My first author interview...and a giveaway!!

Today I'm so over-the-river-and-through-the-woods excited to have the awesome Lani Woodland over for dinner and DVRed Vampire Diaries episodes! Wait, that's my dream date. Sorry.

Ahem...what I meant to say is that I'm so happy to have her stop by my blog for an interview--my very first author interview! Well actually it's technically not really my very first (wow, hello adverbs!), but it's the first time I've interviewed an author outside of a blog tour, so that counts, right? And since I'm starting this All-New! feature -- Meet an Author Monday -- Lani is the first!!

So without further ado, please enjoy my mini-interview with the author of Intrinsical (and soon-to-be-released Indelible), Lani Woodland!

Welcome to my blog, Lani! So nice to have you here. Tell me, how has being a published author changed your life? Do you spend a lot of time dodging paparazzi and signing autographs for rabid mobs on street corners?

You know it’s made it so hard to go to the grocery store. The worst is when they follow me to my kids’ bus stop. ☺ I’ve recently hired a body double and that has helped. Honestly, it wasn’t me they had shoplifting on video last week. I need to do a more extensive background check on my next double.

Just kidding. My life hasn’t changed at all. Well, except for the fact I’ve met a lot of really nice people who love books as much as I do. I love talking books with people. I spend more time writing and editing than I used to. But other than that, life is the same. It is weird when people call themselves my fans. I consider them friends who share my passion for books.

I know from the Pendrell Publishing website and blog that you were their first author and venture into publishing. What has that experience been like, starting from scratch with a new publisher?

I didn’t have the experience of working with a big publishing house so I’m not sure of the differences. I will say I feel very blessed to have been working with Kamilla. It was exciting and nerve wracking to be the flagship book. What if the book tanked and it brought down her company? But I think going with a small publisher was right for me. I think I get more personal attention. While Kamilla has the final say in things, she listens and considers my point of view. She has been fantastic to work with, and I'm very grateful she took a chance on me.

Typically with small presses, authors are able to work directly with a publisher without an agent. Is that the case with you and Pendrell? If so, do you feel that route is better/worse than having an agent?

Yes, I work directly with Kamilla, president of Pendrell Publishing. I know having an agent can be very important, but I really can’t make a fair comparison since I’ve never had one. I tried to get an agent for almost two straight years but found no one to represent me. Over the course of submitting, I did receive some fantastic feedback from agents that helped me improve Intrinsical, and I know they do a lot of work on writers’ behalf. But after not finding representation, I submitted directly to publishing houses. I was lucky to have made contact with Kamilla right as she was starting up Pendrell. Working directly with the publisher, I was guaranteed to get published, and with an agent that isn’t always so. I know lots of writers who have fantastic agents but still haven’t had their book picked up yet.

What's a typical writing day in the life of Lani Woodland really like (minus the glitz and glamor of course)?

My work uniform is my pajamas. I sit on the comfy office chair I stole from my husband and write. I take a lot of catnaps and reading breaks. Being creative seems to drain my energy so I need to recharge often. I write as much as I can in between real life happenings, like my photography business, laundry, cooking, kids’ homework, dishes and general housewifery.

And finally, the go-to question I ask all interviewees... If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one book to read, which would it be and why?

Besides Surviving Desert Islands for Dummies? The novel I’d bring would be A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. That book is what reawakened my love of reading and writing after college murdered it.

Thanks so much for doing this, Lani. You rock! Aren't those answers great? She has such a great sense of humor, too! A huge thank-you to Lani for taking time to visit with us today.

And as a bonus to my loyal followers, I'm giving away a copy of Lani's first book, Intrinsical...and it's SIGNED! All you need to do is comment on this post by Tuesday 3/29 at midnight and tell me what book you would want on a deserted island. Though I don't offer extra points, feel free to spread the word! I'll use random.org to pick a winner and announce it on Wednesday by noon CST (sorry, US only)!