Interview with author Lori Sjoberg
Hello again everyone! I have another fabulous treat for you all today! I haven’t ha the opportunity to read anything from author Lori Sjoberg before, but this book sounded really great when I read about it. I have also done several reviews for Kensington Publishing and had fairly good luck with their authors so far. Both factors paired together and I knew I had to share this book with you. I wanted to change things up a bit today because I haven’t done an interview in a while. I thought you all might like one, so please enjoy. Allow me to introduce to the blog:
**LORI SJOBERG**
**BIO**
Growing up the youngest of three girls, Lori never had control of the remote. (Not that she’s bitter about that. Really. Okay, maybe a little, but it’s not like she’s scarred for life or anything.) That meant a steady diet of science fiction and fantasy. Star Trek, Star Wars, Twilight Zone, Outer Limits – you name it, she watched it. It fed her imagination, and that came in handy when the hormones kicked in and she needed a creative excuse for staying out past curfew.
After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science, Lori worked for nearly a decade in retail management. When that got boring, she switched to financial planning, and then insurance. The writing bug bit a few years later. After completing her first manuscript, she joined the Romance Writers of America and Central Florida Romance Writers. Now she exercises the analytical half of her brain at work, and the creative half writing paranormal romance. When she’s not doing either one of those, she’s usually spending time with her husband and children of the four-legged variety.
How has your life changed since becoming published?
The biggest change has been to my writing habits. Before, I treated it like a hobby. I’d write when I had time, but I didn’t maintain any type of set schedule. Now that I have deadlines, it’s become a lot more structured and disciplined.
What is your typical day like?
Well, I still have a day job, so that eats a huge chunk of my time. After work, I spend time with my husband and our four-legged fur baby, and then squeeze in a couple hours of writing time. By nine or ten, I’m ready to kick back with a good book and/or watch a little TV.
Tell us a little about your current release, Grave Intentions.
Grave Intentions is a character driven paranormal romance. It’s the story of David Anderson, a damned soul given one final chance to earn his salvation by reaping the souls of the recently departed. Sixty years on the job have left him burned out and emotionally dead. But then he meets Sarah Griffith, a scientist and lifelong skeptic who doesn’t believe in anything paranormal, and things become…complicated.
Any upcoming projects you would like to tell us about?
I’m currently working on book two of the Grave series. One of the supporting characters from GI takes center stage this time around. She’s working a gig on a cruise ship, and things aren’t going according to plan. And when she starts finding bodies that aren’t on the roster, she’s tasked with finding the responsible party before the ship reaches port.
How do you keep in contact with your readers?
I’m active on Facebook, and recently dipped my big toe in the Twitter & Goodreads waters.
What is your favorite thing about this book?
I love David’s character arc. The internal damage brought on by so many years of being a reaper has left him hardened and jaded. But then he meets Sarah, and that tough exterior begins to crumble.
How about an excerpt to share from the book?
“Rise and shine, Newbie,” David said as he walked past Adam’s rumpled form. “Time to face another fun-filled day of death and dismemberment.”
He’d given the kid an extra half hour to sleep off the booze from the night before, but now they needed to get moving. When Adam mumbled something incoherent and burrowed deeper under the covers, David gave the end of the couch a solid kick. “Come on, get your ass in gear. We’re rolling out in twenty.”
The covers shifted and Adam’s head popped out, squinting like a mole under a floodlight. He pushed himself up to a seated position and swung his legs over the side of the couch. Teeth gritted, he cradled his head in his hands and groaned. “Just kill me now and get it over with.”
“Too late. And you’re not getting off that easy.” David moved to the kitchen and poured two cups of coffee. In a rare act of mercy, he brought one over to Adam. “Here, it’s good and strong. It’ll help with the hangover.”
“Thanks.” Adam accepted the mug and took a healthy swig. “You got any aspirin?”
“Bathroom. Medicine cabinet, bottom shelf.” He watched while the kid gingerly eased up from the couch and lumbered toward the bathroom, coffee mug in hand. “And if you think you’re going to puke, do it now. I’ll kick your ass if you blow chunks in my ride.”
Adam glanced back over his shoulder, his expression saying, “Drop dead,” but instead he uttered, “Thanks for the compassion.”
David could have sworn he heard a muffled, “asshole” right before the bathroom door slammed shut.
Fifteen minutes later the rookie emerged, clean-shaven and hair still wet from the shower but appearing slightly more human and a little less green around the gills. He set his empty coffee cup on the kitchen counter before moving back to the couch to lace up his shoes.
“Feeling better?”
“Define better.”
“You still feel like heaving half your body weight?”
Adam shook his head and winced. “Already did.”
“Good, let’s move. We’ve got a busy day, four stiffs on the schedule.” David rinsed both mugs and loaded them into the dishwasher.
“Four?” Adam’s face paled.
“Yeah, but between the two of us, it shouldn’t be too bad.” Besides, it wasn’t like they had much in the way of alternatives. Reap or damnation? When you boiled it down to the bare essentials, there was little left for debate. David stuffed his wallet in his back pocket and picked up his keys. “Two for me, and two for you. First stop’s at the railroad tracks down on Colonial. Give you three guesses how this one’s going to play out.”
What’s next for Lori Sjoberg?
Right now I’m putting the finishing touches on book two. Once that’s finished, I’ll probably take a week or two off and go on a reading binge. Then it’s off to start book three!
Any special quirks or habits when writing?
I have a hard time writing with music playing in the background – either I don’t like what’s on and it irritates me, or it’s a song I love and it distracts me from writing. Because of that, I usually write in silence, or I put something on television (like football or one of those 24-hour news channels) that serves as white noise.
How do you celebrate when you finish a novel?
Chocolate, followed by a reading binge. And then more chocolate.
What are you reading now? Any favorites you tend to go back to?
I’m currently reading A Taste of Ice by Hanna Martine. As far as favorites, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, the first three books of the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie, and One For the Money by Janet Evanovich.
Any advice you’d like to share for aspiring writers?
Make sure your manuscript is polished to within an inch of its life before searching for an agent or publisher. Find some beta readers and/or critique partners, ones who will give you an honest evaluation of your work. (And no, your friends and family don’t count. They love you too much to be brutally honest.) This is an extremely competitive business, so it’s critical to put your best foot forward when pitching your work.
Tell us one thing that readers wouldn’t know about you.
I laugh when I’m nervous.
What is one thing you know now that you wish you had known when you first started writing?
I wish I’d found sites like Agentqueryconnect a lot sooner. Not only are they an amazing source of industry information, but they’re also one of the most supportive groups of writers I’ve ever encountered online.
Salty or Sweet?
Definitely sweet. I keep a jar of Smarties on my desk at work.
What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween! What other time of the year can I watch hubby hide in the bushes to scare the bejeezus out of the neighborhood children?
Favorite place you have ever visited?
The highlands of Scotland.
Long hair or short hair on a guy?
Short hair.
Who is your favorite fictional character ever?
Jamie Fraser from the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. When I visited Scotland, I got my picture taken by the Fraser Clan Stone at Culloden Battlefield Museum.
Caffeine or Decaf?
I couldn’t make it through the morning without caffeine.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
I’m an introvert until I get to know you. Then you’ll never get me to shut up.
Flowers or chocolate?
Chocolate. Flowers wither and die, but chocolate hangs around your hips for years to come!
Are you a night person or morning person?
I’m a night person trapped in a morning person’s world.
Favorite meal?
Hubby makes lasagna that’s to die for.
**Book 1 ~ Book Of The Grave Series**
Genre: paranormal romance
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
ISBN: 9781601830067
ASIN: B009T9SCDA
Number of pages: Approx. 289
Word Count: 96,100
**BLURB**
He's handsome, reliable, and punctual-the perfect gentleman when you want him to be. But this dream man is Death's best agent-and now he's got more than his soul to lose . . .
One act of mercy before dying was all it took to turn soldier David Anderson into a reaper-an immortal who guides souls-of-untimely-death into the afterlife. But the closer he gets to atoning for his mortal sin and finally escaping merciless Fate, the more he feels his own humanity slipping away for good.
Until he encounters Sarah Griffith. This skeptical scientist can't be influenced by his powers-even though she has an unsuspected talent for sensing the dead. And her honesty and irreverent sense of humor reignite his reason for living-and a passion he can't afford to feel. Now Fate has summoned David to make a devastating last harvest. And he'll break every hellishly-strict netherworld rule to save Sarah...and gamble on a choice even an immortal can't win.
BUY LINKS:
**EXCERPT**
“Rise and shine, Newbie,” David said as he walked past Adam’s rumpled form. “Time to face another fun-filled day of death and dismemberment.”
He’d given the kid an extra half hour to sleep off the booze from the night before, but now they needed to get moving. When Adam mumbled something incoherent and burrowed deeper under the covers, David gave the end of the couch a solid kick. “Come on, get your ass in gear. We’re rolling out in twenty.”
The covers shifted and Adam’s head popped out, squinting like a mole under a floodlight. He pushed himself up to a seated position and swung his legs over the side of the couch. Teeth gritted, he cradled his head in his hands and groaned. “Just kill me now and get it over with.”
“Too late. And you’re not getting off that easy.” David moved to the kitchen and poured two cups of coffee. In a rare act of mercy, he brought one over to Adam. “Here, it’s good and strong. It’ll help with the hangover.”
“Thanks.” Adam accepted the mug and took a healthy swig. “You got any aspirin?”
“Bathroom. Medicine cabinet, bottom shelf.” He watched while the kid gingerly eased up from the couch and lumbered toward the bathroom, coffee mug in hand. “And if you think you’re going to puke, do it now. I’ll kick your ass if you blow chunks in my ride.”
Adam glanced back over his shoulder, his expression saying, “Drop dead,” but instead he uttered, “Thanks for the compassion.”
David could have sworn he heard a muffled, “asshole” right before the bathroom door slammed shut.
Fifteen minutes later the rookie emerged, clean-shaven and hair still wet from the shower but appearing slightly more human and a little less green around the gills. He set his empty coffee cup on the kitchen counter before moving back to the couch to lace up his shoes.
“Feeling better?”
“Define better.”
“You still feel like heaving half your body weight?”
Adam shook his head and winced. “Already did.”
“Good, let’s move. We’ve got a busy day, four stiffs on the schedule.” David rinsed both mugs and loaded them into the dishwasher.
“Four?” Adam’s face paled.
“Yeah, but between the two of us, it shouldn’t be too bad.” Besides, it wasn’t like they had much in the way of alternatives. Reap or damnation? When you boiled it down to the bare essentials, there was little left for debate. David stuffed his wallet in his back pocket and picked up his keys. “Two for me, and two for you. First stop’s at the railroad tracks down on Colonial. Give you three guesses how this one’s going to play out.”
I hope you all enjoyed getting to know a bit about Ms. Sjoberg and her new release GRAVE INTENTIONS. How exciting is it to know that she has more books planned in the series? I mean a paranormal romance with a reaper? Yes, please! I am definitely adding this one to my TBR list! I hope you will too!
And please feel free to tell me what you thought about today’s interview. Are you likely to read this book? What did you think of it? What do you think of reapers? Tell me anything you want.
And thank you very much for stopping by today and spending some time with us. I hope that you enjoyed your time spent today. Until next time …
HAPPY READING!!!
