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Lisa Childs Introduces The Wedding Party
by Rae-eHarlequin on February 18th, 2008, 6:00am
"
Writers are often asked how we come up with our ideas. In my case, the ideas usually come to me while I'm in the bathtub or the shower, sleeping or even doing laundry. I found The Wedding Party series for Harlequin American Romance in the back of my closet, in all the old bridesmaid dresses hanging there. I wince over the cost of each of those dresses that I wore only once, but still I'm reluctant to part with them, not because of the money but because of the memories. Weddings are so special, so romantic, that I had to set a series around a wedding and, more important, the wedding party." --Lisa Childs
Join us this week as we talk about Lisa's new series, starting with the first book, Unexpected Bride.
About The Author
Lisa has been writing since she could first form sentences and transfer them to paper with crayon. Born soft-spoken into a big, boisterous family where only he who speaks loudest is heard, she learned early to express herself through the written word.
Her first books revolved around the antics of the family dog until she discovered Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Then writing mysteries became second nature for the author who arrived in the world on a dark, stormy Halloween night. When she was 11, the local paper interviewed her for a book she had written involving a kidnapping plot.
During the day Lisa is a part-time insurance agent and full-time wife and mother. She has two beautiful daughters who share her love of the written word and a husband who provides loving support with praise and extra housecleaning duty.
When night falls and fog from their 15-acre swamp wraps around their house, Lisa becomes the focused writer, spinning stories she hopes her readers will enjoy
Can't wait for the second one...
I just read Unexpected Bride last night, and I can't wait to read the next one! I so want to know what becomes of these girls!!! I especially want to know about Molly and Eric!!!!
Lisa Childs is now a favorite author of mine!
Cat
Let us run with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us; looking only unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1a-2b
teachtoreach
Thanks for dropping by. I'm late because I had tests today...
What did you like best about Unexpected Bride?
I'm thinking Lisa will be dropping in when she gets home from work.
Thank you!
Rae, thanks for setting up this thread for me!
Teachtoreach, thank you so much for your wonderful comments. I'm so happy you enjoyed Unexpected Bride. Clayton and Abby were a lot of fun to write. I can totally relate to that attraction of opposites. :)
I had fun writing this whole series. Like I said in the Dear Reader letter, I've been in probably more than my share of wedding parties and have the collection of bridesmaid dresses to prove it. :) So those dresses inspired me to create my own wedding party.
Thanks again!
Lisa Childs
Inspiration
Lisa, you're very welcome!
Aside from the dresses, where did you get your inspiration for this particular family? And did the transition from writing Next and Nocturne to American--was it hard?
Rae
This place is great! I
This place is great! I love that this conversation is happening!
Above all else, I truly appreciated the fact that Clayton came to accept Abby's daughter so quickly and completely. (Must be the teacher in me!)
I also couldn't help but laugh at the last name McClintock. The fact that McClintock is the name of a pattern company and that this is a wedding series just caught me as funny! Did you intend that, or am I reading something that isn't really there?
Cat
Let us run with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us; looking only unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1a-2b
McClintock
I actually got the name from an old John Wayne movie. I know nothing about sewing. :) Since I come from a big family, I have three brothers and three sisters, I love writing about families. That's probably the only thing that stays the same in my books -- I always work in some type of family dynamics. Because I love reading different genres, I love writing them. I feel it keeps my writing fresh and challenges me to switch things up. :) Because I love challenging myself, I wrote the Wedding Party so that all four stories are happening simultaneously. I had to pay really close attention to who was doing what and where, but it made the stories really fun to tell. The reader will get to see the same scenes from the perspectives of many different characters.
Lisa Childs
Unexpected Bride...just the beginning
There is only one problem with Unexpected Bride. There is to long until the next book comes out. <G>
Family dynamics is clearly the common thread in all of Lisa's stories.
Can't wait to see what comes next.
Mary
I love Lisa's books. I
I love Lisa's books. I can't wait til the next one. I haven't yet read The Unexpected Bride but I'm absolutely dying to get my hands on it to try it. Congrats on your new series Lisa.
Caitlin
You'll love it...
Caitlin~you'll love it!!!!! Read it the minute you get it! Of course that comes from someone who just got a box of books out of the mailbox Sunday and has read one a day since then and won't stop til they are read!!!!
