Interview with Debut Author Katy Lee

(Please forgive the format, I'm trying to figure out blogger's new thing) Hi, Jessica, and Jessica’s readers! I am really excited to be hanging out with you today in Jessica’s virtual home. Thank you for having me!

Katy Lee writes higher purpose stories in high speed worlds. As an inspirational author, speaker, home-schooling mom, and children’s ministry director, she has dedicated her life to sharing tales of love, from the greatest love story ever told to those sweet romantic stories of falling in love. Her fresh and unique voice brings a fast-paced and modern feel to her romances that are sure to resonate with readers long after the last page. Her debut novel Real Virtue is a finalist in many writing contests, and took second place in the 2011 Georgia Maggie Award of Excellence. Katy lives in Connecticut with her husband, three children, and two cats. 1. How many manuscripts have you written, and did the one that sold feel different? How many years have you been writing? I’m going to answer these two questions together because they kind of follow each other. I started writing in the fifth grade. I can remember the thrill I got from researching for that story. I set it on the coast of California—I’d never been to California, and this is before Internet. I had to rely on Encyclopedias and reference books from the libraries, many of which weren’t allowed to be checked out, so I spent many hours, practically living at the library before I was satisfied that I had enough info. But even with all that info, I struggled with writing because my stories were always filled with huge info dumps. I guess I wanted to show the reader all the research I did. Except, the pages of my stories were filled with all these details, and the story lacked feeling. Which leads me to your question about how Real Virtue, the book that finally sold, felt different than all the others. I put more emphasis on the heart of the story rather than the research. I wrote the feelings first. I focused on the characters and their plights, then folded in details that my characters would notice while in their POV. (Point of view) I learned that I didn’t have to set a scene with all these details unless these details were important to my character or my character was noticing them. And I also learned that my hero will notice a scene differently than my heroine. For example, he would never say, “Sweetheart, I love your magenta silk wrap blouse.” It just wouldn’t feel natural. So, it was the first time I put the characters first and let them tell me their story and why they hurt or what they loved most in their own words and actions. And the end result: When my beta readers read Real Virtue the first time and called me crying I knew I finally did it. 3)Tell us a little about the events leading up to your first sale. The events that led up to selling Real Virtue were contests. RV came in third place in the Faith, Hope and Love’s Touched by Love Contest and second in the Georgia’s RWA Maggie Award of Excellence. That was the affirmation I needed to send my manuscript off. My acceptance letter from my publisher said I had a talent for world-building. (That’s my love for research shining through) But the letter also said I created fascinating characters that broke the mold. 4) What is your biggest piece of advice to writers wanting to get published? My advice to unpublished writers: Don’t be afraid to break the mold. Write from your heart, from your characters’ hearts. Don’t just research details and setting, research your characters as well. Thank you so much for inviting me to hang out with you today! I love comments, and I would also like to stay connected with you all, so please check out my website at www.KatyLeeBooks.com. You’ll see links for Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads, where we can stay in touch. Real Virtue is available in ebook now, (Paperback in the fall) at www.Amazon.com and www.BN.com. I would love to hear what you think of Mel and Jeremy’s story! And now, here is a bit about my romantic-suspense, Real Virtue: In a virtual reality game where she can fly, someone’s aiming to take her down. Mel Mesini is a New York City restaurateur and an avid, virtual reality world traveler. But her successful life—both online and in reality—takes a swerve the night her father is seriously injured in a hit-and-run. To make matters worse, Officer Jeremy Stiles, the man who had once cut her deep with his harsh, rejecting words, is heading the investigation. When Jeremy realizes Mel is the actual target, his plan is to protect her—whether she wants him to or not. What he wants is answers, especially about this online game she plays. Is it a harmless pastime as she says? Or is she using it to cover something up? As a faceless predator destroys the things that matter to her, Jeremy knows he’s running out of time before she loses the one thing that matters most—her real life. Thank you so much for joining us, Katy Lee! Katy talks about breaking the mold. How are you doing this in your writing? Your life?