Thursday, September 30, 2010

Author Interview - Phyllis Q Glisson - Romance Author



      Come join us on location at the Last Resort Cafe as we talk with romance author, PQ Glisson, over coffee and enjoy the mountain views here in Arizona!

Deanna:  Welcome Phyllis! I'm glad our readers can get to know you a little better after today. Your novel, Her Sanctuary, sounds like a beautiful story but before we get to that, tell us a bit about yourself that our readers might not know.

Phyllis:  Something that my readers may not know is that when I was young, I was in a Christian Ensemble that traveled all over the United States. I sang first soprano and every now and then I would sing a solo. It was a very happy period in my young life. I will treasure the memories always.

Deanna:  What happened that made you want to become a writer?

Phyllis:  I was laid off in 2008 due to the softening of the housing market. I wanted to work again but a job was hard to come by. I had always worked so when I found myself with nothing to do, I took up painting pictures, even making some money at it. After about a year of painting, I ran out of inspiration so I was taking a break. One day my daughter was over at the house and we were brainstorming ideas for stories and I suddenly came up with this idea. We talked about co-writing it together but she had some personal issues and couldn’t continue so I proceeded alone. I just started writing it and the words flowed onto the page. Sometimes I couldn’t type fast enough.

Deanna:  I do understand that aspect of writing and it feels good when that  flow happens for us! Writing under a pen name gives the author a bit more privacy which is the reason many use a pen name. Do you write under a pen name?

Phyllis:  Yes. I decided to go with the initials to my first name and maiden name, but keep my married name. Like P.C. Cast, J.K. Rowling, now P.Q. Glisson. It just felt right, you know?

Deanna:  As you create your characters, is there a certain type of character that is easier to write than another? 

Phyllis:  Of course it’s easier to write from the woman’s point of view than the man’s. When I’m switching from male to female, I have to keep the woman feminine and the man strong, masculine. But mostly it was relatively easy.

Deanna:  Do you read in the same genre that you write in?

Phyllis:  No. I read anything though I’m not much into Science Fiction Fantasy and Non-Fiction. Sorry, just never been a big fan, but I love romance, mystery, suspense, paranormal, fantasy, young adult, adult, erotica, contemporary….like I said, just about anything as long as the story is good and keeps my attention.

Deanna: How did you come up with the characters in your book? Did you base them on characters in real life or from other stories you’ve read?

Phyllis:  I based Seth Proudfoot’s character very loosely on an older more mature version of Jacob Black from Twilight. I’ve always had a fascination with Native Americans and their rich heritage. I couldn’t think of anything sexier than a tall dark and handsome Native American with piercing blue eyes and long silky black hair. Add a little damage spirit and it makes me want to be the one to bring him back to life.
      Shannon’s character was very, very loosely based on me. She has strawberry blond hair, sun kissed skin and a womanly body, and so do I. Her body is a little bit better than mine has ever been. Her eyes are turquoise where as mine are very light blue. As far as her past goes, sorry, I’ve lead a pretty boring life compared to Shannon. I wanted to create a character who, though she has been through Hell on Earth, still manages to keep a sense of innocence about her. She’s good to the core and everyone she encounters is touched by her goodness. When she meets Seth and learns of his torturous past, she can’t help but be drawn to him. Only she could heal the wounds so deeply gouged into his heart. Only she could bring him from the edge of despair.

Deanna: Can you tell us a bit about Her Sanctuary?

Phyllis:  Shannon Mallory was a woman on the run….not from outside forces but from her own wounded heart. When she pulled up into the parking lot of The Last Resort CafĂ©, in the town of Sanctuary, little did she know she would find the one thing she never even knew she was searching for….true love.
      Seth Proudfoot wasn’t looking for anything, except an end to his miserable existence. Accused of a crime he couldn’t remember committing, he was ostracized by a town that, ironically, bore the name of the one thing he could never find….Sanctuary.
      When the two meet, neither can ignore the magnetic pull between them, but will Shannon allow her damaged spirit to trust a man…a man who may have murdered his own family?
      Though Shannon is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, it is her spirit that breaks down the iron-clad shield around his heart. Their desire burns hotter than the Arizona desert, threatening to melt the very mountains that loom like silent Gods above their heads. But can their love survive a betrayal that could very well cost them both their lives?

