I'm often asked where I got the idea for MANHUNT. I'm almost embarrassed to give a response to that question because the answer is so utterly cliché, but it's the truth.
It just came to me.
As a writer, the question when starting a new story is often 'to outline or not to outline.' I used to spend a lot of time sketching out how I wanted a story to go, what the major plot points were going to be, et cetera. And you know what? The story never turned out the way I outlined. It always took on a life of its own, which is a good thing -- if a story doesn't have a beating heart, it's just road kill. The down side was that it would force me to either go with the flow and abandon my original idea or try and brow-beat it down the path I wanted it to go on.
I was fleshing out the paranormal romance I'm working on now when the idea for MANHUNT popped into my head and wouldn't let go. I had a clear vision of the first chapter and the pinnacle chapter, and that was it. Sure, I still drew up character profiles, which I looked back on as I went along to make sure their behaviors were consistent with their personalities, but for the most part I just let the story take me away. I rested my fingers on the keyboard like it was a Ouija board and waited to see what emerged on the screen. It was a much more organic, relaxed process, and I can humbly admit I am very happy with the result.
I've gotten a lot of feedback saying that MANHUNT reads like you're watching a movie, and I think that's probably why. I wasn't trying to play connect-the-dots to the next bullet point I'd so painstakingly detailed. I let the story come to life and followed the sound of its heartbeat.
Author Bio:
Lillie likes to joke that she is a mother, author, and wife – usually in that order. Although she holds a degree in Wildlife Biology, writing has always been her passion. She was a teaching assistant for English Composition and English as a Second Language in college, and wrote countless stories in her free time before she was brave enough to submit one for publication. A preview of Manhunt was an editor’s choice recipient at textnovel.com in 2009, where it is still #10 on their “Most Popular” list, and was a semi-finalist in the Dorchester Next Best Celler (sic) contest. Lillie was also recently awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2011 RWA-Passionate Ink’s Stroke of Midnight competition for her work-in-progress, The Circle, a paranormal romance. When not writing or freezing at soccer games, Lillie loves to cook and play video games with her family.
Book Blurb:
Sometimes you have to forget it all to remember what really matters.
Michael Brennan's life and career come to an abrupt halt when he receives a phone call telling him the love of his life, Nikki Wright, is in the hospital after another attack by her ex-boyfriend Sebastian Cross. Rushing back to Hershey, PA, Michael turns up at Nikki's hospital bedside covered in Sebastian's blood and tells her they have to leave immediately. Though her injuries have induced amnesia, Nikki inherently feels she can trust this man with her life. Soon, they find themselves on the run from both their own troubled pasts and authorities hunting for Sebastian's killer. With each new day and each touch drawing her further into Michael's embrace, Nikki remembers more about this fugitive she once loved, and who still loves her enough to risk everything to protect her and keep her safe. But can she love a man who just might be a murderer?
Buy it at: Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ All Romance Books ~ Tulipe Noire Press (autographed copies only available here)
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