Interview with Lisa M Basso

Today we're talking with fabulous author Lisa M. Basso about her new book, A SHIMMER OF ANGELS.

Hi Lisa! Welcome to We Do Write. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm a San Francisco native who loves reading, writing, gaming, animals, baking, laughing, and texting. Yes, I'll admit it, I'm almost always glued to my phone (when I'm not glued to my laptop or my Playstation 3). One of these days I'll get a more active hobby...I swear. :)

How long have you been writing?

I've been writing off and on since I was a teenager, but I decided writing was what I wanted to do about five years ago. I haven't looked back since.

I love the cover of A SHIMMER OF ANGELS. What’s the story about?

Rayna, a sixteen-year-old girl, thought her hallucinations had ended, thought the wings she used to see were a thing of the past, along with the time she spent at a mental health clinic. She was ready to put it all behind her when an angel appears in her class and her classmate turns up dead the same day.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

The first thing that came to my mind when I decided to write a new book was YA. I wanted to try my hand at writing for teenagers. I've always had a love of wings, so putting my own twist on an angel story was kind of a given. The starting point was when I decided I wanted to pit good versus evil, white against dark. But even that got turned on its ear. The color gray appeared to me, and the idea really took off. There are lots of notes of gray in the book, the blurring of morality, and the crossing of lines my characters never thought they'd even come near. Let's just say, there's more to the story than what you may read on the surface. ;)

Sounds awesome! Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Each book I write changes the game for me. No two books ever get the same process. When I first started writing I just knew I was going to be a hardcore pantser. I mean, come on, discovering the story was the best part. Why would you want to skip ahead? It was like cheating to me. Then I started writing more and discovered how much richer a plot could be when I planned--and plotted--ahead. So, I guess you could say I'm a plotter. For now.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

This answer used to be editing. Funny how things change because now editing is my favorite part about writing and my previous favorite part is now the hardest. The dreaded first draft. But honestly, every part of writing is hard, and every part is amazing. It's the most rewarding job I've ever had and I hope to never have to job-switch again.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

I prefer writing in the mornings, so a strong cup of tea, preferably chai. Anytime after that, a huge glass of room-temperature water. I try not to eat by Spartacus (my unbelievably amazing--and still quite new--laptop) if I can avoid it. That said, if Reese's pieces are nearby, watch your fingers because they are mine and will be gone in no time.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

I would love to be able to teleport. I have all these fantastic places in my head that I would love to travel to. The problem? I hate flying. Hate, with a capital H. I've gotten better in the last few years, but that doesn't mean flying isn't a fear-inducing thing for me. It is. Teleportation would solve these problems and, let's face it, it's one bad-ass talent. I'd travel the world and be home for dinner. I could write a book set anywhere in the world and actually know where I'm writing about. Most perfect power ever.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

Ha! I love this one. There's the funny pics: crazy cats, flying squirrel. The music videos: Radioactive by Imagine Dragons, Blackout by Breathe Carolina, and anything by Mumford & Sons. And there's the really out there stuff the FBI would arrest me for if they looked into my book research: how to snap a neck, bullet wounds, and how to pick a lock, among many shameful others.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: shimmer, shenanigans, and shy.

These questions are awesome. You are officially my new go-to question chick. Okay. Let's see...

Ray spots a shimmer and knows the angels are back, though she's shy, she confronts Cam—and the shenanigans are just beginning!

Awesome sentence! Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...

Um...gaming (on the Playstation 3), reading, editing, plotting (future books, in case you were wondering), scheming (yes, this covers a myriad of writing and non-writing sins), cooking, or baking.

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

There are so many! Obviously everyone at Month9Books--Georgia, Courtney, Mandy, Rachel, Ashlynn, Kelly P. Simmon, and everyone else I've had the honor of working with so far. My fellow Month9 authors who have been nothing but amazing--seriously, the camaraderie is so great.

My mom and dad, aunts and uncles, cousins. Best friends, Lesley and Andrea. And most of all, my boyfriend. The one that takes care of me when I'm lost in a project, the one that makes me eat, drags me off the laptop when he can tell I need a break, the one that makes me laugh louder and harder than I ever thought possible.

Last, but definitely not least, the bloggers and readers. To those of you who have already written reviews of A SHIMMER OF ANGELS, and the ones who will. To those of you who are waiting by your doors for your copies to arrive. To those who are as excited about this book as I still am.

Aw. Now I'm all teary-eyed. Thanks so much everyone!

And finally, where can people find you and your book online?

I am at all these places:
blog - http://lisa-basso.blogspot.com/
twitter - https://twitter.com/LisaMBasso
facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-M-Basso/340213186037936
goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3201662.Lisa_M_Basso

And my book is available here and wherever awesome books are sold:
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Shimmer-Angels-Angel-Sight-Series/dp/0985029439/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1358711922&sr=8-4&keywords=a+shimmer+of+angels

Barnes &Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-shimmer-of-angels-lisa-basso/1109245309?ean=9780985029432&itm=1&usri=a+shimmer+of+angels

The Book Depository - http://www.bookdepository.com/Shimmer-Angels-Lisa-Basso/9780985029432