The Interrogation Room

Today I am bursting with pride to present to you a very special person, Here name is Liz Fichera, If you think I have nice blog manners, well I learnt it all from her she is the sweetest person I have met in miles and if I don't have blog manners well the tutorship is still ongoing - Shush Liz does not know I am stalking tutoring with her. Liz is going to be hanging out with us all day (yes I glamourized her with my bubbles) so feel free to ask any questions, visit her blog or leave a comment to cheer her on

I decided to change the name of this series from the spotlight series to the Interrogation room, because when I looked around me I realized that idea must have been planted in my brain by the other spotlight on author series in Bloggyland. This is going to be more like the Jay Leno show where the interviewee has to jump through hoops before they get to promote their idea.
I even have a(use your imagination or IPod) musical act; Muse - Resistance


Ladies and Gentlemen, feel free to stand behind the mirror I give you Liz Fichera 

1.  Joanna: So you are going to be stranded on the Bionic Island and I can only let you have one thing what will it be and why?

Answer:  Chocolate.  I cannot get through a day without at least one nibble of something chocolate.

2. Joanna: What made you start writing?

Answer: I was painfully shy as a kid.  I learned from a young age that I was better at expressing myself through written words than spoken ones.  It probably had something to do with being the “Jan Brady” middle child of my family, among other things.  Plus I’ve always had an overactive imagination.  I would rather write stories than just about anything else, and I’ve felt that way since forever.   

3. Joanna: How many manuscripts did you write before you hit Pay dirt and nailed your voice?

Answer:  I struggled with voice with my first two novels (which will never see the light of day).  I made the mistake of listening to people who told me what my “voice” should be rather than writing from my heart.  By my third book, I finally hit my stride.  My third book, however, was not my first published book.  Small tease: My third book will be published next year, although I’m not yet able to completely reveal the details. Stay tuned. J 

4. Joanna: If you could move anywhere, where would be your ideal location?

Answer:  Anywhere with an ocean.  I love the sound of water, particularly huge, crashing, gorgeous waves. I’ve been to Kauai several times and if money and time were no object, I would definitely move to that unbelievably beautiful island.  And then promptly search for all of those hunky guys on Hawaii Five-0!  Naturally, I would also want my own private jet to fly to the mainland whenever I needed my city fix or if I ran out of chocolate.  A girl can dream.

5. Joanna: What kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write?

Answer: All of them!  Just because I love to write, it doesn’t mean that writing is easy.  It has become easier the more I write, but I am still constantly learning, constantly improving.  I always want to get better.  I’m never fully satisfied.  It’s a sickness. 

6. Joanna: Okay, tell us about your first published book.

Answer:  CAPTIVE SPIRIT is my first published novel.  It’s a historical romance set in the sixteenth century in the Sonoran Desert.  It was published by Carina Press in June, and I totally heart the Carina editors for loving my story.  It was also my first attempt at a historical, and I can’t wait to write another one.  I think I enjoyed doing the research almost as much as I did writing the story of Aiyana and Honovi.  Plus, I love the epic themes, richness, passion, and drama of historicals.  It has become one of my favorite genres to read and write. 

Okay don't you just love this cover?

Back Cover Copy for CAPTIVE SPIRIT:

Sonoran Desert. Dawn of the sixteenth century.

Aiyana isn’t like the other girls of the White Ant Clan. Instead of keeping house, she longs to compete on the Ball Court with her best friend Honovi and the other boys. Instead of marriage, she daydreams of traveling beyond the mountains that surround her small village. Only Honovi knows and shares her forbidden wish, though Aiyana doesn’t realize her friend has a secret wish of his own…

When Aiyana’s father arranges her marriage to a man she hardly knows, she takes the advice of a tribal elder: Run! In fleeing, she falls into the hands of Spanish raiders and finds herself being taken over the mountains against her will. Now Aiyana’s on a quest to return to the very place she once dreamed of escaping. And she’ll do whatever it takes to survive and find her way back to the people she loves.

Watch the trailer here

About Liz:  Liz Fichera is the author of CAPTIVE SPIRIT, her debut historical romance novel from Carina Press.  She prefers to write about ordinary people who do extraordinary things, oftentimes against the backdrop of Native American legends in the American Southwest.  Please visit Liz at her web site (http://www.lizfichera.com/) or blog (http://lizficherablog.blogspot.com/) because it can get real lonely in the desert.