Guest Blogger, Lori Foster

Please join me in welcoming bestseller author Lori Foster as the guest blogger today here at Thoughts in Progress.

Lori’s latest book, “Back in Black” went on sale yesterday, Feb. 2, nationwide. She here today to answer some questions about her books and her writing. She will be dropping by back during the day to answer questions and respond to comments.

In addition, Lori is offering a special giveaway package for one lucky person who comments on her post. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will run from today until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10. The giveaway package includes a t-shirt, note book (with a book cover on it), a magnet, a key chain, and a pen. Let’s find out some information about Lori’s books and her writing.

M.C. - Lori, what genre is "Back in Black" or does it fall under several headings?

[Lori said:] Straight contemporary – which is important for readers to know after I slipped in a Time Travel with the last book. LOL. I always write my books how they want to be written, and this one was a contemporary from the get to.

M.C. - For someone who hasn't read any of your fight series books, could you give a brief over view of them? 

[Lori said:] Sure. Basically the books are NOT about fighting – they’re pure romance. You don’t really see the heroes professionally compete within the stories. The backdrop is about these highly trained, motivated and disciplined fighters – real Alpha guys -  and how they manage to fit a romance into the schedule.  There is so much travel involved, so much time in the gym training with a variety of coaches – wrestling, kickboxing, boxing, Muay Thai, Jujitsu, ground game, stand-up, submissions, etc... that I couldn’t imagine how they find time to pursue that one special relationship. And yet, many of the guys are in long term commitments, or they’re married. I’d see video footage of them with their kids, and it was an amazing thing to see this hulking, muscled guy wrestling around so carefully with his child, or cuddling him, carrying her on his shoulders... They make great family men, because to be a highly successful athlete, you have to be honorable and genuine. The frauds are often eliminated early on. It seemed to me that there was a natural connection to the dedication to the sport, and dedication to loved ones.

M.C. - Should the fight series books be read in order or is each one a stand alone book?

[Lori said:] Each book is a stand alone, but most readers tell me that after they read one, they go back and get the previous books. A lot of characters reappear in the books, and that naturally gets readers curious about their own journey to “happily ever after.” 

M.C. - Is this the last book in the series?

[Lori said:] I never say never, but for now, yes it is. I recently switched publishers, so my next single title will be with HQN and I wanted to start a whole new series for them. I’m hoping readers will enjoy the new characters and situations as much as they have the SBC series. Fingers crossed!

M.C. - Why write a series based on a fight club? Where did the idea come from?

[Lori said:] I LOVE mixed martial arts fighting ala the UFC. I’ve been watching since before the sport gained popularity, back when it was no-holds barred. As a mega-fan, I’ve always been interested in the fighters outside the cage, too, and it fascinates me that so many of them are Olympic contenders, and most have extended educations. (There are some doctors, accountants, police, fire-fighters, etc... all in the sport.) People like to think of “dumb jocks” but that just isn’t the case. It takes a savvy, educated person to reach the top of his game. I always wondered how an athlete could fit in a romance among all the training... and the SBC fighter series was born. ;-)

M.C. - How difficult was it to do research on this book and the series?

[Lori said:] Oh, not difficult, but mega fun! I was already attending live fights, and I never miss a Pay Per View. But I also was fortunate to get to interview a few fighters and to meet them in person. I have 3 sons who are also very into the sport, and they’re better at understanding the technical stuff than I am. I often called on my boys to give me a tip about something, or to direct me for research.

M.C. - I'm sure you're asked this a lot, but is it hard juggling your writing with your family life?

[Lori said:] Nope. Family comes first. I have a strong sense of priorities. I write when I need to write, but I always know that if I have a family obligation, or if the opportunity is there for visiting with my family, that wins out. I can do without sleep when necessary to get a book done on time.
 
That said, I only recently lost my father, and you can imagine how that might affect a writer. We writers need our head in the game, and mine was definitely elsewhere. My dad was loved by many, and losing him will be a weight on my heart for a long, long time. My editor told me to take some time off, and I did. But the fact is, the deadline for the book won’t change. And like dominos, if you affect one deadline you affect them all.

M.C. - What is next for you as a writer? Do you have a new series planned or you working on one you've already started?

[Lori said:] I’m hard at work on a brand new series that features super-Alpha guys (yeah, I love the Alphas) who are mercenaries of sorts. As of right now, I know the series will be 3 books, with a novella that ties in. But I don’t know a whole lot more about it than that because I a “seat of my pants” writer, meaning I make stuff up as I go along without a lot of pre-planning. I have the first book done, and ideas for the 2nd book and the novella. After that, it’s anyone’s guess what’ll happen. LOL

M.C. - What other series do you write?

[Lori said:] I also write more urban fantasy type stuff as L.L. Foster. I started with m “Servant” series, featuring “Servant: The Awakening,” then “Servant: The Acceptance,” and lastly, “Servant: The Kindred.” I also took part in an anthology titled, “Out of the Light, Into the Shadow,” with a story as Lori Foster and a darker story as L. L. Foster.

I LOVE writing those books, and I was blessed that the 2nd in my “Servant” series was named Amazon’s #1 Editor’s Pick in romance. That sort of blew my mind with the romance tag, but apparently the romance is strong enough to get that distinction. As a Christmas present for my readers, I wrote a short “free” story that is posted on my site, called Christmas Candi. It’s related to the characters in the “Out of the Light” anthology.

M.C. - Is there anything you'd like to write about that you haven't tackled yet and if so, why haven't you?

[Lori said:] One day I’d love to do children’s books. I always loved reading to my kids, and now I love reading to my grandson. So maybe one day I’ll see if I can manage that. J

M.C. - Any thing else about your work you'd like to share with the readers?

[Lori said:] I would LOVE to invite readers to join me on my facebook fan page. I enjoy interacting with readers, and this is an easy way.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lori-Foster/233405457965
I also have a message board that links from my webpage. And every year, my friend Dianne Castell and I host a “Reader and Author Get Together.” For only $50 you can enjoy a weekend of fun with readers, authors, publishers, editors and agents. It’s set up to be fun for readers, and for industry people. We’re very relaxed and casual, and that modest registration fee covers a Friday night pizza party, a Saturday continental breakfast, buffet lunch and dinner. Information is on my site at:
http://www.lorifoster.com/community/readergettogether.php  Everyone is welcome!

M.C. - Any closing thoughts on writing or reading?

[Lori said:] Just a giant “Thank you!” to all the readers who pick up my books. Being a writer wouldn’t be much fun without happy readers. LOL

M.C. - I feel like I'm asking so much of you. Thank you again for even considering this.

[Lori said:] My pleasure! Thank You!