Blog Tour: Conviction by Lauren Salisbury

 A friend from one of the author Facebook groups I'm in is releasing a new book! Find out more in this blog post. You can also find out more about her in the author interview.

About the Book

Can two people with opposing principles overcome their differences to be together?

Than has spent his life ostensibly having fun while secretly fighting for his people’s freedom. A member of the underground resistance, he is only ever serious around his comrades and his family. When an injury forces him to step down from active duty and his reluctant nurse sparks his interest, Than finds himself in uncharted territory. The fascinating woman will have nothing to do with him.

Menali’s past has taught her to keep her head down and trust that God has a reason for allowing the human race to suffer on U’du. When Than explodes into her life, he refuses to take no for an answer and challenges all of her preconceptions. He soon has her re-evaluating her priorities and wondering what life with someone like him would be like.

About the Author

Lauren H Salisbury was an English teacher for sixteen years with an MA in Education. She is now a writer who dabbles with tutoring and lives with her husband and a room full of books in Yorkshire, England. She likes to spend winters abroad, following the sunshine and becoming the seasonal envy of her friends. When she’s not writing, she can be found spending time with family, reading, walking, crafting, or cooking. Courage is her debut novel.

Links:

Conviction selling page: http://a.co/doeQtkg

Courage selling page: http://amzn.to/2ItzMl4

Email list sign-up form: http://eepurl.com/djCo0z

Website: http://www.laurenhsalisbury.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gillascourage

Author Interview

Good morning and welcome to my blog! I’m excited to have you here and hope you have some fun with these questions. Since this blog is about and for writers, most of the questions will be about writing with a few optional, fun questions at the end.

1. What is your writing process? Do you outline before you start?

I definitely outline before I start. I spent about three months mulling over the ideas and concepts for this series, and then another three filling a couple of ring-bound notepads with the details. These included species and character profiles, flora and fauna, planets and spacecraft, technology, cultural and social structures, languages, maps of the major settings, a loose plotline for the entire series, and the specific plots (chapter by chapter) for the first two manuscripts.

In terms of my daily writing, I read through the notes for a specific chapter in the morning, have a shower while I picture how the events would actually happen, and then sit down and write what I imagined for the scene. I do quite a bit of editing as I go, which I know popular reasoning says not to, but it works for me. By the end of a writing session, I usually have a chapter finished and in pretty good shape.

2. How do you develop your characters? Do you use images found online, a Pinterest board, character sketches, or develop them as you write?

I never considered using images to develop my characters, possibly because I’d not heard of aesthetics until after I’d written the first three manuscripts. I did create detailed character files for each of them that included their vital stats, appearance, personality, idiosyncrasies, views on certain events, usual reactions, and background. I keep them updated as I go, and I’ve started playing with images for some of the main characters. I had artists draw Gilla and Reemah for the first book and was amazed by the result. You can see those on my website.

3. What is your best advice for getting rid of writer’s block?

What works for one person never seems to transfer to anyone else, but I’ll tell you what I do. The first thing is to take a break. I do something completely different for a while to give my brain a chance to rest and reenergize. Then I go back to my notes. Reading through my plans and ideas usually shakes something loose. If all else fails, I just write anything, whatever comes into my head no matter how bad I think it is. Sooner or later, something clicks and I start to feel my rhythm. The thing I try to remember, apart from deleting the drivel that got me started again, is that I can always edit bad writing later.

4. If you could share one piece of advice that you wish someone else had told you to an aspiring writer, what would it be?

Accept constructive criticism, no matter how hard it is to hear, but ignore plain criticism, no matter how right it sounds. That, and write what you love, no matter your market.

5. What is your favorite genre?

I don’t have a favourite genre to read. Asking me to choose is like asking me to decide between an eye and a lung. That said, my top picks are usually somewhere within fantasy, science fiction, historical, and suspense. In terms of writing, I’m enjoying space opera so far.

Fun questions:

Pizza or Pasta?

Pasta for the variety, pizza for the cheese.

Favorite movie?

At the moment, Wonder Woman, but that changes on a daily basis.

Favorite Bible verse?

Without a doubt, Proverbs 3v5-6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

I asked my dad the same question when I was about twelve, and that was his answer. It’s been my favourite ever since and has seen me through all of life’s ups and downs.

Coffee, tea, or water?

Water. I never developed a taste for either hot drink.

Favorite movie adaptation?

Anne of Green Gables.

Giveaway

The giveaway is a swag bag that will have character pictures, a bookmark (hopefully cross-stitched if I can finish it in time), an U'du themed greeting card, and a pebble necklace inspired by one in the book.

a Rafflecopter giveaway