Q & A with Nora McFarland and a giveaway!

1. Tell us about your newest release.

Going to the Bad is the third Lilly Hawkins Mystery. The series is set in Bakersfield, Calif., where Lilly is a TV news photographer. The grit and colorful characters of Lilly's hometown add a lot to the tone of the books. There's action as well as humor.

In this installment, Lilly is challenged when someone very close to her is attacked and shot. She deals with the tragedy by diving headlong into the investigation. What she learns helps her work through some issues in her own past and ultimately prompts her to move forward with her future.

2. Can you tell us a little about your favorite scene in the story?

Lilly's work at the television station is a great device to have her solve mysteries, but sometimes it's also the source of a lot of humor. I don't want to ruin it, but one of the funniest scenes involves an adopt-a-pet segment on live TV gone awry.

3. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

I probably believed too much in talent. I thought I could never be a "real" writer because I didn't have enough of that magic ingredient. Now I know that hard work is much more important. It's never easy, even for the most talented writer out there. You still have to force yourself to sit down everyday and do the work. It's always hard.

4. What authors or friends influenced you in helping you become a writer?

I'm a life-long mystery fan, so I have a lot of favorite authors. I still think of myself as a fan who happens to write.

When I began my first novel, A Bad Day's Work, a thriller writer named Bonnie Hearn Hill was very generous and supportive. She was my cheerleader and gave me hope that my hard work would come to something. I think we all need people like that to be in our lives at key moments. Now I try to do that for other people.

5. What does your family think about your career as a published author?

They're thrilled for me! They've always been very supportive, even when it looked my first book wasn't going to find an agent, let alone get published. I'm extremely lucky to have a husband and family that believe in me more than I believe in myself.

           6. How can readers connect with you online?

 

           My website, www.noramcfarland.com, has all sorts of information about all three

           books in the series as well as my blog. I'm also active on Facebook. Like me at:

          http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nora-McFarland-Author-Page/145347218821.

 

                                                              @*@*@

 

Nora is giving away a signed copy of her book to one lucky poster. Please post comments or questions and a winner will be drawn. Good luck!