My Day with Lizzy Ford

About Lizzy

Lizzy Ford is the author of over seventeen novels written for young adult and adult paranormal romance readers, to include the internationally bestselling “Rhyn Trilogy,” “Witchling Series” and the “War of Gods” series. Considered a freak of nature by her peers for the ability to write and release a commercial quality novel in under a month, Lizzy has focused on keeping her readers happy by producing brilliant, gritty romances that remind people why true love is a trial worth enduring. 

Lizzy’s books can be found on every major ereader library, to include: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Sony and Smashwords. She lives in southern Arizona with her husband, three dogs and a cat.  

Find Lizzy at any of these spots
Website   Facebook   Twitter   Google +   Goodreads   Amazon

The biggest controversy on the internet right now is:

I personally am so Team Gabriel....I mean Holy Smokes check out his shining  Scythe 

Time for Lizzy learning

Derinda: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

Lizzy:  I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I knew since I was tiny that this was my fate! 

Lizzy: Now your turn Derinda, what did you want to be, when you grew up?

Derinda: Pffft! I wanted to be Wilma Flintstone. I was always in love with Fred Flintstone. 

Derinda: Where do you get your information, ideas or motivation for your books?

Lizzy: Dreams, daily life. Pretty much anything can inspire me! I have a crazy active imagination. My mind is always going, and I’m usually mentally working on a few stories at a time. I’m also an avid dreamer, so I write stories in my sleep, too. I think in movies, so there’s always a few playing in my head! 

Jenn: I am here, I am here....sorry seen Johnathon Jackson outside OMG OMG  

Derinda: Ummm Jenn is that drool on your chin

Jenn: Of course it is DUH! 

Lizzy: She always drools over JJ hahhahahaha

Derinda: Jenn is Lizzy Ford's beautiful PA *giggles* that obviously loves JJ 

Derinda: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating any of your books?                            Lizzy: That people actually liked reading them. My stories make me happy; I never expected anyone else to like them!

Derinda: What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? 

Lizzy: Wow I’m not sure. I love to write with NCIS marathons going in the background. 

Derinda:  How did you feel when you got your first 5 star review?

Lizzy: Surprised and thrilled. I figured it was a mistake haha!

Derinda: Lizzy, could you please announce to the world who Gabriel belongs too? 

Lizzy: Why you of course Derinda

Jenn: hahaha wait till you have to deal with the street team on that one Lizzy hahaha!

Derinda: How do you handle when you get a “not so great” review?  

Lizzy:  There are ‘good’ one and two star reviews and ‘bad’ one and two star reviews. The ‘good’ reviews are those I can learn something from or which simply express a different point of view than any I’d considered. I love those kinds of reviews, because I learn from them. The ‘bad’ ones are the hateful, spiteful or insulting reviews where someone is purposely trying to be hurtful towards the author. Those I don’t understand at all; there’s no benefit to them, and they create bad Karma! 

Derinda: Is there a message in your novel/novels that you want readers to grasp?

Lizzy:  A lot of my books deal with the idea of redemption and how our flaws – or mistakes – don’t have to define who we are or prevent us from finding a way to make things right and be happy. This is something I’ve learned in my lifetime the hard way, and so I like to share that message with others. 

Derinda:  So Lizzy what books have most influenced your life most?

Lizzy:  I love, LOVE Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, because of how she built her characters. I didn’t discover her books until I was in my 20s, though.

Growing up, my mom was devout Christian, my dad agnostic who was fascinated by science. I read the bible and books on quantum physics, Hocking/Einstein’s theories or by Joseph Campbell until I was old enough to check out books at the library, which was when I found my love for paranormal and fantasy.

I became addicted to Walter Farley’s Black Stallion series; it’s how I was drawn into paranormal. “The Dark Is Rising” is another book that wowed me when I was young. It, too, gave me a fascination with the struggle between good and evil, which is another theme I incorporate into my books. The idea that bad deeds could be done in the name of good and vice versa was an intriguing concept to someone like me, who was raised in a household with mixed religious beliefs. I was always drawn to fantasy, science fiction and paranormal books, because I love the complexity and depth of the worlds and the characters.

I always tell people I was that little girl in the back of the class playing with unicorns while others studied; what they didn’t know was that my unicorn was made of dark matter and it used wormholes to move between dimensions!

