L. Carroll is the author of the Lor Mandela Series (Book #2 "Four Hundred Days" coming July 15, 2011). Her first book, "Destruction from Twins" maintains a 5 star rating on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads.
Currently, she lives in
IAN. Please tell us about Lor Mandela 400 Days:
LC. Four Hundred Days follows Audril, the heiress to the Lor Mandelan throne, as she sneaks away to Earth to save one of her dearest friends, and finds that a power hungry tyrant from her own world has begun systematically obliterating towns and cities to get her to turn herself over to him.
On Earth, Audril meets a wildly eccentric old lady named Teedee Venilworth whose imaginary butler/fiancé supposedly holds the key to her success. But how can someone help if he doesn't exist? Could it be that creatures who dwell in shadow are not exclusive to Lor Mandela?
Book number two in the Lor Mandela Series, Lor Mandela – Four Hundred Days, is an action-packed whirlwind of intrigue and fantasy. Join the extraordinary characters from the first book, (both the goodand the evil), as they traverse the haunted corridors of Alcatraz Penitentiary, travel via portal to an ancient castle on the cliff shores of Ireland, and meet a foreboding race of mystic warriors known as the Solom.
Soar on the back of a large horse-like creature to the Northern High Forests and discover that on the picturesque world of Lor Mandela, your friends can become foes, your enemies your allies, and just because someone dies, it doesn’t always mean that they’re dead.
IAN. How long did it take to write the book?
LC. "Four Hundred Days" took about fourteen months to write. It took five times that to write my first book "Destruction from Twins", so I guess I'm getting better!
IAN. Why did you decide to write a sequel instead of going in another direction with a stand alone?
LC. Originally, "Destruction from Twins" was going to be a stand alone book. I started writing it without any sort of outline, but about half way through, I sat down and roughed out the rest of the story. With everything that still needed to happen, I realized that this was going to have to be a trilogy.
IAN. Do you have part three in the Lor Mandela series written or outlined?
LC. I've written the first few chapters of the third book, and have a basic outline. Knowing me, though, that outline is bound to see a few revisions before it's all said and done.
IAN. You ran a contest for readers to name a catch phrase for the Lor Mandela series. How did that turn out?
LC. That contest was such a blast! I think I had about sixty entries or so. The idea was to have people send in their favorite phrase for a chance to have it featured as the "catch phrase" for a new character in book #3. I had some of the funniest, most clever, and highly inspirational phrases pass through my inbox! In the end, the winner was a gal from
IAN. Talk about the writing process. Did you have a writing routine? Did you do any research, and if so, what did that involve?
LC. My process was kind of a secret before I started this blog tour, only because it's embarrassing! I usually start out by going on an, "I'm going to write so y'all need to keep it quiet", rampage. After that, I lock myself in my office and read the last chapter I wrote. Then, I actually act out the next scene I want to write, (for the sake of continuity and believability). Once I'm happy with the flow of the next segment, I start plunking away at the keyboard.
There is a ton of research that goes into my books, even though, and perhaps especially because, they are fantasy. Again, in the name of believability, there have to be hard facts mixed in with the fantastic. In "Four Hundred Days" for example, I had to research
IAN. What do you hope your readers come away with after reading 400 Days?
LC. A desire to read the third book and a healthy despise of cliffhangers!
Actually, I love the prevalent underlying theme in fantasy stories in general -- that ordinary people can, and do become extraordinary. I hope that "Four Hundred Days" inspires readers to find their own inner greatness!
IAN. Where can we go to buy your book?
LC. Right now, "Destruction from Twins" is available in paperback at
https://www.createspace.com/3602036 or
Or in ebook formats at
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/55880 or
IAN. Any other links or info you'd like to share?
And, if you're interested in joining the "Four Hundred Hours to Four Hundred Days" blog tour and countdown party, visithttp://www.wovenstrands.wordpress.com orhttp://www.lormandela.blogspot.com
Excerpt from book:
Here's the first page…
The only visible thing outside of the cement, one-windowed room was a hazy blanket of black — a thick, inky gloom so dense that neither moon nor stars penetrated it. Inside, the small room was similarly shrouded in stale blackness, except for a tiny sliver of one wall weakly illuminated by three shining, green buttons. In their faint glow, the sharp edge of a metal door glinted on the otherwise barren slab of concrete. A musty odor — similar to that of a dust field stirred by the wind prior to a thunderstorm — hung heavily between the cold, damp walls and seemed a fitting aroma for a mill which was left dead and decaying by its former owners.
On a simple, grey, utilitarian bench — sterile and hard, and haphazardly jutting out from a corner — sat a tiny creature, curled in a dismal, rocking ball, quietly sobbing and shivering. The faint chirping of crickets in the distance no longer appealed to her. In fact, the sound that would have normally held an irresistible fascination now created a sickening knot in the pit of Tabbit the Shadow Squanki's bulgy, brown tummy.
“Squankis don’t tells,” she blubbered, “lady comes backs . . . lady comes backs . . . return the powers . . . four hundred days . . . four hundred days.”
