As the first Author Interview of the New Year, I'd like to welcome Barbara Fifield, author of "Lucifer Rising."
Tell us a little bit about you. Who is Barbara Fifield?
I am an Army Brat and lived in Germany and Japan as a child. I’ve been writing since I was 11 and won the best short story contest in sixth grade. I had to read my story in front of a class of 45 students (this was the 50’s during the Baby Boom). They loved my story so much they had me read it three times, even though there were other students who had to read theirs. I’ve been writing ever since and majored in journalism in college. I continued to write stories, poems, and plays. One of my poems about dancing was selected by a music company to be made into a song, but I never followed up on it. When I was 18, I wrote my first novel, "The Early Autumn," a teen love story. It was too long and needed editing. A publisher told me to throw it away and write another book. I wrote another one in my 30’s, called "Only Time Will Tell," a novel loosely based on my first marriage which was crumbling at the time. I kept parts of it which I plan to use in my next novel and tossed the rest away, after sending it out to only one literary agent and getting rejected. At this time, I had also returned to college to finish up my journalism degree which had been delayed due to the births of my two children. After writing on newspapers for several years and not making much money, I went back to school and received a Master’s Degree in Social Work as there were a lot of jobs in that field during the 1980’s. I wrote another novel called "Letting Go," where the main character, Marjorie, works as a social worker with abused women, then meets her second husband. That is the next book I plan to publish, maybe in a couple of years, after several more rewrites. My first novel, "Photographs and Memories," published last spring, is about how the character Angela coped with moving to Florida and the death of her second husband.
Describe the publication process you went through after writing "Lucifer Rising."
"Lucifer Rising" is my second novel and was published the end of June, 2009. It’s a fantasy romance about a female reporter, Elsa, who falls in love with a cult leader who happens to be a reincarnation of the angel, Lucifer. After many break ups, she finally leaves him, hopefully for good, although she questions her decision at the end. I base a lot of my characters on people I’ve known, and using my imagination, I concoct fictional personalities. The events that happen in the novel, such as Elsa finding her lover with another woman are made up but could have happened in real life to the characters, based on the personalities of the individuals they depict. The novel was published by Outskirts Press in only six months after it was submitted.
What was the easiest thing about writing "Lucifer Rising?" The hardest?
"Lucifer Rising" just flowed from me, with little rewriting, while I was waiting for my first novel, "Photographs and Memories," to be published. I’ve never found an easier book to write. The hardest thing about writing "Lucifer Rising" was expressing feelings of pain and rejection through Elsa, the main character. Although she realizes her lover, Tyrell, is evil, she still cares about him and keeps trying to make it work.
Describe "Lucifer Rising" in three words.
In three words, "Lucifer Rising" could be described as “Cultist captivates women.”
Do you have any habits when you write? If so, what are they.
Writing habits: I write for hours on end, rewriting as I go, then rewriting what I wrote earlier the next day. Sometimes it takes me weeks to finish one chapter. When my head starts spinning from all of the rewrites, I often go out to take a walk. That clears my mind.
What is something surprising or shocking about you that most people don't know?
Many events and characters I write about I’ve experienced which may surprise many readers.
Where do you hang out offline?
I am involved in many clubs off-line. I am the newsletter editor for a local chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). I also attend Toastmaster’s which is training me how to speak to audiences about my novels.
Where do you hang out online?
Visit my website at http://fifieldauthor.com/
If after reading the review and readers want to purchase the novel, where should they go?
Those who wish to purchase "Lucifer Rising" may find it on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.co,m or Outskirtspress.com’s bookstore.
Thank you, Barbara, for stopping by and answering a few questions. My review of "Lucifer Rising" will be posted soon.