Connie Briscoe Presents–
Author Lolita Files

Author Lolita Files–that’s her real name–has five dogs and one bird. And she loves fried chicken, shoes and the internet. But don’t send her an IM. She can’t stand that. You’ll have much better luck getting a response if you send her a message through e-mail.

Connie Briscoe: How many books have you had published?

Lolita Files: I have six novels, one novella, and three short stories. I’m currently working on my seventh novel.

CB: How do you come up with your story ideas?

Lolita Files: Sometimes the stories just come to me on their own. Other times, I’ll get a spark of an idea from something I read in the news, see on the street, or hear about in pop culture.

CB: This week on my blog I talked about where I write. When and where do you write best?

Lolita Files: Sitting in bed with my laptop–usually during the day and early evening–with the television on the in the background. With the exception of one book, I’ve written everything this way.

CB: Do you outline or write character sketches? If not, how do you organize your writing?

Lolita Files: Historically, I do not outline or write character sketches. I just sit in front of the laptop and wait for the first few words to come–this part can be torture–then I let the characters take over and lead the story.

CB: Those first pages are always the toughest. How much do you draw from your real life for your novels?

Lolita Files: Not as much as readers would think. I may layer in a particular interest I have–travel, pets, food cravings–but beyond minor details, I prefer creating worlds and characters that are unique to the specific story.

CB: How has the publishing market changed since you had your first book published?

Lolita Files: More books by authors of color are available on the market, which is a positive in one regard. Major publishers, however, have attempted to marginalize the types of books that are published by writers of color, focusing heavily on street fiction and erotica-based literature, seriously limiting exposure to the wide range of voices and genres that deserve to be heard.

CB: So true, unfortunately. What can we expect to see from you next?

Lolita Files: I’m doing a sequel to Tastes Like Chicken, which was the last book in the Misty/Reesy series. It ended with a few cliffhangers that I needed to tie up. The book is called Next Day Feathers.

CB: Your books always have such interesting titles. Tell us something about yourself that most of us don’t already know.

Lolita Files: I love snow. I was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, so I never had true winters while growing up. I now live in a place with lots of snow, bitter winds, and freezing temperatures in winter…and I love it!

(Visit Lolita Files at her blog on pop culture–The Lo Zone)