As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I sort of wanted to be everything. I was interested in so many things, but I think the most consistent answer I gave was veterinarian. After that I wanted to be a lawyer. Honestly, author was never even on the list though I always wrote scary little short stories. However after college was when I began to seriously pursue this as a possible career.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I don’t have a lot of time for relaxing, but I try to make time to run every day which helps clear my head. I love television, movies, happy hour, and of course social networks.
What is your favorite food?
Crepes. There is one particular restaurant in downtown Chicago that has the best strawberry French crepes. Just thinking about it makes me want to go. Mmmm
How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
I had a really normal happy childhood which doesn’t really lend itself to writing, but my parents weren’t strict at all. I watched horror movies for as long as I can remember which has given me a lifelong appreciation for all things creepy, scary, and frightening.
Are your works based on someone you know or events in your life?
Not really on anyone I know, but some of the ghostly things that happen in Dark Corners did happen in the house I grew up in. One of them happened to me directly and I remember at the time struggling with the debate of whether or not it was a person coming into the house or if it was something otherworldly. *scene shared below*
What advice would you give to writers just starting out?
Find a critique partner, a writer’s group, an editor, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. The writing community is a wonderfully nice and supportive group, all you have to do is participate and you will be amazed how far you can go with the right encouragement
Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us?
My next release will come out on November 22nd. It is the first book in the Guardian Trilogy, Secrets. While Olivia Martin observed life through her camera, the abyss gazed back at her. She discovers mysterious men follow her around, people close to her are dying, and her dreams are no longer her own as she falls head over heels for a perfect stranger. A chance encounter leads to an obsession that could destroy everything she has ever known or loved. Olivia is about to find out there is a lot she doesn't know and sometimes what you don't know can kill you.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I don’t know how interesting it is, but I don’t normally have much control over my characters. Several times while writing I think I know where the story is going to go and I have a plan then the characters take it in a completely different direction than I anticipated. It is always fun when I am surprised by what they do next.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
The scene I promised above that is based on real life events-
“Bit by bit, despite my continuing misgivings and bad dreams, Danny and I fell into a rhythm. We made friends with the couple who owned the hardware store we were constantly in and out of because of our ongoing restorations—Susan and Doug Daniels, a very nice, normal couple around our age.. Before they moved to Montgomery, they’d lived in Seattle and worked for a software company. They moved here to start a family and be near their own.
Though the Daniels lived here and owned a business for the last five years all of us were considered outsiders by the locals. Having unfamiliar faces and being instantly labeled as "city" forged an instant connection between us. It wasn’t long before they became like family. They helped with the house in their spare time and we had dinner together weekly.
One day while Danny was with Doug at a hardware expo and Susan covered the store, I stayed home to finally do some writing. I’d been working on a new book before we moved, but since the move hadn’t written anything. It was the first time I ever had writer’s block and it drove me mad. I blamed it on being busy and settling in, trying not to acknowledge that I’d had no new ideas since I stepped foot in the house.
I unplugged the phone, so I wouldn’t be interrupted by the onslaught of hang up calls we had since moving in. I sat at my desk with Piper lying on my lap. Staring at the computer screen my mind was completely blank.
I grabbed my hard copy and settled down on the couch to read what I had last written, trying to get back into the story. As I read, my eyes became heavy and before I knew it I was napping.
The sound of the front door opening woke me. Piper bolted awake too, barking frantically. She hopped off the couch, running to see who it was.
A low male voice said, “Hello Piper,” and she stopped barking. I assumed it was Danny, though why he was whispering was beyond me. I thought about getting up to see him, but I knew if I did that my nap would be over. My tiredness won, I remained on the couch, eyes closed, hoping to recapture the comfortable sleep I had been enjoying.
Danny walked past the office, crumpling a paper bag, Piper’s quick steps right behind him. I was tempted to open my eyes, but something stopped me. A little voice inside my head whispered, “What if it’s not Danny? What if it’s someone breaking in? If they see you and you see them, they’ll have to kill you.”
I dismissed it as irrational. Of course it was Danny; who else could it be? When Piper jumped back up on the couch with me I relaxed. Had it been a stranger she wouldn't have come back. I slowly drifted back to sleep.
Sometime later, the front door opened again, but this time it was followed by Danny gently waking me. “Hey you, I thought you were writing today.”
“I meant to,” I said, stretching “Where did you go?”
His brows pulled together in a line of concern. “The hardware expo. Remember?”
“I know that, I meant just now.”
“I’m not following you.”
“You came home earlier today.”
“No, I just got home.”
“Are you joking?”
“No… I just walked in the door.”
“I heard someone come in earlier; I thought it was you. It woke me up.”
Danny looked at me for a moment to see if I was serious, then he went and checked the house. Soon he came back into the study and shrugged.
“The door was locked when I got here. It must have been a dream.”
“It wasn’t a dream. I woke up.” Seeing the disbelief in his eyes I defended my position. “Piper started barking.”
“No one is here. Nothing is missing. It had to be a dream.”
“It wasn’t—I’m a hundred percent certain.”
“Then what happened?”
“I don’t know.”
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I do hear from readers and I absolutely love it. What author doesn’t love to discuss their books with everyone who will listen and trust me our families are sick of us. Haha I most hear about how scary the book is and that it kept them up at night.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
The selection of the title Dark Corners was sort of twofold. The first obvious thought was of things could be hiding in the dark corners of the room or your house waiting to pounce. Then the other part that contributed to the selection of this title was that it also refers to the dark corners of your mind where secrets are hidden and memories are buried.
What new author has grasped your interest?
Diane Setterfield. I absolutely love her book the Thirteenth Tale. It was a wonderful mixture of a modern story with the feel of the classics, especially Jane Eyre.
Do you think Americans are reading less than they have before? Why or why not?
I don’t think people are reading less. I believe people are reading differently than they used to. In a world of constant stimulation and our lives becoming busier and busier every year people are looking for convenience and faster paced stories. Something that will grab them immediately and let them escape for a few hours into a different world.
What book are you reading now?
My reading list is so long. So many of my friends are publishing right now and I am reading their books. I have Mortal Obligation by Nichole Chase, Craved by Stephanie Nelson, and Burden of Blood by Wenona Husley waiting patiently on my Nook for me.
Further info on Author Liz Schulte:
Many authors claim to have known their calling from a young age. Liz Schulte, however, didn't always want to be an author. In fact, she had no clue. Liz wanted to be a veterinarian, then she wanted to be a lawyer, then she wanted to be a criminal profiler. In a valiant effort to keep from becoming Walter Mitty, Liz put pen to paper and began writing her first novel. It was at that moment she realized this is what she was meant to do. As a scribe she could be all of those things and so much more.
When Liz isn’t writing or on social networks she is inflicting movie quotes and trivia on people, reading, traveling, and hanging out with friends and family. Liz is a Midwest girl through and through, though she would be perfectly happy never having to shovel her driveway again. She has a love for all things spooky, supernatural, and snarky. Her favorite authors range from Edgar Allen Poe to Joseph Heller to Jane Austen to Jim Butcher and everything in between.
Liz would love to hear from you and what you thought of Dark Corners.
Please stop by and visit at any of the below mentioned networks:
http://enteringbatcountry.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/liz.schulte
http://twitter.com/lizschulte
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4755336.Liz_Schulte
This is part one of a series of interviews for my blog tour through Indie Writers Unite. Look for the Support Indie Authors logo for further submissions. Please support these authors, check out their blogs and purchase their books. They are the best of the best. /Sue Owen.
No comments:
Post a Comment