Wednesday Writer ~ Liz Adair

Liz Adair, Author of "Counting the Cost"

Though Liz Adair lives in the Pacific Northwest, she has desert in her DNA. Born in New Mexico, she graduated from high school and college in Arizona before heading north to moister climes. Liz began writing seriously when most of her seven children were grown. She has published six books and is currently working on a screenplay of her latest novel, Counting the Cost.

CRW: Welcome Liz to Writers Mirror. It is really great to interview you today.

Liz: It’s nice to be interviewed. I’ve been in awe of your energy and outreach ever since we met at a writers retreat three years ago.

CRW: Thanks Liz. I remember meeting you too, and how I was in awe at how well you had it all together. Okay, now some questions so all can get to know you better. What inspires you to write?

Liz: It’s just something I gotta do. You know, fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly.

CRW: Liz has got to write. Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Liz: If I’m in the middle of a project I try to write at least five days a week. The only goal I set is to get the dang thing done.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Liz: Family, work, inertia, life. There’s lots to get in the way, but people in my life are really supportive. They always ask if I’m busy before breaking into my day.

CRW: Wow, I'm impressed. People still think I am just playing.  How do you get past it?

Liz: I don’t. I embrace it. So it might take a few extra months to get something written. The things that get in the way are important, too.

CRW: Well said. What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Liz: Missing obvious mistakes in something I’ve proofread a hundred times.

CRW: Where is the weirdest place you have worked on a writing project?

Liz: Sitting alongside a sewage lagoon in Chewelah, Washington. I wrote After Goliath while my husband was managing a job building a wastewater treatment plant. I worked with him, part time, and the rest of the time I sat in the job shack and pounded out the manuscript.

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Liz: The quickest I have written a book was four months, but I was able to work that one it full time. Since I still am employed, a more comfortable length of time is nine months.

CRW: Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Liz: Everywhere. From family history, from the newspaper, from standing in line at the post office, from the things that get in the way of my writing.

CRW: The line at the Post Office. Good idea. Where do you get your character’s names?

Liz: I take a lot of my surnames from family history. If I hear a name I particularly like, I file it away—which does no good, because I can’t remember where I filed it. When it finally surfaces, I can’t remember the reason I kept it, but, hey, it’s a pretty good name, I’ll stick it on this current hero.

CRW: What is your favorite writing food?

Liz: Diet Pepsi with fresh lime.


CRW: Liz, Please tell us about your book “Counting the Cost.”

Liz: This story arc is taken from family history—a family secret, really, that my mother told me just before she died. This book is different from the other books I’ve written in a couple ways: First, my other books are lite fare. Both the mysteries and the romance are nice little puzzles, mini-vacations. They’re fluff. Counting the Cost has more substance to it. Secondly, my other books were all carefully plotted, outlined, written. Counting the Cost just welled up inside of me and poured out my fingers.

Oh, did I mention that Counting the Cost was an award finalist in USA Book News’ “National Best Books 2009” award?

CRW: Congratulations!  I also saw it listed in a contest for book trailers. If any of you readers would like to vote, go to http://www.yougottareadvideos.blogspot.com/  Good luck with that. Who is your publisher?

Liz: Inglestone Publishing. Cecily Markland’s company.

CRW: I have to tell you a quick story about Cecily. At our ANWA (American Night Writers Association) meeting in December, we drew numbers for white elephant gifts, and I drew the gift Cecily brought. It was a 1900? Olympia manual typwrite in it's orinal case. It's in perfect condition with a working ribbon and all. I am absolutely tickled! My children are fascinated by it. Cecily gave the ultimate cool gift for a writer!

Back to your book Liz, please give us your best “Elevator Pitch” for the book.

Liz: Set in Depression-era New Mexico, Counting the Cost is the story of a cowboy and a socialite from back east who defy convention and run away together. Though they love one another desperately, she isn’t bred to be a cowhand’s wife, and he can’t leave the range. It is only when disaster strikes that each learns what is really important.

CRW: I read the book, and also bought one for my Mom. We both enjoyed it. Where can Writers Mirror Readers purchase it?

Liz: Counting the Cost can be bought from Inglestone Publishing. Here’s a link: http://inglestonepublishing.com/index.php?cmd=display&pg=bookstore

or from Amazon.com. Link: http://www.amazon.com/Counting-Cost-Liz-Adair/dp/0977881466/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260248082&sr=8-1

You can see the trailer for Counting the Cost at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moiORkCKbYM

CRW: I left the email links with all the info on them instead of imbedding them. Sometimes a reader's computer will not pull up the link, so this way, if you are interested, you have it all. What other books do you have available?

Liz: The three Spider Latham Mysteries are out of print, but you can buy them at the Inglestone web site book store.

The Mist of Quarry Harbor is available at Deseret Book. Link: http://deseretbook.com/item/4736270/The_Mist_of_Quarry_Harbor

                          

Lucy Shook’s Letters from Afghanistan is available at www.swanforhumanity.com One hundred per cent of sales of that book go to fund humanitarian outreach.

                         

CRW: Who do you hope reads your work?

Liz: The person sitting beside me on the plane the next time I fly somewhere. That’s my fantasy, to get on the plane and see someone reading a book I’ve written.

CRW:  That would be incredible.  What would be the best complement you could receive from a fan?

Liz: “I loved your book.” It’s trite, but it sounds new each time I hear it.

CRW: Where can we read more about you or contact you, such as website or blog sites?

Liz: My website is www.lizadair.net

My blog is www.sezlizadair.blogspot.com

My email address is writer.lizadair@gmail.com

CRW: Thank you for sharing this with us on Wednesday Writers.

Liz: Thank you for asking me. It’s been fun.
I repeat. Thank you for asking me!

CRW:  My pleasure!