Please welcome
Co-Authors:
Their debut novel
Where the Truth Lies
Tell us a little about your book?
What author’s books do you enjoy reading?
What one bit of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
What inspired you to co-author this particular book?
Tell us what we have to look forward to in the future. What new projects are you working on?
What message do you hope readers gain from your novel?
Elizabeth: I was born with the name Elizabeth, but for as long as I can remember, friends and family have called me Lisa.
I always loved reading as a kid. I guess it was just natural progression that when I got older, that love turned to writing. I didn’t get serious about seeking publication, however, until 2001, when I joined ACFW. I started out writing historicals, moved on to contemporary suspense, and now I’m writing cozy mysteries!
Janelle: I grew up in Minnesota. It gets mighty cold up there. And stays cold way too long. I found the best way to deal with it was to hunker down with books. I think I read all the Nancy Drew books at least three times. I guess it’s no wonder I’m writing mysteries now, though I started out writing historicals in 2001.
Elizabeth: Janelle and I have been critique partners for a long time. On top of that, we’ve become close friends over the years. I think both are requirements to anyone considering co-authoring. You have to know the person you are writing with pretty well in order to overcome the obstacles you encounter along the way. Having similar writing styles helps, as well.
Janelle: Lisa and I ‘converse’ together a lot, over the phone and by emails. We toss around many ideas and thoughts. Talk of Barbour’s cozy line had just started and I think we both danced around the idea of trying to write one. When the idea popped up about writing one together, we both jumped on it.
Elizabeth: I LOVED having somebody to brainstorm with 100 percent of the time. Any time I got stuck, I dialed Janelle’s number and vice versa. Because she knew the story as intimately as I did, there was never any question about whether or not something would work or if a character would behave a certain way.
As for what I liked the least…I honestly don’t know that I had anything to complain about! It was slow going at first, as we hammered out the details of the plot, but once we got writing, we never looked back.
Janelle: I have to agree with Lisa. It’s amazing how much creativity flows when you put two minds together…along with much laughter.
Another thing I enjoyed…before we even started the book, we hammered out the details of the entire book…the plot from start to finish along with all the red herrings. We even detailed the back story so we’d know each character intimately and what caused them to act the way they did. We knew what had to take place in each chapter. But after that, we allowed each other to use their own creativity to bring those details about. It got to the point that we couldn’t wait for the other person to finish their scene so we could see what happened.
I can’t think of a thing I didn’t like about writing this story. Writing with Lisa has been great fun.
Elizabeth: I never realized how much marketing I would be required to do once I got published. It’s not easy finding time to do all the things necessary to get my name ‘out there,’ but I know it’s a must if I want my book to be successful.
As for co-authoring, Janelle and I are very careful when making changes to run the edits past one another first. This really stretches the time involved in editing, but it’s a choice I think we both are happy with. Of course, as we neared the end of line edits, content edits, and galleys, that became almost impossible because of time constraints. When you trust your co-author, however, that really isn’t a problem. I knew if something needed to be changed, I could trust her to do it, and vice versa.
Janelle: The biggest challenge with becoming published? Patience. LOL. It’s amazing how you can come so close to the finish line only to have the tape disappear and you’re told to keep running. It’s when I finally broke the tape that I realized that you can never stop running.
As for co-authoring, I think Lisa stated it quite well.
Elizabeth: It depends on what kind of mood I’m in. If I feel like reading a good, sappy romance, I read Deb Raney. If I want suspense, I pick up Brandilyn Collins or Colleen Coble. For writing that challenges me to deepen the spiritual thread in my books, I read Francine Rivers.
Janelle: Ha! Now you can see why Lisa and I click. We enjoy the same authors. Some she didn’t mention though are DiAnn Mills, Susie May Warren, and Tracey Bateman.
Elizabeth: Do you remember that final scene in “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”? The one where the entire cast is in church and the pastor starts singing, “Father, Can You Hear Me?” Every time I hear that song I want to stand up and PRAISE God. That is what I want—to write something that SO inspires someone they automatically want to praise God.
Janelle: I’d love for the readers to walk away realizing how good God is. He may send us in a direction we don’t want to go or put us through situations we would normally tend to avoid, but in the end, His way is always best.
Elizabeth: As I mentioned earlier, Janelle and I have already contracted a second cozy mystery together called Died in the Wool. I’m also waiting to hear back on a cozy I wrote on my own called The Trouble With Mary. My current wip, however, has nothing whatsoever to do with mysteries. It’s a contemporary romance I’m considering pitching to Heartsong that I’ve tentatively titled Missing Abby. It’s kind of fun to be writing something a little different than what I’ve been doing over the past two years. Keeps it all fresh.
Janelle: As stated, Lisa and I are working on the second cozy in our Massachusetts series and brainstorming the third. I’ve got a suspense plotted and have started the first chapter as well as written the summaries for two more suspense stories that I hope will be a three-book series. I also write historicals and am working on finishing a Christmas anthology while I wait to hear if it will be accepted.
Thank you, Lisa & Janelle for sharing with us!
Check out their websites at the above links.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Least?
Tell us a little about yourselves?
Elizabeth & Janelle: Where the Truth Lies is the first in what we hope will be a three book series. Book two, Died in the Wool, is set to release in 2009. The third book hasn’t been contracted yet. In fact, we have just now started brainstorming ideas for it. All three books are set in Massachusetts and feature a young web designer and a librarian.
Elizabeth: Never, never, never give up. I wrote seven full manuscripts before I sold my first one and I learned something from every one. Enter as many contests as you can, too. I learned so much more from the comments judges gave me than I ever did from a form letter rejection. Lastly, join a good critique group!
Janelle: Don’t try to write completely on your own. A good critique group is vital. They will help you see your weaknesses and help you build on your strengths. And take the time to read the how-to books. They’re great for keeping you on the right track.
What has been the most unexpected challenge you've had with becoming a published author?
With co-authoring?
Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her?
Elizabeth & Janelle: Casey Alexander was born from many brainstorming sessions. LOL! By their nature, cozy mysteries include quirky characters and fun, often humorous scenarios. This made it easy for us to create a character who reflected the fun we have when we are around each other.
Elizabeth Ludwig
Janelle Mowery
It is my pleasure to introduce two amazing writers and incredible ladies that I'm proud to call friends. Please rejoice with me as their very first novel debuts in May. There's still time to join the Barbour Heartsong Presents Mysteries book club and have this Cozy mystery delivered right to your door! To join online:
