Lila Shaw Interview on Chew the Fiction Fat! Part ONE

 Please Welcome Lila Shaw to Julie’s Book Review. A review of her book All's Fair in Love and Wa and a few other reviews will be posted  on the site.  Lila is giving away a copy of her latest book, Prometheus Unstitched to one lucky winner. Check out the entry rafflecopter on the right hand side of the page to put in many entries! Come and lets meet Lila Shaw!


Hello Lila,  How are you doing?

I'm doing great, Julie, thanks.

Welcome to Julie’s Book Review. We are thrilled to have you on the site.

Thank you so much for having me today! I'm thrilled to be here.



As I am a avid reader and I all ways wonder how did they come up with that story? Did you have any special inspiration for your books?

I started writing flash fiction very early on, mostly for writing practice. One of my writing boards conducts a flash fiction exercise every Sunday night. The rules are to write a complete short story in ninety minutes based on a prompt revealed at the beginning of the time period--so ninety minutes from concept to final edit and posting at the site. I faithfully participated in the challenge for about two years and got pretty good at spinning yarns about almost any word or word combos they threw at me. Many of those flash fiction stories of a thousand words, give or take, I later expanded into longer tales. For those challenges, I typically did a quick word association in my head and usually within ten minutes I was off writing a story based on only the vaguest of notions of what it was going to be about. My fingers sort of did the rest. I'm a natural write by the seat of pants person, a pantser. I'd say I probably tap into my own experiences, fantasies, nightmares, those of others, televisions shows and movies, books--anything stored in my noggin is fair game for a little genetic manipulation and mutation.

That is a cool idea. It would defiantly help writers strengthen mental muscles.

Do you/ Will you only be writing contemporary romance type books? What about other genres?

I am an eclectic writer because I love the challenge of a new genre / sub-genre and I love diversity both in what I read and what I write. Thus far, I've written contemporary, paranormal, historical, steampunk, horror, post-apocalyptic, mystery, suspense, young adult--you name it, I've tried it.  I have no plans to settle down with a single genre any time soon.

I just read two other of your novelles and they were very good. I liked them as much as All's Fair!

As a writer do you have any authors you look up to or even any that have helped you along? Who do you follow and read when not writing books?

Absolutely! So many authors have helped me, it would almost be impossible to list them. I joined Absolute Write when I first started and wow, did I learn a lot my first two years there. Everyone was so knowledgeable and I was so...well, green and naive. I do read a lot and definitely have my favorite authors who inspire me to try harder. A few that come to mind are Charlaine Harris, Loretta Chase, Julia Quinn, Charlotte Stein, Jayne Fresina, and the author I'm reading now who's blown me away is Ruthie Knox. I follow many new authors I discover reading Six Sentence Sundays like Ruthie who I stalk and Sandra Bunino who's my cyber-BFF. Then there are the lovely ladies of The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pens, a group of women I've been critiquing and beta reading with for years now. Wonderful and talented the lot of them.

I have read Charlaine Harris, who doesn't know "Sookie Stackhouse" from True Blood. She is on my sight. The others I will have to look up. I am all ways looking for good books.

           Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?


Ok that is all for today folks!  The second 1/2 of the interview is to come. More reviews! Check out the rafflecopter on the right side of the page to win Lila's Prize!