Deanna:  That is enough to pique my interest! This is going to be another great love story to add to my TBR list! Do you have any other books you’re working on presently?

Phyllis:  Yes, I’m working on two books and I have outlines for four more so I’m going to be busy for at least a few more years.

Deanna: Are the other books in the same genre as Her Sanctuary?

Phyllis:  No, I’m writing a young adult romance/mystery fantasy and the other is a historical romance set in pre-civil war. I even have an outline for a contemporary romantic comedy that would make a great movie.

Deanna: Where can our readers find your books?

Phyllis:  Her Sanctuary is available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, ebook.com - I also have a blog site for readers to visit and leave comments and I can be found at GoodReads.com
Deanna: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Phyllis:  I am going to give away a PDF version of my e-book to one lucky commenter so I look forward to reading their comments and any questions they might have. Thank you so much for having me here today. I hope your readers will consider me for their reading pleasure and add my books to their book shelves! I’ve enjoyed being here. Readers, please feel free to ask your questions!

Deanna:  Phyllis, thank you for sharing with us. I’m sure they will be happy to check out your book and chat with you a bit now that they know you’ll be around.

24 comments:

  1. Hi everyone! Welcome to the cafe! Grab yourself a mug full of coffee and join us while we chat with our guest author.

    Phyllis, welcome to the chat! I'm sure we're in for a busy day. Oh, congrats on your new adventure I read about on Goodreads and your blog! I wish you much success there and with your books!

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  2. Hey Deanna!
    Thanks for allowing me this wonderful opportunity. I'm moving forward with the purchase but a few obstacles have popped up and it looks like I won't be taking over until the middle of October. Well, it does give me a little more time to learn the business before being let loose to flounder on my own. LOL
    Anyway, I'm here so let the fun begin!

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  3. Hey Guys! I have to say I've read Phyllis's book "Her Sanctuary" and found I loved the storyline. I treasure her book close to my heart and now sits proudly on my book shelf. I believe everyone should give her book a chance and just read it! You go Girl!

    Phyllis has really helped me through my own writing and is such a sweet woman! I just have to say I look foward to reading her future books!

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  4. Hey Lacey! Thanks honey. You're too sweet! :)

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  5. I like your book cover and the story sounds really good. Do you still sing?
    Sue B

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  6. Hey Katsrus! Thanks for stopping by. I'm happy you like the cover. I designed it myself. :)
    I sing in the car, or in the shower, but the days of singing for large crowds is over for me. I passed the torch to my 22 yr old daughter. You can find her videos on youtube. You have to really search though. I'm not very good and when I listed it I titled it "Roxy Sings". Unfortunately there are a lot of videos with the same title. But "Roxy Sings Barlow Girl" is one you might be able to find pretty easily.
    Thanks for the question Sue. :)

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  7. Hi PQ Glisson! Hi Deanna!
    We are dropping in for a cup of coffee. Seth can serve me my cup! LOL I am currently reading "Her Santuary". Not as fast as PQ would like LOL I have enjoyed the book so far. Shannon has a pure spirit and she is an excellent match for Seth. I have grown fond of some of the minor characters that I won't mention.
    Question: How much time during the day do you write and when you do write is the atmosphere quiet or do you listen to music or the tv for background noise?
    Good luck on your book sales and your new adventure.
    Brenda & Steve

    Don't enter us in the contest - we have our book :)

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  8. Hey Brenda and Steve! Sorry I haven't checked in for a while. I just wrote a short story for a contest. I posted it on my profile page. It's called Bullies. Check it out.
    Anyway, in answer to your question, when I was writing HS, I had my earphones on listening to the twilight soundtrack. THE WHOLE TIME! No other CD. sometimes I would let the t.v. play in the background but I wouldn't pay any attention to it. I literally listened to it over and over but I couldn't sing you one song. I don't think I retained any of the words. LOL
    Thanks and I hope you guys and enjoying the book! And you're right Brenda, Seth can serve me coffee anytime! He's such a hot hot hottie! :)

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  9. Well guys, I guess I'll call it a night. If you want to leave more questions, I'll be back on tomorrow morning. It's about 1:20 a.m. my time so it's past my bedtime. Goodnight! Hope you'll want to chat some more tomorrow. :)

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  10. Hello Phyllis. I just wanted to let you know that I admire you so much for writing this book, and actually sharing with us, your talents as a gifted writer and story teller. I do look forward to getting the book and reading it soon! I wish you much success in your new found career! i enjoyed reading how you got started.