Cat
Let us run with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us; looking only unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1a-2b
Series Waiting
Mary, one of the first things I check is when to expect the next books because I hate waiting. I usually wait until I have the majority of the books before I delve in.
So, I have Unexpected Bride sitting here and it's tempting me something fierce.
A Book a day is awesome!
teach, seriously that's very cool. I'm sure our authors appreciate it too!
Rae
Thanks!
Mary, Caitlin & Teach,
Thanks for the lovely comments! Caitlin, I hope you love Unexpected Bride as much as I loved writing it. This series was so much fun -- the characters pretty much wrote their own stories -- which made it easy for me. :)
Lisa Childs
Can't wait to read more!
Loved the first book in your wedding series. Emotional, sexy and fun! I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. Hope to read tons more from you in the future!
Lindsey
Oh.My.Goodness!
Was that a Linsday Brooke's sighting?
Hey Lindsey!
Glad you loved the book! If anyone knows fun and sexy, it's you! :)
Hugs!
Lisa
Keeping This Up
I never feel like a week is enough to keep a discussion like this up, so I'm leaving it here for awhile, if that's okay with you.
Okay, so I broke my rule and couldn't wait and I started this book. So far, I love it. Reunion stories are my favorite.
Are all the books in this series Reunions? And to the rest of you, what is your favorite theme? Friends to Lovers? Reunions? Secret Babies?
Rae
Abby, Abby, Abby
One of my BFF has a daughter named Abby and we never just said her name once--it's always repeated 3 times. This is the first book I read in January and so it was added to my book reviews (I'm writting them better as I go along). Clay drove me nuts-I just wanted to shake him. But I LOVED the story and I eagerily await any more in the series.
Nancy
sheandeen@gmail.com
Thanks!
Rae, I'm glad you're enjoying the book. I LOVE reunion stories too. Only two of the four books are reunion stories, though. Cloverville needed some fresh blood, you know. :) And what better blood than two handsome surgeons?
Hmmm...can you tell I sold some more Nocturnes? I'm a little obsessed with blood right now. :)
Thanks again!
Lisa
Abby, Abby, Abby...
Hi Sheandeen,
I'm thrilled you loved the book! I had so much fun with Abby. Now I wish I would have thought of the Abby, Abby, Abby. I always had people refer to her by first and last name though -- like people always referred to me growing up. Guess there were too many Lisas. With Abby it was more of an admonishment -- she had a way of getting into trouble. Clayton drove you nuts? I LOVED him. The uptight hero is so fun to write! And it was so fun having Abby mess with him. In the last book, I have a cute scene that goes back to the one with Abby and Clayton in front of the hardware store -- from other characters' povs. Did I mention how much I LOVED writing this series? :)
Lisa Childs
PS: Rae, thank you, thank you, thank you for leaving up the thread!
Lisa,
Woot-woot on selling more Nocturne's. For me, you're like Chris Green--you look so darned sweet and cute and can write a 'scare the crap out of me' story. You two are a contradiction in terms.
I love uptight heroes too. They're fun to mess with and even funner to make them fall to their knees in love.
You're welcome, I thought we could discuss some more books and have fun with these.
Rae
Thanks!
But I'm not so sure about cute or sweet. :) I think my voice fools people. I get a kick out of telemarketers asking me if my mom's home. "Ummm...no..."
Since I have a Halloween birthday, writing Nocturnes feels like a good fit. :) And I think (I hope) switching between dark stories and lighter ones keeps my writing fresh. And it's fun!
Lisa
The John Wayne movie is the
The John Wayne movie is the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the name McClintock -- it is one of my favorite movies, along with The Quiet Man. I love the John Wayne / Maureen O'Hara combination.
I can't wait to read your book!
Fredericksburg, VA
Knit, crochet, or sew for our troops!!
http://www.theshipsproject.com
Are too sweet!
Lisa, you have the nicest smile, and you are cute. So stop it. LOL
I can do the are not/are too thing forever.
Rae, who didn't watch too many John Wayne movies
Next on my TBR
Hey Lisa!
Lyndsay (#2 daughter) called last night and asked if I knew Lisa Childs. Of course I told her I had no idea who that person was.
