Loretta Johns
The Potteries Area of England
UK
Good morning, Loretta, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site that loves art and books and the people who write them.What have you written?
Oh, goodness. I currently have out 4 titles of a sci fi romance series but I also have a PNR series and a set of sci fi cozies in the works.
What is your favorite genre to write?
I adore science fiction and I’ve always loved a good mystery, so I’m really excited about the cozies. The main sleuth is a shape shifting alien who finds herself catching an unexpected ride on an astronaut’s return vehicle after he leaves the International space station. It’s set in a fictional alternate universe where after the 1969 lunar landing, the space program forged full steam ahead and the Cold War came to an end in the spirit of joint co-operation.My sister, Sarah Johns, and I decided to write it in the spirit of a 60s TV show.
Favorite food.
Bulgogi. One of my godmothers was Korean and she gave my mother their family recipe for Bulgogi and it was always something I looked forward to having, preferably with a nice helping of kimchi.
Tea or coffee?
Coffee, though I have tea throughout the day as well. I’m in England, after all :)
Pizza or ice cream?
Pizza
Wine or beer or soda?
Soda or a mixed fruit cider. I am particularly fond of Swedish pear cider blended with strawberry and lime.
Where would you like to visit?
Ohhh, now, traveling is in my blood! I have a very long list of places I’m slowly working my way through, haha. Top of my list are Hawaii (all islands), Japan (each region), China (Great Wall) and I def. also wish to visit Shanghai and Hong Kong, and South Korea.
Favorite musical artist.
I don’t have one particular favourite and have rather eclectic tastes.
Do you listen to music when you write?
I do.
What?
That often depends on what I’m writing. For the sci fi cozy, I listen to a 60s lounge playlist with Don Ho, Sammy Davis Jr, Elvis, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darrin, with some Motown sprinkled in. For my scifi romance series, The Brides of the Mylos, and The Dade sisters series, I listen to a shuffled mix of 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s pop with the odd 90s favourite tossed in.
What makes you laugh? The antics of dogs and cats and Far Side type cartoons.
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
My favourite painting is Renoir’s Girl with a Watering Can and my favourite sculpture is the Kelpie one in Scotland.
How old were you when you started writing?
13
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write? A bit of both. I hash out a general outline and character list on a sheet of blank paper and then develop it further when I begin the project and transfer it to a note card in Scrivener. I then sit down and just write and if the story takes a turn, it does. With my co-written books, my sister and I sit on Messenger and make up the outline and occasionally hash out ideas for scenes which I then organize on a notecard in Scrivener and then I dash out the words.
Describe your perfect evening.
Following a nice dinner, curling up with a good book or sit down with my laptop to write, dogs at my feet, cats lounging nearby. A nice cup of hot tea or coffee on the table next to me, my playlist playing softly, and the view outside the window somewhere new that the next day I will venture out to explore, with someone I love by my side (husband, child, friend, sister).
Where do you get your inspiration?
I have to admit that the characters generally start whispering their story at me. I was once in the shower rinsing my hair when the idea for one came to me. It wouldn’t leave me alone until jotted the premise and main character down.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I go for walks, watch some TV, go out for the day, or take a trip.
Who is your favorite author?
C.J. Cherryh
Best book you ever read.
Downbelow Station
Last book you read.
Night Kisses by E.T. Malinowsky
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
I’ve been a soldier, translator, retail clerk, fast food worker, and switchboard operator for the DoD (in no particular order), so who knows?
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My other half. He encouraged me to follow my dreams and tags along for the ride.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
My godmother Park. After several military moves, our families lost touch. I’d love to find out where she was from in SK (my mother doesn’t know or has forgotten) and see how my childhood friend Jason (her son) is doing.
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? Read a lot of well written books, write stories to hone your craft, learn grammar, study book marketing., and network with other authors on social media. Then go full steam ahead.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100026105790721&ref=br_rs
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