Good morning, Elizabeth, and welcome to Vision and Verse. Can you tell us a little about what you've written?
I have written the sci-fi/fantasy Sunspear series. Currently there are three books completed and published in the series. (The Spinning of the Deception, Deception’s Hold, and Shadowed Bonds). I am currently writing the next book in the series.
What is your favorite genre to write?
My favorite genre to write is sci-fi/fantasy. It’s also the genre I find myself picking up the most to read, so I’m sure that plays into it. However, in this case, it’s where my story and characters took me. Once I finish the series, I’m not sure if another story would leave me in the same genre. There’s a great possibility, but I’m not limiting myself. I would go wherever my imagination or the story took me. That will prove to be some time as the current story is only at its halfway point, if even that. I’ve got plenty to go before I finish Dante’s and the Girl’s journey.
Favorite food.
Chocolate…that’s a food group, right? LOL. Beyond that probably seafood or Italian food.
Tea or coffee?
Between those two I have to do tea, but I like a glass of iced sweet tea like I grew up on in Alabama. If we’re talking a hot drink, it’s going to be hot chocolate.
Pizza or ice cream?
Who would make someone choose between those two? My sweet tooth wins every time though, so I’ll go with the ice cream.
Wine or beer or soda or what?
I don’t drink anything alcoholic, and I’m not a big soda drinker. I usually have sweet tea.
Where would you like to visit?
I really don’t have a particular place. Honestly, I’m partial to any place with a beautiful beach. I love being near the water, and it’s one of the things I miss the most about Alabama. I lived on the Alabama coast all my life as a kid, and there’s nothing like watching the sunset over the water.
Favorite musical artist.
I don’t have one in particular. I have songs from various artists I enjoy, but I don’t keep up with when an artist is putting out their next album. For example, I love the soundtrack from Les Misérables and The Greatest Showman. I do enjoy songs from Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, Big Daddy Weave, and Steven Curtis Chapman.
Do you listen to music when you write?
No, I don’t listen to music when I write. I could, but I just don’t. Generally, when I’m writing, I’m in my own world, so I can write with all kinds of distractions. I know a lot of authors have to tuck themselves away into a quiet room to write, but I’ve never been that person. The usual for me is writing in my den while my family is talking among themselves and watching the TV at the same time.
What makes you laugh?
Lots of thing. There’s always a funny meme or just something someone says. I try not to take life too seriously. I have children (two boys) and a husband. Need I say more? They manage (mostly the kids) to provide a steady source of entertainment and laughter with their antics.
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
I don’t have a specific one. However, I tend to enjoy artwork that captures an outdoor nature scene, particularly one that has a water/shoreline scene or a gorgeous skyline/sunset.
How old were you when you started writing?
This is actually my first time in the author’s helm. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and it came naturally to me, as far back as when I was in school. However, it’s a case where the story has been weaving its way in my head, and as time went on more and more of it wrote itself there. After a while, I finally said, “Okay, I’ll write it already.” So, it wasn’t until I was in my forties, that I started writing down my Sunspear series. Once I started, it flowed because I put to paper or type what I had already done in my head. So, The Spinning of Deception was spun, Deception’s Hold found its grasp, and Shadowed Bonds made its mark. The next part of the journey is being written now, nameless only for the moment.
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
I don’t plan out my book in the traditional sense.I really do just write. Most of the “planning" is done in my head. I know how the last battle of the whole series will go, and the dialogue has written itself in my head for a while. I know there are certain events and conversations that have to be revealed to get me there. I have a good idea of how those events need to unfold and probably how the dialogue will go, but that’s because I’ve been in my characters’ world for so long now. I just know what they would say and do, but it’s not because I sat down and outlined how it’s going to go or plotted it out. I can’t even imagine writing like that. I know my eventual endpoint and the dots in the middle to get me there. I just write the story first. I don’t stop to edit or revise until I have the complete story for that part of the journey. I let the story flow, stay inside my world and my characters’ heads and hearts, and allow them to direct the writing. Once the story is down, then the editing/revising begins.
