Please Welcome L.S. Murphy

Today I'm really excited to be welcoming author L.S Murphy to The Cover Contessa today for an interview!

Linda will be releasing her debut YA novel, Reaper, in January through J. Taylor Publishing!

There's no way sixteen year old Quincy Amarante will become the fifth grim reaper. None. Not over her shiny blue Mustang. Her Jimmy Choos. Or her dead body.

She’s supposed to enjoy her sophomore year, not learn about some freaky future Destiny says she has no choice but to fulfill.
It doesn’t take long for Quincy to realize the only way out of the game is to play along especially since Death can find her anyway, anywhere, anytime. And does.
Like when she’s reassuring her friends she wants nothing to do with former best friend Ben Moorland, who’s returned from god-knows-where, and fails. Miserably.
Instead of maintaining her coveted popularity status, Quincy’s goes down like the Titanic.
Maybe ... just maybe ... that’s okay.
It seems, perhaps, becoming a grim reaper isn’t just about the dead but more about a much needed shift in Quincy’s priorities—from who she thinks she wants to be to who she really is.

I CANNOT WAIT to read this book! It looks so totally awesome doesn't it?

It's on the top of my list once it comes out, that's for sure!

And now, without further a do, let's hear what Linda had to say in answer to my questions!

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else? 

I once harbored dreams of being  ballerina, but I have no coordination and terrible stage fright.  

How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish?
That really depends on whether I outline or not. If I have an outline, I can usually get a draft done in a month or so. Then I’ll sit on it for a while and work on something else. Overall, I’d say about a year total, but I’m getting greedier with my time management so that may change. 

How do you come up with themes for your stories?
It’s all about the characters. They come up with the themes. I just roll with it. 

Do you have a schedule of when you write? 
Since I have a full-time job and a family, I fit in writing whenever I can. Usually that means I get up at four in the morning. It’s the only time my house is quiet. 

How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing?
I don’t sleep. ;)

What elements do you think make a great story line? 
You can have a great plot with flat characters. You can have fabulous writing with no story. You can have a predictable plot with interesting characters. It’s really a balance of characters, plot, and writing IMO.

What was the hardest thing about writing a book?
Finishing the first draft. Once you get to that point, you already have a book. You just have to make it better. 

How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite? 
Five. I wrote my first novel my first semester of college. That is still sitting in the notebooks I wrote it in. I wrote my second novel several years later, and I had no idea what the heck I was doing. My third novel gave me hope, but I still had a long way to go. With that third novel, I started to find my voice and learn the industry more. That’s when I really started to query and take myself seriously. Reaper is my fourth novel. I signed with Julia A. Weber of J.A. Weber Literaturagentur with my fifth novel this past June. 

Do you have a favorite character?
My favorite literary character of all time is Elizabeth Bennett. 

Where do you write?  
I have a desk in my basement. That’s my primary location, but sometimes I write in the living room or the dining room. Sometimes I head out to Starbucks. A change of scenery usually gives me the boost I need if I start to struggle. 

When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the route you took? 
I wanted to traditionally publish for a variety of reasons. One of those is professional editing. I’m terrible at the rules of grammar. Another is that I felt more comfortable with the idea of traditional publishing. I’m old school sometimes.  

Have you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)? What do they think?
They haven’t read them yet, but they are proud of me. 

What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?
Spending time with my husband and my little girl. Even if we’re just coloring, hanging out with my family is my favorite thing in the world
I love baseball. If I could go to every St. Louis Cardinals game, I would. In fact ever, if I hit the lottery, I’m going to do just that. 

What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing? 
One, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. You can. It’s up to you to start. Two, don’t worry about what people think. Just write. Get the story out. Finish that first draft. Three, once you start writing, don’t call yourself an aspiring writer. You ARE a writer. You’re just under-published. 

What is your favorite book? favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write? 
I don’t have a favorite book because I have SO many favorite books. Same with favorite authors. There are too many great authors out there to pinpoint just one.
Kurt Vonnegut was the first author to inspire me. After I read “Harrison Bergeron” for the first time, I wrote my first story. 

Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such? 
Absolutely. I’m a member of SCBWI and St. Louis Writer’s Guild. My critique partner Jonathan is a huge, huge part of my writing. If it wasn’t for him, Reaper would probably never have gotten published. 

Are you working on anything now? 
I just finished a first draft on a contemporary YA and am currently outlining a new project, also contemporary YA.
Thanks for having me!

Thanks so much for stopping by, Linda! It was great having you here! I can't wait to read your book! Good luck and congratulations!

Bio: L.S. Murphy lives in the Greater St. Louis area where she watches Cardinals baseball, reads every book she can find, and weaves tales for teens and adults. When not doing all of the above, she tends to The Bean (aka her daughter), her husband and a menagerie of pets. Her debut novel, REAPER, will be released in January 2013 (J. Taylor Publishing). She is a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and St. Louis Writer’s Guild. She maintains a blog and can also be found on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.