      
      
      
An Interview
With
Lillie Ammann
ER!-Lillie,
hi, and thanks for letting me step into your mind for a
few minutes:-) I just finished reading Trapped
By Love and thoroughly enjoyed
it. I have to admit I'm envious of those who can
pull off a love story in a "short story"!
For readers interested in a free taste of Lillie's
talent, definitely check out Trapped By Love at http://www.awe-struck.net/READROOM/TBLOVE/TBLOVE.html
It's absolutely free!
Lillie, you're also the author of Stroke
of Luck with Awe-Struck E-Books.
It's part of their Ennoble Romance line. Can you
tell us a little more about Stroke
Of Luck and explain what
Awe-Struck's Ennoble Line is?
LA-OK,
Cass, I'll try to remember you said "a little
more"--stop me if I get carried away;-) Stroke
of Luck is a romance featuring
a heroine who is recovering from a devastating
stroke. When I suffered my own stroke, I was
totally dependent on my husband for several
months. I wondered how a person who didn't have
that loving support would cope with such a
devastating occurrence. In Stroke
of Luck, Debbie has to hire a
stranger to assist her. It's a romance, so you
can guess what happens.
However, traditional print publishers apparently
don't believe disabled people experience
romance. I got "good" rejections:
"this writer shows talent and the story is
well-written, but this manuscript does not meet our
needs at this time." I even had a
well-known editor tell me in person, as I was sitting
on my scooter, that no one wants to read about sick
or handicapped people! After countless
rejections, I had almost begun to believe the book
was not publishable. Then a friend of mine
heard about Awe-Struck and their Ennoble line.
Every book in the Ennoble line features a disabled
central character, heroes or heroines who are strong,
capable individuals fully capable and worthy of love
in spite of physical limitations. Someone was
actually looking for what every other publisher I'd
contacted told me no one wanted! That was
my first introduction to ebooks, but I'm a convert
and a passionate advocate now.
ER!-Is
there a book out there that you're just dying to write
but for some reason haven't?
LA-The
one I'm working on now has been in progress for
several years. The heroine, who does not
believe in abortion, becomes pregnant as a result of
date rape. I'm still struggling with how to
handle some issues, but I will finish it
eventually.
ER!-What
would you say has been your biggest writing challenge?
LA-Finding
the time, making writing a priority. I'm
compulsive about everything I do, and when I focus on
writing, I ignore other things. When I focus on
something else, writing gets neglected. I'm
ashamed to say that I didn't write for the entire
year I was president of our local writer's
organization. My writing time was spent working
on club business or writing for the newsletter or
writing a grant for the group. I have quit or
become inactive in a number of organizations to focus
more on writing.
ER!-Is
there anything out there (in the non-writing world) that
you'd like to do, but haven't yet been given the
opportunity?
LA-Since
my stroke, I don't wait for an opportunity. As
the ad says, I "just do it". I
realized that if I don't do it now, I may never have
the chance. I'd always planned to write
"someday", but it took a stroke to make me
sit at the computer and put words on paper.
ER!-Is
there a book that you've written, but we'll never see?
Why?
LA-No,
unless manuscripts I submit never get accepted;-)
ER!-If you
weren't a writer, what would you be doing?
LA-I
would have my own home-based, Internet business in
preventive health care, volunteer for several
organizations, serve as webmaster and newsletter
editor for my church, pose as an expert in dozens of
subjects and answer questions at AskMe.com,
AllExperts, and YahooExperts, .... oops, I already do
all those things;-) What I would never do
unless I were really desperate is hold down a regular
8 to 5 job. I've worked for myself and set my
own hours too long to ever willingly follow someone
else's orders or schedule.
ER!-Of all
the character's you've written about, who would you say
is most like you? And why?
LA-Debbie
in Stroke of Luck IS me. The emotions and
struggles she experiences as a result of her stroke
are what I went through in real life. The only
difference is that I had already been married to my
hero for 25 years, and Debbie had to find hers;-)
ER!-What's
the non-writing world like for you? Is there a husband, a
boyfriend, slaves hidden in the basement? Children?
