Amazon Associates

Sunday

Lori Lyn talks about walking in her character's shoes plus GIVEAWAY

I'm thrilled to welcome Lori Lyn to stop by and chat about a couple of my favorite things: shoes and characters.
AND, TWO lucky visitors will be given an ebook copy of her debut novel, The Archery Contest.

So, what are we waiting for?



(Waving) Hi, Carmen! I’m absolutely thrilled to be invited to join you and your readers. You always have such fun things to chat about – like your blog on swag or your review of Parker’s Passion.

Well, when we discussed me popping on here, I teased we could talk about shoes.

I love shoes, especially heels. Give me a sexy blue sling-back with a 3 ½” heel and I’m one happy girl. Being a short woman (5 foot and almost 1 inch), like Carmen, I can wear high heels. The Capt. (my fella) is about 10 inches taller than me so no worries. Most people don’t realize just how short I am because I am almost always wearing heels.


The year of my currently available book, THE ARCHERY CONTEST, is 1812, the Regency-era. My heroine, Willy, doesn’t have the option to wear an extra couple inches. She’s tiny and her only choices are pretty much no heel, let alone a sexy sling-back. At best, you might have a ½” or thereabouts. Most often women wore the equivalent of a ballet slipper.



Some people would be perfectly content to just have a modest shoe option. I was that way for many years.

But how would someone else feel? Would being only able to select from a couple pairs of shoes be a hardship? Would it make them feel inferior, angry, jealous? Or do they care? Are their priorities different? Or perhaps they are even proud of not caring, and then – why?

I often get asked how I create characters. But I don’t really create them. It’s more like they unveil themselves to me, bit by bit. And even things such as a pair of shoes can reveal something significant about this “person”.

I’m what’s called in the writing industry as a “pantser”, someone who writes by the seat of their pants. In other words, I really don’t plot things out. And while I may not know the direction of the story in detail, I have to know the characters. That means things even as seemingly inconsequential as which shoes they’d wear.

It’s really that you have to know why they would wear those particular shoes.

Now, I might not use that bit of detail in the story, but I have to know it. I have to know how this “person” would react, what choices they might make, what they could say in any given situation. I can, as the author, create the story or situations however it is very hard to “control” a character. Ask any fiction writer.

And to be honest, I really had my hands full with both Alex and Willy, my hero and heroine from my debut release, THE ARCHERY CONTEST. Alex already had a history with me. He appeared first in THE COUNTRY BUTLER which is due out this Fall. Plus he is quite a dynamic character. Of course, Willy is certainly no shrinking violet, herself.

The job of an author is to make characters live and breathe and to create a story just for them. And once we know those characters from birth to now (whenever that “now” is), then we can share their journey with the world.



The Archery Contest is currently available: Visit Kobo, Amazon, or B&N to purchase.




21 comments:

  1. I can attest to Lori's love of heels. She has some of the prettiest shoes I've seen. I wish I could wear heels more often. Nothing makes a woman feel more sexy imo. I wouldn't have liked ballet slippers. Not a fan of them now.

    I read and loved THE ARCHERY CONTEST, and I can totally recommend it. I am a sucker for a rough around the edges hero who needs the right woman to love. This story is all that and so much more. Thanks for the great blog post Lori.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Adrianne. I can't wait to sink my teeth into THE ARCHERY CONTEST...as well as figure out a way to raid Lori Lyn's shoe closet. Anyone know her size? ;-)

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    2. Adrianne - these days, my feet tend to hurt in flats and I find heels more comfortable.

      I still adore Alex in ARCHERY. Thrilled you enjoyed him too. ;)

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  2. Awesome post, Lori! Since you and I share that love of shoes, heels especially, I can only think living in 1812 might not have been the best period for us--such limitations! And not really something I had thought about before, so it was interesting to read and think about Willy and her lack of options. :) I also loved what you said about characters unveiling themselves to you and needing to know details that don't make it into the story--I'm the same way, and I love that process.

    Having loved THE ARCHERY CONTEST, now I can't wait for THE COUNTRY BUTLER!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Chantilly. Isn't it a funny (and by funny I mean horrifying) thought. One or two pairs of shoes? And now all that fabulous at that?
      Poor Willy.

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    2. I'm with you, Chantilly! It would be hard to handle no heels.

      And isn't it fun getting to know a new character? It's like making a new best friend - learning all you can about them because you find them so interesting.

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  3. Thanks, Adrianne and Chantilly! So glad you both liked The Archery Contest. As writers, we don't always realize how crucial the little details, like a characters selection of shoes, can "direct" a story.

    And Carmen - size 7. But I have 4 dawgs guarding my beloved shoes so be careful!

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    1. Well, dang. I'm a solid 6, so unless I stuffed the toes with tissue paper it wouldn't work for me anyway. :-)

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    2. You seem to manage quite well on your own finding fab shoes, Carmen. I can't feel too sorry for you. ;)

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  4. Great guest blog! I loved the shoe pics.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Heather! Aren't the shoes fun?

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  5. I love shoes too and wish they still looked cute when they reach my size.Oh, well. The Archery Contest is a fun read. Alex, the bear, is no match for Willy, the lion-hearted!

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    1. Hey, Karen! Pashaw! I'm sure if we went shopping, we could find you an oodle of cute shoes. And so tickled you enjoyed The Archery Contest! You summed it up perfectly. ;)

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    2. Thanks for stopping by Karen! And I've heard that before, that the shoes just look different when they get to the larger sizes. I, like Lori Lyn, am confident we could find some that are awesome for you!

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  6. Don't forget, leave a comment to be entered to win an ARC of The Archery Contest! I'm giving away two.

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  7. Sigh. Why am I not surprised to stop by and find we are talking about shoes???

    Lori, congrats on the The Archery Contest! I am thrilled for you!

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    Replies
    1. Because shoes give us a life and carry us through life. LOL.
      And because they're awesome. Some more awesome than others.

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    2. You just stick with your gorgeous tiaras, Sabrina. Carmen and I will handle the shoes. Right, Carmen? ;)

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  8. Anonymous10:01 AM

    I love shoes...flats, heels, boots, sneakers,slippers..you name it!
    Congratulations on the book..It looks awesome!
    Hollie R.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Hollie! And how did I not know you were a shoe-gal? You and I are going to have to go shoe shopping when we finally get together.

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    2. Aaahhh . . . the glory of shoes, yes, Hollie? Thanks on the book. I sure had a blast writing it. And, boom! You're entered to win an ARC. ;)

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