BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR BARBARA LUND

Author Barbara Lund writes science fiction, fantasy, and mystery, all with relationships strewn throughout. Today she sits down with us for an interview. Learn more about Barbara and her books at her website. 

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

In high school actually, but everyone told me to be practical, and I listened. I didn’t complete a novel until three years ago, and since then I’ve written four or five, and indie-published three.

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

About a year – after some seriously intense writing and revising classes, and a great editor on top of that.

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

Indie, but I hope to go hybrid. I think both have their strengths and weaknesses, and I’d like to take advantage of the strengths of both.

Where do you write?

On my porch or in my living room, surrounded by kids and TV noise.

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?

Silence, TV, instrumental music (Piano Guys), Disturbed’s Sound of Silence, arguing kids… whatever!

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?

Quite a bit of this series, since I work as a police officer for a mid-sized agency in Utah. I like to take bits of something that happened at work, and then change it and mold it into a fiction story. I also take – and teach – martial arts, so I think my fight scenes are pretty good… my bruises sure are!

Describe your process for naming your character?

Depends on the story… sometimes I just pull up the name generator in Scrivener, sometimes I search online for specific region names, sometimes the name is part of the character itself. For instance, the parents in my sci-fi novel named the main character “Tara” to remind them of earth (Terra).

Real settings or fictional towns?

Fictional all the way! Sometimes based loosely on real, but definitely fic.

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

I try to be funny when I’m scared, and laugh when something physically hurts – bruises, etc.

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why?

Seanan McGuire’s Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day – it’s beautiful and lyrical and surprising and touching all at the same time! I love all of her writing, but that is one of my favorites.

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours?

There are little things I wish I had done differently – not yelled at my kid over something stupid, or partied more in college – but really I’m who I am because of the choices I’ve made, and I made the best choice I could at the time. Because I strive to better myself and those around me every day, I think a real do-over would change me too much. I would be someone else.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

People not taking responsibility for their actions.

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

Sunscreen – I burn – an interesting, creative person to talk to – to brainstorm escapes with – and a knife – because so many reasons to have a knife!

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

Phone monkey in a call center filled with don’t-care people.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

Too hard – there are so many! Favorite authors include Seanan McGuire, Patricia Briggs, Holly Lisle, Kelley Armstrong, Mercedes Lackey… like I said, too many!

Ocean or mountains?

Ocean! (But I live close to the mountains, so I spend more time there.)

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

City… I might not like crowds, but I want to be able to run down to the grocery store for the ingredient I forgot, or decide to see a movie and have multiple options within 30 minutes, or decide to buy something and be able to go touch it!

What’s on the horizon for you?

I submitted a novella to TOR, and am waiting on a response from them, and am writing the third novel in a YA fantasy series: Last Mage Standing in the Crowns Peak series. I need to finish up #7 in the *Space series, and work on #8 and #9, too. I also have a short story urban fantasy series, and a novel urban fantasy series begging to be written! (If someone has a time turner, I could really use it…)

Darkest Space

There's been a murder on Platform Eight and Officer Cordova must find the killer--it's her job--but this case is a little more personal than she's admitting...

(A police procedural set on a mining space station on the fringe of settled space. The first of 6--so far--short stories.)

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