is essential in order for authors to continue publishing. Breaking even is success, especially to indie authors.

ME: How do you relax?

LAINIE SUZANNE: Bingeing on my fave shows with my man. I also put on my headphones, crank up the jams, and shut out the world.

ME: What is your favorite book and why?

LAINIE SUZANNE: Black Notice by Patricia Cornwell. It's complete mind

fuckery. I read it while peeking my head out from under the covers.

ME: What is your favorite quote?

LAINIE SUZANNE: Learning to read is important because, if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything.

ME: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

LAINIE SUZANNE: If you're doing it for the money, don't waste your time. Do it because you love it or don't do it at all.

ME: What does your writing process look like?

LAINIE SUZANNE: An idea or dream. Then pondering and letting the characters talk. In other words, chaos. Lol

ME: What is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process?

LAINIE SUZANNE: Marketing. Trying to get your books in front of readers.

ME: Is there a certain type of scene that's harder for you to write than others? Love? Action? Racy?

LAINIE SUZANNE: Not necessarily. Transitions between major scenes are harder for me.

ME: Did you learn anything from writing your book(s) and what was it?

LAINIE SUZANNE: I learned I was capable of succeeding in areas where I previously knew nothing. I pushed myself beyond my boundaries, into uncharted waters and navigated my way into the literary world. I never dreamed I could publish my own book and actually sell one. But I did.

ME: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

LAINIE SUZANNE: There's a group of indie authors, bloggers, and friends that but have been with me from the beginning. They believed in me. Without their best support, I would never have written another book after Nexus. My dear friend, author Brooke Lee, refers to it as a cult following. LOL

ME: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

LAINIE SUZANNE: Finding time to write. That's my biggest obstacle.

ME: What book are you reading now?

LAINIE SUZANNE: Currently I'm not reading anything. I'm writing every free minute I have.

ME: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

LAINIE SUZANNE: Jesus. I would like to hear the gospel in his own words, instead of someone's interpretation.

ME: What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?

LAINIE SUZANNE: I like to work about love conquering all.

ME: What is your favorite theme/genre to read?

LAINIE SUZANNE: I love dark, mind boggling stories that push boundaries and may me think.

ME: What secret talents do you have?

LAINIE SUZANNE: I don't have any secret talents. I'm pretty average. Lol

ME: Where is one place you want to visit that you haven't been before?

LAINIE SUZANNE: Ireland

ME: How can readers discover more about you and you work? i.e. Website: Blog: Facebook: Twitter: Lnkedin: Pinterest: Amazon Author Page: Smashwords: Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.) Goodreads: *

LAINIE SUZANNE: