Hello Leslie! Thank you so much for agreeing to “chat” with me on All The Buzz! It is truly my pleasure to interview one of my all-time favorite authors.
First, let me congratulate you on The Darkness being featured on The Today Show & MSNBC! That is truly an honor. What was your first reaction when you got the news?
Renee, thanks soooo much! I was completely blown away and I am thoroughly excited :) My first reaction was to scream like a teenagers, LOL!
You write in so many different genres. How do you keep all the characters, plots, etc. straight?
Some days I don't, LOL... but I try to use those big white erasable flip chart sheets (that you can get from Staples) to keep plots and stories and characters straight. When I'm working on a story, I need a visual sometimes to keep me on the right path.
Which genre do you enjoy the most?
Ahhhh... the paranormal, hands down--simply because my imagination can go nuts and there are no boundaries... I get to create the world and the rules in it.
What is the hardest thing about writing in multiple genres?
Keeping the character's voices true to the genre. For example, in a romance, a hero just isn't going to respond to the heroine in the same manner as say a crime suspense or in a paranormal--it's grittier, a little more raw. Sometimes I'll be in the midst of writing a line of dialogue and have to shake my head and say, "No, Leslie! He can't say that to her in a romance! Clean it up!" (Laughing at myself on that--it's hard sometimes switching from vampires to hearts and flowers, LOL!)
What kind of research goes into your novels? How long does it take you to write a novel?
Depends on the novel--seriously. I can probably do a romance in about 2 weeks to a month. A Vampire Huntress novel has a LOT more research involved, whereby the research alone can take a month, then about a couple of months to write it (if I'm on fire.)
How hard is it to come up with fresh, new material for each book?
On that note, I've been blessed. I watch the news, especially world news, and cruise news sites like a news junky, and invariably this is ALWAYS something out there that would make a fantastic story. I guess I haven't run dry because truth is always stranger than fiction.
Can we expect more romance and mystery novels from you, or will it strictly be paranormal from here on out?
I can never rule out romances or mysteries, because they are head-candy for me... something soothing for my soul. I like being able to do a romance in-between "the rough stuff." Oddly, I found the romantic comedies to be my strong suit (in novels like Sister Got Game and Keeping It Real, et al.) In trying to clean my mental palate from "the dark side" of things that go bump in the night, those lighter fare romances would have me laughing out loud at the computer screen--imagine the antics of a black Lucille Ball kinda thing. So, they will always be near and dear to me.
What has been most surprising and upsetting part about your literary journey?
OMG, just how little the actual writer has control over the entire process of packaging (cover art), placement, the selling side of the product getting into the hands of the reader, unless you self publish. Another shocker was how bad the whole book-to-film thing is for the novelist... people want to option your book and then tell you to take a hike when it comes to developing "your baby" into a screenplay. That part really sucks.
With all that you write, do you find time to read? If so, who & what do you enjoy reading?
I honestly get very little "self time" to read like I want to, as so much time goes into research reading. It's hard for me to read in the genre while I'm writing in it, but there's always Tananarive Due (smile), I love her!
What is your life like now that you are a literary superstar?
LOL... I'm honored by the title but I feel real regular...like I still put out my own trash, clean my own house, and fuss at my teenager--who is so not impressed. Kids keep you grounded, you're still Mom (who doesn't know much, ha ha ha!)
Set the mood for us…when you’re writing, you have to have….
I have to have my huge mug of green tea (yes, I broke away from coffee with the shakes, but I did it, LOL)... and something to munch on (sunflower seeds, granola, yeah, yeah, I stopped smoking a while back, but the hand mouth coordination is part of the typing rhythm that I can't break.) Although I edit during the day, because the phones ring and break my flow, as does the Fed Ex deliveries, dog having to go out to pee, etc., when I really get down is after dinner at night. Then, I go up into my lair, smile... the later it gets, the better--because I know no one will break the writing zone trance. A glass of merlot, candles lit, lights off, the urban landscape is relatively quiet, save a distant police siren... and I can bang out 25 pages. Around 2-3:00 AM is "the magic hour" when things start really coming together. Of course I pay for it the next morning. Maybe that's why I edit so much better the following day--I'm mean, LOL.
What are three things your fans don’t know about you?
Oh, these are crazy things... 1. I'm a scairty-cat... yep, I'm the biggest chicken this side of the Mississippi, so what the heck I'm doing writing the paranormal is beyond me. I write what scares me--go figure? 2. For as much violence as shows up in some of my work, I'm really a pacifist and non-confrontational. 3. I used to be the quintessential "Kool Aid Mom" -- my house was the fall by place for teens, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Again, thank you so much Leslie for taking time out of your busy schedule to catch your readers up on All The Buzz with Leslie Esdaile Banks. I wish you much continued success in all that you do.
BIG HUG, Renee... thanks sooo much for inviting me over to your shop--Much Love, Leslie!