LA-There's
Jack, who's been my husband for 33 years. No
boyfriend--Jack is all I can handle;-) I wish I
had those slaves in the basement--tell me where I can
get a few. <G> Jack and I have one son,
who is 34 years old. Yes, he was born months
before we met, but he didn't become our son until we
adopted him at age 11.
ER!-Many
readers wonder what's going on in an author's head, and
here's the part where we find out<g>.
Describe yourself in one line:
LA-I am
determined and persistent (OK, stubborn), organized,
practical, committed to my Lord and my family,
grateful to be healthy again, thrilled to be helping
others improve their health and finances through my
business, and delighted to be writing for
e-publication.
ER!-(Finish
this sentence) On a Saturday night you'll find me...
LA-Reading
an ebook alongside my husband, who is watching TV, or
at my computer while Jack is at his.
ER!-What
kind of car do you drive?
LA-Chrysler
Town & Country van, which was outfitted to carry
the scooter that I no longer need.
ER!-What
kind of car do you *want* to drive?
LA-Exactly
the one I have;-)
ER!-Answer
the following questions as quickly as possible, but feel
free to
expand on any of your answers (Hey, it's not a test).:
What's your favorite movie?
LA-Dr.
Zhivago--I don't remember anything about the movie,
but my husband and I fell in love on our first date
at this movie.
ER!-Favorite
song?
LA-The
Wind Beneath My Wings
ER!-Favorite
snack?
LA-Anything
sweet, especially candy
ER!-Favorite
book?
LA-Two
favorites I read every day: the Bible and the 1928
Book of Common Prayer
ER!-Typewriter
or computer?
LA-Computer
ER!-Soup or
salad?
LA-Salad
ER!-Pre-planner
or blind leap?
LA-Both.
For example, when Romantic Times asked me to
coordinate the E-Expo at the recent convention, I
took a blind leap and said "sure" before I
had any idea of what was involved. But once I
took on the project, I planned every aspect of the
Expo in great detail.
ER!-Turkey
burger or steak?
LA-Depends
on my mood.
ER!-Slacks
or jeans?
LA-Heresy
for a Texan...but slacks.
ER!-Boxers
or briefs?
LA-Briefs,
so-called, but nothing that will fit me is brief
<G>
ER!-Are
blondes really more fun?
LA-Well,
my husband is a blond, and I don't know anyone more
fun than he is.
ER!-Have
you ever held anyone hostage?
LA-No
ER!-If no,
would you?
LA-No,
I've been held at gunpoint myself and just the
thought, even in fun, is terrifying.
ER!-Do you
believe in love at first sight?
LA-I
have to. I went to work in the office where
Jack worked, and he followed me around from the
minute I was introduced to him. He's still
here, too:-)
ER!-Are
aliens real?
LA-Well,
the only aliens I know personally are people from
other countries, the ones the government calls
resident aliens. They're very real.
ER!-If you
could vote members off of Gilligan's Island, who would
get the boot first?
LA-The
snooty, rich woman.
ER!-If
Godzilla and Superman got into a street fight (no weapons
allowed), who would win?
LA-Superman
is a much better romantic hero than Godzilla, so
obviously he would win.
ER!-What is
one thing about you that very few know?
LA-That
I'm listed in Who's Who in America, the Millennium
Edition, as well as numerous other Who's Who.
Marquis Publications wants me to pay hundreds of
dollars for each book for the ego boost of seeing my
name in fine print, though I doubt anyone else has
ever seen it.
ER!-And
finally (and you can take your time on this one:-)),
what's next for you? Your next book? Writing venture?
Goal?
LA-I'm
finishing up a romantic mystery with a touch of
paranormal. Then I'm getting back to work on my
date rape story. I also have a non-fiction
project about setting and achieving goals, and one of
my goals is to finish it. <G>
Remember
to visit Lillie's Website
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