My perfect evening is either
going out to eat, followed by either a movie or seeing something onstage or staying in and curling up with an amazing reading.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Since my series has its feet in the sci-fi and fantasy worlds, I’ve been inspired by several sources. From the sci-fi world, Star Wars certainly left its mark on me. I also always enjoyed Star Trek. I enjoy the earlier ones in the timeline (the ones with Captain Kirk and Captain Archer) more than the later ones. The characters seemed more personable/relatable to me. Then there was a sci-fi series I loved as a kid. It was called Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. It was one of my earliest introductions to the sci-fi world, and I loved the characters. The heroes were relatable as well, even though they had cool ships and technology. On the fantasy side, I’ve always loved The Lord of the Rings series, so the epic fantasy feel to the Sunspear Series came from that. Also, the earliest fantasy series that I fell in love with was The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, starring the Assistant Pig-Keeper who, one battle at a time, becomes more than he thought possible. So that one influenced parts of my Sunspear world. Also, there is the concept of this whole other unseen battlefield that comes into play that is prominent throughout my series. I’ve made that battlefield as great a role in my series as the sunspear/air battles that one expects from a fantasy/sci-fi struggle. Two authors that inspired that part of the Sunspear world would be Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. Then I adore Victor Hugo's work, Les Misérables and his character Jean Valjean. The themes of grace, redemption, and sacrifice that are threaded throughout my series were directly inspired by Victor Hugo’s heart-wrenching tale. Another favorite has always been Alexandre Dumas' story The Count of Monte Cristo and his character Edmond Dantes. It’s about a young naïve hardworking sailor who’s wrongly imprisoned. While in prison, with the help from another prisoner, he pieces together how he ended up in prison, and upon escaping carefully plots out and carries out revenge on all those responsible for his imprisonment. Only at the end, does he realize he went too far, but it’s too late. The book inspired several parts of my story. It includes the way he changed personalities, once he began carrying out his revenge. The meticulous fashion he implemented is reflected in a couple of major characters and storylines. The Sunspear story is a rich culmination of all those influences, the story that began taking shape over twenty years ago in my mind.
Ultimately, the story itself inspires the writing. Certainly, the other fantasy and sci-fi works and characters I’ve named have inspired the series. Others around me encourage me to keep writing. But when everything else is stripped away, the only answer remaining is the story itself. There's a point where this world formed inside my head, these characters became living and breathing in it, and they begged for their story to be told. So, I have and I continue to tell their story. When you have the story in you, you can't not tell it. I love sharing the story, and there's no greater joy than when a reader falls in love with the story as much as I have. In that sense, the reader inspires me to continue to write as well.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?I honestly don’t get writer’s block, or I haven’t yet. It’s just never been me. So much of the story is written inside of my head already. I've gotten to know my characters and their world so well now that they write the story. It's always exciting to step back after a scene has unraveled on the page, seemingly on its own. Sometimes I'm as surprised how it emerged as the reader. I absolutely love that feeling!
Who is your favorite author?
There is no way to choose one author. I have several and the list keeps growing. I’ve always been a fan of Tolkien's work including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series. The earliest fantasy series that I fell in love with was The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, and I still enjoy going back to that series. I’m also a big fan of the works of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, with the concept of this whole other unseen battlefield that comes into play in their stories. Then I adore Victor Hugo's work, Les Misérables and his character Jean Valjean. Another favorite has always been Alexandre Dumas' story The Count of Monte Cristo and his character Edmond Dantes. Honestly, when I read most of the time now, I tend more towards indie authors. Favorites among those are Helen Garraway, Christopher Russell, Jacque Stevens, Cami Murdock Jensen, and Cully Mack.
Best book you ever read.
Once again there’s no way to narrow it down. My favorite authors and books coincide a great deal. The best books I’ve read include The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings series, The Chronicles of Prydian series, Les Misérables, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Hunger Game series.
Last book you read.
I just finished reading A Fire That Whispers (Voice that Thunders #3) by Cully Mack.
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
I would miss the writing for sure, but since this isn’t what I do for a living, it wouldn’t be as huge of an adjustment as it would be for other authors. I work fulltime as a counselor during the day and do all my writing/marketing for the books during the evenings and on the weekends. So that time would be freed up again.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why? I have many individuals that have influenced me, but there’s not one person that has a monopoly on that. Just as I can see pieces of different people in my characters in my series, I can see splashes of influences from different individuals in me.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
Once we open the gates to a fictional person, that changes my answer. I think I would want to sit down with Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, from The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. He’s always been an underrated hero to me as has the series. However, the series shows the true hero journey fully. Taran rises from his position as the Assistant Pig-keeper to discover what it means to be a hero. He finds it’s not the road of glory he envisioned in his youth, but one that leaves unforgettable marks on his spirit and heart. It’s as one of the characters in the series says to Taran, “There are those,” he said gently, “who must first learn loss, despair, and grief. Of all paths to wisdom, this is the cruelest and longest. Are you one who must follow such a way? This even I cannot know. If you are, take heart nonetheless. Those who reach the end do more than gain wisdom. As rough wool becomes cloth, and crude clay a vessel, so do they change and fashion wisdom for others, and what they give back is greater than what they won.” So, yes, I believe I would want to see what wisdom an assistant pig-keeper has found in his journey.
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Just write the story that’s in you. The passion for your world and your characters will come through on its own. Have readers fall in love with your world and your characters as much as you have. Don’t let anyone discourage you. Surround yourself with people that will keep encouraging you to keep the journey going. You never know if your story is what someone needed to hear.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
Social Media Links:
https://elizabethlavender.net
https://twitter.com/Elavenderauthor
https://facebook.com/elizabethlavender.author
https://instagram.com/elizabethlavender.author
https://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Lavender/e/B07ZLS4G93
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elizabeth-lavender
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19685019.Elizabeth_Lavender
Universal Book Links:
https://books2read.com/TheSpinningOfDeception
https://books2read.com/Deceptions-Hold
https://books2read.com/ShadowedBonds