She had just picked up a copy of Unexpected Bride because she thought she recgonized the name. DUH!
Can't wait to sit down and read all 4 books in a row. That gives me incentive to get other things done that I reeeeally don't want to do.
I'm a big McClintock fan, too. In fact, I found it on DVD and sent Kathie D a copy a couple of years ago. You picked a great name from a great movie! I have no doubt I'll be reading a great book soon.
Waving hello to Mary and Lindsey and all!
Rox
Rox!!!
I LOVED FAMILY BY DESIGN!!! The kids and Nick's family were all so lovable & familiar!
I hope you enjoy the wedding party series. I'm the kind of person who waits to read until I have the whole series too -- then I will spend a weekend reading until I can't see anymore. :)
So you recognized the McClintock name too? :) My dad got me hooked on John Wayne movies. I watched them all many, many times while growing up and now he has the whole DVD collection. He's a happy man. :) And he shares so I can borrow them. My favorite is Rio Bravo with Dean Martin. Or the Sons of Katie Elder... Hmmm...I think I might have to borrow from Dad for the weekend!
Lisa :)
Yes, Clayton drove me nuts, but...
...that does not mean I didn't like him. I wanted to smack him upside the head at times, because he was being so dense about how perfect Abby was for him. He's just the type of H that I love to hate--well not really hate, just want to wake up. He seemed very real, but maybe that's because I know some pretty dense men.
The story was very entertaining and I LOVED Abby.
Nancy
sheandeen@gmail.com
Phewww...
Nancy,
I'm glad you liked Clayton even though he was dense. :) Or stubborn, actually, which is like most men I know, so Clayton was very real to me, too. :) I hope you enjoy the next book. Nick is quite the character in The Best Man's Bride.
Lisa Childs
Hi Lisa
I had enjoyed your Witch Hunt series for Nocturne, and just recently heard about Unexpected Bride. I just picked up my copy of Unexpected Bride the other day, and can't put it down!
My question is, from a writer's perspective, how do you manage the shift (mentally, work planning-wise, etc.) when you are writing for two very different lines?
I guess what I'm wondering is....are you able to work on both a traditional romance and a paranormal at the same time? If so, how do you maintain your voice and focus when shifting back and forth between the two?
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
"The Best Man's Bride"
Lisa! I just devoured book two!!!! I rate books by whether they can make me laugh out loud or make me cry. I believe I used half a box of Kleenex last night on this one!
I can't believe you are going to make me wait all the way until AUGUST for the next one!!! And let me guess, Molly's happy ending won't happen until the last book will it?!?! I need some closure, Sister! Bring Molly and Josh back to hash out what went wrong so they can MOVE on!!!
(I'm a VERY impatient reader!) LOL! Lovin' the series!
Cat
Let us run with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us; looking only unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1a-2b
Hi there Lisa
I just started your, The Best Man's Bride, yum! More later, when I've devoured it.
Nancy
sheandeen@gmail.com
Finished the Best Man's Bride
I have a Colleen, she has a best friend named Nick. She cracked up when she saw the names of the H/h.
Loved this book. Childs really knows how to create interesting, three dimensional characters that really come off the page.
This is one delightful series (so far). The hardest part is waiting for the next book.
Nancy
sheandeen@gmail.com
The Best Man's Bride
Is on the top of my TBR pile. Baseball has started, which means lots of practices and lots and lots of sitting, which of course means lots and lots of reading.
Y'all are teasing me. I'm glad I left this thread up.
Rae
Rae~
That's my favorite part of baseball season, too!!!! Do you have a child that plays on a traveling league?
Cat
Let us run with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us; looking only unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1a-2b
Rae, you need to...
...leave it up so we can tease other readers with just how good the next book is.
I've really been enjoying these books. Can you tell? They are sweet, frustrating, gritty, delightful reads. They have characters that pop off the page. (Specially when one of them has a daughter's name and Childs paired her up with this same (16-yr-old) daughter's best friend's name. Euw, I'm just glad that part didn't dawn on me until I finished the book. LOL)
Reading and baseball, my favorite spring pasttimes.
Nancy
sheandeen@gmail.com
No traveling league
Cat, no, my son is only nine, so he doesn't neccessarily travel--not far anyhow.
And yes, I'll leave this thread up.
Rae