Authorpalooza Day Guest Author: Lisa Pietsch

Strictly Reviews proudly welcomes

Lisa Pietsch

to our first annual

Authorpalooza!

How long have you been writing?

I learned how to spell my name when I was three. It's been all about me ever since. Seriously though, I started my first action/adventure novel when I was eleven. The manuscript has been suppressed. 

What was your reaction when you heard your first book was going to be published?

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!

What's one day in the life of Lisa Pietsch like?

I wake up at about 7:30am, take a swim in the ocean, return to a breakfast of bacon and eggs. I spend the rest of the morning writing and then have a light lunch with a couple vodka martinis. After lunch, I take a nap, swim some more...

Sorry, I keep forgetting to draw that line between fantasy and reality. That's a day in Ian Fleming's life. My days are far less glamorous.

I wake at 5am to exercise and do some writing before my husband and kids wake up. I make breakfast for my boys (ages 5 and 2) and lunch for my husband. I give hubby a pat on the ass on his way out the door, change a couple diapers, send the boys out to play while I write and the next thing I know it's noon.

I give the baby a bottle, tuck him in for a nap, make a pizza for big boy's lunch and try to do some more writing while it's quiet.

Make supper, wash dishes, vacuum, do the laundry...blah, blah, blah.

Can we just pretend I live like Ian Fleming did? **Of course Lisa..**

Do you have a current project you’re working on or something you plan to begin soon?

I just finished the 4th installment in the Task Force 125 series that I began with The Path to Freedom. The 2nd installment, A Taste of Liberty, was released in March so I have a short story to write that fills in the gap between A Taste of Liberty and the next novel, Freedom's Promise. That free short will be available soon on my website http://www.lisapietsch.com/.

During the month of April, I’ll be departing from Task Force 125 for a while and writing a contemporary romance tentatively named “Wish Specific”.

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Katherine dreams big but her fiancé, Robbie, keeps her grounded.  Under his heel.  All she wants is a life of love and adventure but the only way she’ll get it is through the bestselling books that she writes.  Michael lives a life of glitz and glamour but none of it has substance.  All he wants in a genuine woman he can share the excitement with. 

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In your opinion, what is the most difficult part of being a published author?

Continuing to publish stories that don’t disappoint my readers.

What’s the most rewarding?

The fact that I actually have readers!

If you could co-author a book with any of your fellow authors or anyone from anywhere, who would you choose and why?

K.F. Zuzulo because I love her writing and we just seem to vibe on the same level when it comes to mythical/mystical beings.

Describe your writing process.

I stare at the blank screen on my computer until my ears bleed.

Okay, not really.  I get the idea, jot down a few notes and let it percolate for a while. Then I block out major scenes and plot points using Writer's Blocks.

I convert the blocks to a manuscript format, send it to my smartphone and fill in the gaps whenever I have a spare moment.

Once I've written the first draft on my phone, I print it, whip out my red pen and bleed all over it.

Then I type the changes in on my computer. I check it for continuity, formatting, word count, spelling and pretty much muck about on it for a few days.

Then I procrastinate for weeks on writing the synopsis.

What is the most interesting place you’ve ever visited?

Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas. Sammy Hagar, good tequila and sunshine. What more could a bad girl want?

I've been all around the world and every place I've gone has been interesting to me. The best places are the ones you visit with friends (and hopefully share a few drinks). Some of those for me have been:

The Skylark Recreation Center at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

The NCO Club at RAF Upper Heyford, England.

RAF Fairford, England.

Mucat's in Adana, Turkey.

The Carlton Hotel in Great Yarmouth, England.

The Deuce-Five in North Las Vegas.

What is the one thing that can always relax you?

Margarita on the rocks, no salt.

And now that we know that Lisa has a wonderful sense of humor.. we can get the bonus part of this post... Giveaways!

April Fool's Day!!

Just kidding.. Seriously folks..

Thanks to the very generous Lisa, I have both of her novels to giveaway today to two lucky commenters.

The Path to Freedom

Book 1 of the Task Force 125 series
Sapphire Blue Publishing
Read Online Excerpt

Sarah Stevens is a washed-up military cop whose life is a shambles until she is offered a position on an inter-agency anti-terrorism task force by the CIA. The thirty-year-old, overweight, down-on-her-luck Stevens goes to a secret training camp where she is transformed into a sexy and deadly agent whose mission is to find and stop, by any means possible, the financiers of terrorism against the United States and its allies. Although she goes into it thinking that it is just a job, Sarah soon discovers that this is a new life loaded with adventure, including the handsome Vince Hennessee, her team leader, and unimaginable danger in the form of Hassan, the man she has to destroy.

A Taste of Liberty
Book 2 of the Task Force 125 series
Sapphire Blue Publishing
Read Online Excerpt

Sarah Stevens finally has a life.



Instead of the same old life with no man around who is worth the energy, now she has three!


One she loves but cannot have, one she can have but cannot love, and another who wants her and doesn’t care if she loves him.


What’s a girl to do?


 
To enter this giveaway you must tweet and link about today's authorpalooza guest and giveaway with the hastag #Authorpalooza2010 (Post your links in the comment section)
 
And/or answer this question.
 

What is the most exciting or wildest thing you have ever done?