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  11. Hi Lisa S,
    Thanks so much! When it comes to the whole writing thing, I'm just a wee little baby. There are a lot of writers out there who've been doing this for many years. I'm not even sure I qualify to be called a "writer". *"I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!"* (bows down in reverance) LOL
    Seriously though, I sincerely hope you'll enjoy reading it. :)
    Thanks for stopping by!

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  12. Hmmm, guess I'll feed the fishes. Here fishy fishy fishy. LOL

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  13. Hi PQ! Wow! You've had a lot of visitors and so many left messages and asked questions. Is Seth here today? Did I miss him somewhere? I think you should interview Seth on your blog, PQ. How about the rest of you, what do you think? Would you like to read an interview with Seth? What would be some of the questions you'd like answers to? Let's hear from you! I would like to know what traits he looks for in a woman...are you writing these down, PQ?

    Thank you to all those readers who have stopped by! Hey Brenda and Steve, so glad to see you; and katsrus, I always know you'll stop in, thank you for that!

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  14. Oooh, goody! An interview with Seth? (licks lips)
    If you were to ask Seth what he looks for in a woman, he'd probably say, "She has to have a sweet spirit, kind and gentle, but able to kick butt when she has to."

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  15. I really think you need to come up with ten or fifteen questions to use in your Seth interview and post it on your blog. You'd attract more attention to the book and more readers to your blog.

    What do you think gang? Should PQ post an interview on HER blog and allow us inside Seth's head? mmmmmm...I'd like to read that interview! Let's give her a few more questions to add to the interview!

    What was his relationship with his mother or sisters? or close female friends? Did they form the way he sees women today?

    I'm serious here PQ....we want to see an interview with sexy Seth on YOUR blog....soon! LOL

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  16. Thanks for the interview, your book sounds amazing and I can't wait to get my hands on it

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  17. Hey Jolene Allcock and Family,
    I'm so psyched that you're so excited! Maybe you can win one here. Good Luck! :)
    Thanks for stopping by. Do you have any questions you'd like to ask?

    Deanna,
    Okay, okay, you've twisted my arm. I'll give it some SERIOUS thought. LOL

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  18. Hey I left a while to do some decopage. Is that how it's spelled? Oh well. I happened to go into my craft cabinet and saw it sitting there and thought, "What the heck." LOL
    It's fun and the vase always looks really cool when you're done. :)
    Looks like I didn't miss anything. Maybe we'll see more when everyone is home from work and settled in for the night.

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  19. PQ - Thank you so much for spending these last few days with us. Our readers enjoyed the interview and contest and of course, your book! Please let us know when your interview will post with Seth so we can hop over to read it! *w*

    Readers, thank you to all who visited the interview and to those who left comments and questions for PQ. We all had a great time and met some wonderful new characters!

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  20. Hey Deanna,
    Thanks so much for having me. You know, I got to thinking, except for the ones I know who already have my book, like Brenda and Lacey, I am going to give a PDF to each person who dropped by and left a comment.
    What can I say? I'm feeling generous. :)

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  21. Deanna,
    Just get their email addys and I'll download it to each of them.

    Hey, thanks again!

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  22. PQ!! Wow, that is being generous and they will be thrilled.

    Since I don't have the emails for Lisa and Jolene, ladies, pls email me at deanna.jewel at yahoo.com so I can get your emails to PQ so she can get your PDF book to you.

    Thanks so much! It does pay to leave a comment!

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  23. Thank you so much. That was really nice of you to do. Cannot wait to read your books.
    Sue B

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  24. I'm just dropping in to say how much I enjoyed your intervies as I couldn't come by on the day.
    Thanks for sharing.

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