Derinda: Jenn, what is that you are holding?
Jenn: Well...it's ummmm....when I was coming in and bumped into JJ, his watch fell off (smiles innocently)
Lizzy: You what???? OMG Jenn hahahha

Derinda: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in any of your books?

Lizzy:  I do revise them occasionally, such as the Witchling Series. The first two books recently underwent overhauls (with the help of my mentor and publisher) to add depth to the characters and their worlds. Otherwise, I don’t really feel the need to change things about my books. I try to make each one better than the last and to learn from feedback I receive from reviewers and readers. I use that information more to write the next one better than to revise one already written.

Derinda: What was the hardest part of writing your books?

Lizzy:  Focus. I have no ability to focus. I can write a full-length novel in 9-11 days, but I have no ability to focus on one thing for that long! The TV in my head has a lot of different channels and commercials that tend to distract me. Haha! I also struggle with depression. I’d like to think depression gives me both deeper insight into the darker side of emotions AND an understanding of how perseverance is the key to redemption and recovery. It helps me write and has made me compassionate for others, because I recognize pain when I see it in someone else. 

But it’s rough sometimes, especially since it’s not the type of illness that’s acknowledged by mainstream society as an ‘acceptable’ illness. There are a lot of stigmas associated with any sort of mental illness, which makes it more of a struggle to people who have them, I think, to accept themselves and also to create an environment that allows them to grow. 

I always tell people my books are perfectly flawed. I think I am, too, but it took years for me to realize it’s okay to be who I am. 

Derinda: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Lizzy: THANK YOU for your continued support. You made me believe in myself, for which I’m forever grateful.

Jenn: Excuse me, going to powder my nose LOL

Derinda: Oh ok Jenn, so Lizzy, what are you working on now?

Lizzy: A few things:

“Winter Fire,” #3, Witchling Series. Beck falls for a girl with a secret that might destroy what progress he’s made to restore Light. Scheduled for release in mid-June by my publisher.

“Zoey Rogue” (final revisions), #1, Incubatti Series. Basically, this series is Buffy meets 50 Shades of Grey. Scheduled for release in mid-May by my publisher.

“Deidre’s Death,” #2, Rhyn Eternal Series. Gabriel and the two Deidres (one of which is stuck in Hell) struggle to find their paths. Scheduled for self-published release in May/June.

A new young adult paranormal set in Atlanta for my publisher. It’s under wraps for now, but it might be out late summer. 

And a couple of others to publish under my self-publish imprint.

Derinda: Who is your favorite hero/heroine/character from your own books? What about of all time?

Lizzy:  My own books:  I’ve always loved Sofia from “Damian’s Oracle.” I think it’s partially because she was the heroine in my first self-published novel, and partially because I always thought she was so strong. I love that about her!

Of all time: Elizabeth Bennett from “Pride and Prejudice.” I love that she’s flawed – but that she’s able to overcome her flaws in time to find love. 

Derinda: If you could pick one author (dead or alive) to have dinner with, who would it be?  What would be the first thing you would say to them?

Lizzy: Jane Austen! I’d ask her, “Who was the one who got away?” Haha … not a great way to start a conversation, but I must know!

Derinda: When you’re not writing AMAZING things, what is your most favorite thing in the world to do?

Lizzy: You know, I’m not sure. Haha! I’ve been writing, marketing and publishing for a little over two years, of which about a year and a half have been full time. I’m not sure what else I do, when not doing those things! 

I love to visit my mom and sister in Ohio and hang out with them. Love hanging out with my husband and our animals. I love animals in general, so being around them makes me really happy. I also really love nature. Living in a city kills me, which is why I’m happy we live in the desert right now. I miss trees and an ocean, but I adore the mountains and openness of the sky where we live now. 

Derinda: OMG Lizzy, is that the police outside?

(off Lizzy's runs)

Lizzy: (panting) Oh Derinda, so sorry about that. They are taking Jenn downtown.

Derinda: WHAT!!!!

Lizzy: Don't worry though I have to go pick her up once a month LOL. I always tell her not to stalk him, but does she listen NO!

Derinda: They are taking her away because she is drooling over him? 

Lizzy: No, they are taking her because she tried to bribe the officer with Lizzy swag.To be able to keep the watch hahahhahaha

Derinda: I so love Jenn hahahahhaha *SMH*

So we are leaving but not before we give you a great chance to win some AWESOME Lizzy Swag!

a Rafflecopter giveaway