Writers in their own words

I was recently invited to join The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit, which is a group of 20 or so women (hence the "Girlfriend" in the title) writers who take turns "touring" each other's books on their blogs. I was flattered to be asked to join and think it's yet another great opportunity for writers to support and learn from one another all thanks to the wonders of the internet.

Today's guest is Deborah Leblanc whose new book is MORBID CURIOSITY.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

It seemed like the answer to Haley’s prayers. The most popular girl in her high school promised Haley that her life would change forever if only she performed certain dark rituals. And if Haley can convince her twin sister to participate, their power will double. Together they will be able to summon mystical entities they never dared dream of. But these are powerful, uncontrollable forces, forces that can kill—forces that demand to be fed . . .


BOOK RAVES:

“One of the best new voices of supernatural thrillers!”
--Cemetery Dance

“It’s now official: Deborah LeBlanc has become a master not only of good spooky stories, but also of crafting great characters to fill them!”
--Horror Fiction Review

“An imaginative chiller. Riveting!”
--Publishers Weekly

“Ms. LeBlanc’s tale is a powerful, gripping read, with an ever increasing intensity that forces you to the end without laying the novel aside.”
--Who Dunnit

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Deborah LeBlanc is an award-winning author from Lafayette, Louisiana. She is also a business owner, a licensed death scene investigator, and an active member of two national paranormal investigation teams. Deborah’s unique experiences, enthusiasm, and high-energy level make her a much sought after speaker at writers’ conferences across the nation. She also takes her passion for literacy and a powerful ability to motivate to high schools around the country.

She is the president of the Horror Writers Association, president of the Writers’ Guild of Acadiana, and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the National Association of Women Writers, and International Thriller Writers Inc. In 2004, she created the LeBlanc Literacy Challenge, an annual, national campaign designed to encourage more people to read. Her most recent novels are: FAMILY INHERITANCE, GRAVE INTENT, A HOUSE DIVIDED, and MORBID CURIOSITY. Deborah’s next release, WATER WITCH, is scheduled to be on bookstore shelves in August ’08. For more information on Deborah or the Literacy Challenge, visit www.deborahleblanc.com

I had the chance to ask Deborah a few questions about her book and writing . . .

1.)How did you come up with the idea for this book? Are you more driven by plot or by character?

Definitely character driven.
Morbid Curiosity is about a set of sixteen-year-old twin girls whose lives are turned upside down after their father dies and their mother is committed to a hospital after she attempts suicide. Without parents, the girls are eventually shipped off to Mississippi to live with grandparents they hardly know, and it’s there they decide to take control of their lives by way of Chaos Magic. The one thing they don’t count on conjuring up, though, is their own death sentence.

The inspiration for this story came while I was doing research on shamans for another book. I found a link on a website marked ‘sigils’, and curiosity sent me clicking away. The information I discovered on sigils and Chaos Magic blew me away. The intense measures that many practitioners (most of them teens) use to ‘charge’ and ‘feed’ their sigils is nothing short of horrifying. Some claim to have gone so far as committing murder. I couldn’t NOT do a story on that.

2.)Who's your favorite character in this book and why?

My favorite character wound up being Buck Thurston. He’s a feisty old fart, who has a heart the size of Montana. It just takes him most of the book to realize it.


3.)What's your writing process/writing environment like?

My process is pretty simple. I get an idea for a story, start asking a lot of ‘what if’ questions, then invite the characters who are supposed to be involved in the story to come along. As for my writing environment, think organized chaos. I usually have stacks of papers everywhere, along with sticky notes, research articles, half-filled coffee mugs, a week-old bottle of water, and a box of toothpicks. The toothpicks are for chewing when I get stuck on a scene. J

4.)What's your favorite part of writing?

Finishing the book!

5.)What's the best piece of advice you've ever gotten about writing?

There are two actually—1. “Just write the story, dammit!” 2. “Read, read, read—write, write, write—and never give up!”