Loni Flowers lives in Eastern North Carolina with her
husband; two wild toddlers, who never slow down for a second;
around. She spends her days working full-time for a well-
known bank and when Loni isn't there, you can find her playing
on the internet. Chatting on Twitter and Facebook is her
weakness! She loves to read and write, though can't see to
find time to do them both at the same time! Balance... she has
none! An easy reader, Loni loves most genre, but she's a
definite sucker for a good romance story! Contemporary
romance is her writing genre of choice but she's not opposed to
writing something different should an excellent idea strike.
Some of Loni's favorite authors include: L.J. Kentowski, Stefne
Miller, Cassandra Clare, J.K. Rowling, and Karen Marie
Moning, Nicholas Sparks, and Jodi Picoult... just to name a
few.
Then Jesse died.
No matter how much I wished it had been me in the accident, wishing will never change what happened. Five years later, my father’s eyes are still filled with hate and regret whenever he looks at me. I haven’t forgotten my mistake, but I’ve accepted it.
My father has not.
He may always see me as a failure, but I’m determined to make a fresh start in a new town where love promises to be more generous than the scorn I've left in my father's eyes. With any luck, maybe some distance will make him see me as his daughter again. Until then I’ll find my own way.
It’s what Jesse would want.
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Get to know Loni:
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A few years ago I had this idea pop into my head on the way home from work. It blossomed from there and kept growing the more I thought about it. A friend suggested I write it out, try my hand at writing a novel. Of course I thought she was crazy! I had no prior experience in writing besides writing book reviews at my own leisure for a review blog I ran. I decided to give writing a book a go... as more a of a personal challenge than anything else. No one was surprised more than myself once I finally typed the words “The End”
How long did it take you to write your book?
Taking Chances took almost a year to write, edit and publish. Painted Memories took about nine months from beginning to end. I guess I’m getting faster!!
What genre is your book? What made you choose to write in that category?
Both of my books are Contemporary Romance. It seemed no question to me that I would write this genre... I love romance! In everything I watch or read, I’m always looking for the little spark that ignites the passion in couples.
What was your work schedule like when you were writing?
Since I still have a full-time professional job and two small children, my writing is limited. I write on my breaks, during lunch, weekends, and whenever my kiddos go to bed.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
With Taking Chances, my idea actually came from seeing two young homeless men and a woman walking down the street. My brain kept thinking about them the entire day and I kept asking myself, “what if this happened to them,” “What is that happened to them?” Back and forth I went until a basic plot came together. It wasn’t until I started writing that the actual twist and turns started to come together.
For Painted Memories... it started with a love triangle of sorts floundering around in my head, after I started writing, it became so much more than a silly love triangle!
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I’ve self-published two books. My newest, Painted Memories, is my absolute favorite!
Are you currently working on another book? If so, is it part of a series or something different?
Ooo yes I am! My next book is would still be categorized as a contemporary romance, but with a flair of mystery. This one will be a bit more, rough, edgy, and way more sexier. I can’t wait to see it all come together... the movie of it in my brain looks pretty awesome!
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Playing online, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads are usually what you’ll find me doing when I’m not writing or catching up on my billion shows that I have recorded on my DVR! Ooo and of course I love spending time with my hubby and two kiddos!
What does your family think of your writing?
My family is very supportive, especially my husband. But trying to get him to actually read one of my books... well, I’d die if I held my breath on it! If it doesn’t have pictures in it, or talk about cars and car parts... he isn’t gonna read it!!
What was one of the most surprising things you learned about yourself in creating your books?
That I’m a lot better than I give myself credit for. Many times I’ll write something, let my critique partner read it thinking it’s horrible and that I should just delete it and start over.... most of the time, I’m wrong!
Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?
-Yes! It is true, write what you know... if not, it’ll show.
-Take your time! Rushing never really gets you anywhere. A poorly written book is noticeable and word-of-mouth spreads like a wildfire. Alway represent the best by writing your very best!
-Google is your friend! If you don’t know or aren’t 100% sure about a fact.. look it up!!
-Before you publish, let a few strangers read your work. It’s easier to tell someone you don’t know what you really of a book then if your friends read it and they don’t want to hurt your feelings and you hear, “I love it!” when they really didn’t.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I do! It is the most awesome feeling when I get a message or email telling me how much they loved my book, or how much it made them laugh or cry. It’s truly rewarding.
What do you think makes a good story?
For me a good story is one where I can connect on a emotional level with the characters. When the author can make me feel what they feel, whether its happiness, sadness, laughing or crying... that makes the plot and people seem not so fictional anymore. That is what draws me in and keeps me flipping the pages.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I think the more appropriate question would be, what didn’t I want to be!! LOL I wanted to be a lawyer, the vet, a doctor, an oceanographer, a paleontologist. Never did I want to be a writer... look at me now!
Are you self published or do you have a publisher? If self published, what made you decide to go that route?
I’m self-published. I felt like I wanted to be my own boss... create my own stories without restrictions on what I should or shouldn’t write . I wanted to create my own book covers and retain a majority of the royalties from my book sales. And I didn’t want to file countless letters with countless publishers and agents looking for just the one person who thought I was the perfect fit for their company.
And if another author decides to go the route of a publisher.... there is nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all! It’s just not right me at this time.
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