Lisa Chalmers Packs an Emotional Punch!

Posted by Scarlet Pumpernickel | 8:12 PM | 9 comments »


Please help me welcome Lisa Chalmers. Lisa is a friend of mine that I met through one of my Facebook groups. Lisa writes emotionally charged stories of life and love. Lisa is going to be giving away a copy of her book, If Tomorrow Never Comes. Be sure to leave a comment to get in on the drawing.

Lisa, tell us a little about yourself.
I spend way too much time listening to the character voices in my head, which explains the large number of started stories on my hard drive. I love anything paranormal, and have taken a couple courses in parapsychology to get a better understanding of things. My weakness is chocolate, root beer and hickory sticks and DQ Banana Split blizzards.


Do you have other talents? Or is there a talent you don’t have that you wish you did?
I’m actually a pretty good photographer and gardener. I definitely inherited my dad’s green thumb.
 

Tell us about your current series/WIP.
My current WIP is actually revisions for my next release DARK INTENT about a vengeance demon and the demon hating bounty hunter she finds herself stuck with, or at least that’s how she’d describe it. I already have the faintest idea for a second book about her best friend, so the seeds for a series are there.
 

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.
Ever wonder what would happen if GHOST met IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE? That’s the way I sorta see IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES.

What is most difficult for you to write?
Characters, conflict or emotions? Why? Conflict is always the hardest for me, especially if I’m focusing on writing it. If I don’t really think about it and just write, I’ll realize that it’s there later.  


Are you a plotter or a pantser? Or a bit of both? What do those terms mean to you?
To me, a panster is someone who writes whatever comes to mind without a real road map of where the story is going. A plotter knows pretty well where the story is headed before they even put a word down on paper. I’m definitely more of a pantster, I’ve taken plotting workshops and thought great now I can plot, but my mind still goes if it’s plotted, it’s already written and wants to move on to the next project. But I usually have a slight idea of where the story should go when I’m done the first chapter.
 

What is your writing routine like?
Mornings/early afternoon are usually catching up on emails and workshops if I’m taking any. Real writing is afternoon/evenings most days. For some reason I write better and a lot more at night.
 

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do to combat it?
I get writer’s block at least once or twice a manuscript. Usually I’ll switch to another project or take a break for awhile, catch up on my TBR pile, watch movies for awhile, just put my focus somewhere else. I’ve learned it means I’ve either written myself into a corner and need to go back and fix something or I’m going in the wrong direction and I haven’t realized it yet.
 

We’d love a blurb and an excerpt from your latest book.
Blurb:
Josh Collins has the perfect life—a beautiful girlfriend and a baby on the way, until an accident takes his life and he’s suddenly forced to fight for everything and everyone he loves.
Alone and pregnant, Avery Rhodes is suddenly thrust into a painful new reality. Life without the man she loves is turbulent. Nothing feels the same any more without him and she finds herself facing the unimaginable.
 

With his newfound guide Gabriel, Josh is forced to learn what happens IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES .
Links to buy:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-tomorrow-never-comes-lisa-chalmers/1115292097?ean=2940044514737
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/if-tomorrow-never-comes/id646062728?mt=11
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-iftomorrownevercomes-644636-140.html
Author links:
Website: http://lisa-chalmers.com/
Giveaway: Would love to give away an ebook of IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES.
 

Excerpt:
The sudden jolt of music playing pulled Avery from her restless sleep. “Josh…Josh honey…” she mumbled, rolling over to the empty side of the bed, the cool sheets brushing against her bare legs. She listened for the sound of the shower in the distance, but only silence met her. And that’s when it hit her.
 

He was gone.
 

She stifled a sob as she pushed herself across the bed, her fingers shaking as she turned the radio off. She couldn’t take it. Didn’t want to see the neon numbers mock her, reminding her that just a few short hours ago Josh had been there on that very side of the bed, doing exactly what she’d been doing. She leaned forward more, her fingers searching for the cord. With one quick yank, she freed it from the wall, and the numbers went dark.
 

She breathed out a shaky breath and forced herself to take another, trying to get enough oxygen into her body to take away the pain. Her tears burned like lava behind her eyes as she stayed there frozen, everything coming back to her. Every minute of the last twenty-four hours flashed through her mind, every emotion rearing its ugly head until she couldn’t take it anymore. She slid deeper under the covers, rolling back onto her side. She blinked, wishing all the emotions away, all the pain. She just wanted to breathe without feeling like she had a boat parked on her chest.
 

Josh stretched out in bed beside her. He’d sensed her wake up and, before he realized it, was right there with her. Just being that close to her made his heart ache. He watched her lie back down in bed. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms. He wanted to reach out, to run his fingers through her hair one more time, to comfort her somehow. “Why can’t you believe me, Avery? I’m right here.” He ran his hand over her arm, already knowing to keep it a bit above her so it wouldn’t go through. He just wanted her to know he was there. “I’m not leaving you, baby, not now. Not ever.” He meant every word of it. He wasn’t about to leave her alone. 

9 comments

  1. Mary Marvella // December 7, 2013 at 12:16 AM  

    You got me! I love the concept and the excerpt!

  2. Lisa // December 7, 2013 at 1:56 AM  

    Thanks so much for having me on the blog, today!

    Thank you, Mary. :)

  3. Beth Trissel // December 8, 2013 at 7:06 AM  

    Welcome Lisa. I have too many voices in my head too. Super to have you with us. Story sounds awesome.

  4. Barbara Monajem // December 8, 2013 at 2:59 PM  

    Um... I have a question. Does your story have a happy ending??

  5. Lisa // December 8, 2013 at 6:22 PM  

    Thank you, Beth. :)

    Hi Barbara, yes it definitely has a happy ending :)

  6. Barbara Monajem // December 8, 2013 at 7:44 PM  

    Whew! That's a relief. Thanks for visiting the Fuzzies, Lisa. :)

  7. debjulienne // December 9, 2013 at 5:54 PM  

    You have my attention...great except, can't wait to read the rest...you got my heart jumping.

  8. Autumn Jordon // December 10, 2013 at 9:38 AM  

    You had me at your elevator pitch. The book sounds great. Congrats on it's release.

  9. Lisa // December 10, 2013 at 7:55 PM  

    Thanks Deb & Autumn :)

    Beth, random.org picked your number as the winner. If you want to email me at lis at lisa-chalmers dot com I'll send you a smashwords coupon for a copy.

    Thanks again for having me! :)