- What is your “day” job if you are not a full-time author?
Throughout most of my working life I have served as a secretary or administrative assistant, I’ve also been a chambermaid, cashier, and stuck in a college mailroom for the most miserable year of my working career. No offense to mailroom workers, honestly, it was a very tough job,but it was one I never even applied for let alone wanted to do.
Today, I am the secretary for a local church. Which is funny when you stop to consider that I am not Christian. But I love it, in many respects it’s the perfect place for me.
- If you wrote a book about your life what would the title be?
Just Another Stranger on the Bus
- What is the hardest thing about being an author?
Self-doubt, when it settles in it’s awfully hard to get rid of. That nasty annoying voice that keeps whispering; “You suck, give this up, no one wants to read your stupid stories”. Beating back that demon can be a Herculean effort.
- What is the best thing about being an author?
Playing God. Doing whatever I want, building whatever I want, tearing down whatever I want. Creating my own worlds full of colorful characters and then putting them through their paces, their trials, and tribulations, until we reach The End.
- Have you ever been star struck by meeting one of your favorite authors? If so, who was it?
No, unfortunately, I’ve never had the chance to meet Stephen King. I’m so bummed about that.
- What book changed your life?
Probably “The Stand”, it was the first time I’d ever read anything that long, involved, and detailed. I loved every minute of it and wanted to be able to write stories just like that…well if I could.
- What were some of your favorite books growing up?
In grade school, I was a fan of “James and the Giant Peach” and “Animal Farm”.
In high school I was a big fan of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “Of Mice and Men”, both of which were read for a grade. But by this time, I was leaning away from ‘the greats’ taught in English class and more towards VC Andrews, Harold Robins, Jacqueline Susann, Judith Rossner, Shana Carrol, Mary Higgins Clark, and Stephen King.
- What books are currently in your to be read pile?
I need to get into audiobooks, my eyes no longer like to read for longer periods of time, the result of too many decades spent staring at a computer screen, I guess.
- Which do you prefer ebooks, print, or audio books?
I’m very old-fashioned, I still love the weight and feel of a hard cover in my hands even if I can’t sit down and read it for hours anymore.
- If you could live inside the world of a book or series, which world would it be and why?
I would live within my Of War series, particularly the first book in the series “The Heart of War”. I could live very happily with Ares God of War on his secluded Greek Isle until the end of time.
The First Sin (South of Eden) Lisa Beth Darling
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Moon Mistress Publishing
Date of Publication: 7/31/2021
ASIN: B096QZF49Q
Number of pages: 340
Word Count: 135,000
Cover Artist: Lisa Beth Darling
Tagline: Lucifer Returns to Eden
Book Description:
Lucifer is unceremoniously yanked out of Hell by his Father so he can return to his old job in the Garden of Eden. When he arrives, broken, battered, and bleeding, he falls into the arms of Eve who is unsure about seeing her old lover again as are the people now living in a dying paradise.
Tasked with returning the Sacred Trees of Life and Knowledge to flourishing bounty once more, Lucifer struggles to learn his new place in his old home. Yet, he hasn't been placed there solely to tend the Garden. His son, Cain, is on the way with murder and destruction on his mind.
Having lived, cursed by God, for eons, Cain Enoch has made quite a name for himself and amassed a fortune that would make even his Grandfather envious and with it he'll stop at nothing to find Eden and destroy. Why? So he can finally die even though it means taking the Earth, Heaven, and Hell with him.
Excerpt:
"My Father said there was no money in Art," she huffed and
took a long swallow from her glass, "he insisted I get a real job."
"Dads," Cain said in a dreamy tone as he looked at a painting
of a garden. Something about it called to him. It was so real he thought he
could almost smell the patch of honeysuckle as it radiated its sweetness under
that bright summer sun. Something about it seemed familiar but he couldn’t pin
it down. "They can be real assholes." He finished his glass and
slipped his arm around her waist when he heard her start to choke. "You
ok?"
"Fine," she stammered even as she blushed. "You’re so
right, real assholes," she agreed getting her reaction under control,
"but they’re not here now."
"Thank God for that," he said with more grimace than smile.
"Yeah," she sighed and drank down the last of her glass,
"more?"
Cain, who normally had such sharp ears and was such an excellent judge
of people, was still so captured by the painting that he missed the whole
thing. Instead he pointed at it and asked, "Where is this?"
Jesse didn't miss a beat even as her breath caught in her chest,
"Devil's Hop Yard, it's a park in Connecticut." She stopped for a
second as she took him in and then casually asked, "Do you like it?"
"Devil's Hop Yard," he repeated still a distant tone as he
stared at it. Cain had been all over the world several hundred times and the
name seemed familiar but he couldn't say he'd ever been there.
"Earth to Cain," Jesse chuckled as she snapped her fingers in
front of his glassy eyes.
"Hello?"
That brought him back around and he tried to cover the moment with a
laugh, "Sorry. Yeah, I love it, it's beautiful, it's like, like, I've been
there before." He reached out to touch it but she grabbed his wrist.
"Nope, no touch, we do not put our greasy finger prints on the
paint," she said with a serious grin.
"Oh, yeah, right," he muttered as he felt her leading him
away from the artwork that he just couldn't take his eyes from until she fully
pointed him towards the second hand couched with their thick blankets and the
burning hearth next to them. "More wine?" He asked trying to force
himself the rest of the way out of his daze.
"There's a delayed echo in here," she cooed as she plopped
down on one of the couches and held up her empty glass. Silently she cursed
herself for displaying that painting. She never intended for him to see it and
convinced herself he never would. Even if he did, it was just a painting. In
the end, her pride won out and she felt it was too good not to put on the wall
of her little Art Studio.
"What about those?" Cain asked as he filled their glasses and
pointed off to one corner where canvases were standing back to front. "What's
over there?"
"Oh, God, no," she moaned. "Those are not for
viewing." She laughed. "They're just, well, one day I'll just paint
over them."
"Temperamental artist, I see," he grinned
and settled in next to her.
About the Author:
Lisa Beth Darling is 54 years-old, the mother of
two adult daughters, grandmother to one, and wife to her husband, Roy, for the
last 35 years. She lives and writes in her hometown of New London, CT.
Early influences were Stephen King, Mary Higgins Clark, Harold Robins,
Jacqueline Susan and VC Andrews.
Her stories are filled with secrets, lust, betrayal, and sometimes rage, they
may keep you awake into the wee hours of the morning cheering, weeping, and
captured by suspense as our heroes and heroines have their love tested by
demons who reside within and without.
In her spare time she enjoys gardening and photography as well as cooking and
baking. She also enjoys helping other authors bring their works to the world
stage.
Sign Up for Lisa’s Mailing List: https://bitly.com/
WebSite: http://www.lisabethdarling.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lbdarlingauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/darlingwrtr
Instagram: http://instagram.com/darlingwrtr
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Beth-Darling/e/B002BMDA9I
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1577311.Lisa_Beth_Darling
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Thank you for hosting me today!
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