LILLIANA ANDERSON

please welcome the brilliant and talented Liliana Anderson.

How would you describe your books?

As romance with a difference. I always like to include some sort of twist that is a little different from the norm. It's fun to try and come up with new ways to keep the reader on their toes.

What genre is your work mainly? Do you tend to stay in the same vein or are you hoping ( if not already ) to explore new ventures?

Primarily, I like to write New Adult Romance, but I also dabble in Romantic suspense. I suppose I write along the same vein, I seem to have a penchant for love triangles, but I'm always open to exploring new avenues if a story really resonates with me.

Share with us a quote from one of your favourite characters in your books?

'I'll never understand how the meeting of two people can spark a connection so deep that to be apart causes pain' Etta, Drawn 2 - Redemption.

What inspired you to write your book?

In the first place, it was my mother in law. She has had a very colourful life and was always talking about writing a book. So I helped her with her biography and was so in love with writing .

Is it hard to come up with new idea's and / or plot's?

Not yet! I'm sure there will come a day when I struggle but I have massive folder of ideas that I'm slowly working my way through.

hat I haven't stopped since.

Who is the easiest character to write for and Why? Hardest and why?

The easiest was probably Katrina from A Beautiful Struggle. She had a lot of me in her, so it was easy to put her to paper. My hardest, was probably Paige from A Beautiful Forever and Phoenix. She has a really hard life and writing some of her scene were really confronting for me. I found myself in tears while writing, but in the end it was very cathartic and she's become my favourite heroine.

Without giving anything away, what is / are your favourite scenes in your book ( s )?

My favourite scenes are when characters finally give in to their attraction to each other. I love that moment when they cave and feel that wonderful rush of desire and joy run through their body. It's a really lovely moment for me, after working through that build up for most of the book.

Do you have any hobbies?

Writing. hahaha. It's my job and my fun. But I also enjoy reading and I'm a bit of an art and crafts dabbler too.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I think so. I'm told that everything I write is uniquely me. I generally lean toward first person, present tense.

How did you come up with the title?

With each book I've written, I've chosen a name that is quite specific to the journey the characters go on. In A Beautiful Struggle, the main character is coping with her internal struggles as she learns to trust again and reenter the dating world. And the same goes for 'Drawn', the main characters are incredibly 'drawn' to each other and the hero is also an artist.

How much of the book is realistic? Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

All of my books have an element of real life in them. I base them a lot on my own experiences. Sometimes, they're just completely fictionalised though.

What books have most influenced your life most?

Oh wow, there's so many. But the one's that have stayed with me the most are Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible and Linda LaPlante's Legacy series.

 If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

The writer who has helped me most in my writing career is Cj Duggan, writer of the Summer Series. She's been the person who has listened to ideas and helped me stay on track .

 What book are you reading now?

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I couldn't wait until the series returned to television.

What are your current projects? If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your books?

I'm currently working on the fifth Beautiful Series book, A Beautiful Star, and a romantic suspense trilogy titled the Fire & Lies series. I don't think I'd change anything in my books. The choices I made are what made me stand out in the crowd. Plus, when I wrote, I just stayed true to the characters as they were in my mind. I'm not sure I could have written it any other way.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I've always loved to write. It's been something that's always been a part of my life and I can't really remember a time when I wasn't writing something, be it a diary entry, a poem, a full story or even a song. It's just something I've always done.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

From A Beautiful Star

'When I wake the next morning, it's to a text from Jonathan.

how was your date?

Frowning, I wonder how the hell he knows I went out and just hit the home button, exiting the message without responding. Before I can even put the phone down, another message comes through, explaining the first. It’s a link to an article that says I’ve moved on from Jonathan already, and shows a photo of me standing outside Quay with Brad, and another one of us kissing next to the cab.

the name).I roll my eyes, hating the fact that the people who write this shit share the same profession as me. It makes me glad I work for Voyeur though, it’s our company ethos to only report legitimate celebrity and world news. All news is approved and we are committed to never buying paparazzi shots. Our shoots are done with permission when a person of interest lets us be a voyeur into their world (hence

While I’m looking at the article, another text comes through.

I can’t believe you already moved on from me. After everything we went through together…

Rolling my eyes, I laugh a little as I switch my phone to silent and drop it in my bag, deciding that the best way to deal with Jonathan is to ignore him. Then I head out to the kitchen where I find my mother swearing over the coffee machine.

“You okay there?” I ask, watching as she slaps the top of it and exclaims that it's a ‘fucking useless piece of junk’.

“What? Oh yeah, I'm fine. It's just the stupid coffee machine that has its days numbered,” she grumbles.

“Let me have a look at it,” I suggest, and she moves out of the way so I can switch the machine off at the wall outlet to give it a chance to reset.

“So, how was your date last night?” she asked while she watched me. “You got home early so I'm assuming you didn't get up to any hanky-panky. Which is very disappointing, I really think you could do with a little bit of rumpy pumpy in your life.”

I roll my eyes hitting the power switch on the coffee machine and waiting for it to go through its start-up sequence again. “Rumpy pumpy? God mum. Please don't try and talk sex with me, it's just disturbing,” I groan.

“Why is it disturbing? It's not like I don't have any experience with it, your father and I still —”

“Don't even start,” I practically yell over the top of her. “I so don't want to know that you and dad are still doing it.”

“Why is that an issue? Your father is the same age as Brad Pitt and you wouldn't turn him down would you?”

“Well yes, I would turn him down. There is no way in hell I'd get involved with celebrity. Especially one as big as him. And comparing dad to Brad Pitt like that is all kinds of wrong. I don't want to know anything about your bedroom business. There are some things mothers and daughters shouldn't share.”

She pokes her tongue out at me like a child who didn’t get their way, at the same time as I hear the coffee machine click to signal that it's ready.

“There, I say. All fixed. Now you. Now you can have your coffee.”

“Do you want one?”

“No thanks, I'm just going to go and grab a shower before work.”

“I still want to hear about your date, by the way,” she calls after me. “What does this Brad guy even do?”

“He's a chef,” I answer. “And that's all you get, or I’ll be late for work.”

“You’re no fun,” she calls after me and I respond with a laugh as I shut the bathroom door.'

 Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Just getting the words out as fast as I'm thinking them. Sometimes I struggle with RSI in my hands because I force myself to type past the point of exhaustion. But I find that my characters are incredibly naggy creatures who won't let me rest until their story is told.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I have quite a few favourite authors. But one whose work I always read is Janet Evanovich. Her stuff is a lot of fun.

 Who designed the covers?

I do.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Getting the start to be as engaging as I want it to be.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

That the world of publishing is a very hard and fast place to be. But I love it anyway.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Read lots, write more, and talk to other writers because they are your people.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Keep reading! lol, you're all awesome and you've been the reason my dreams have come true.

What is your favourite genre to write?

New Adult Romance. I love experiencing that first real love with my characters.

What is your favourite genre to read?

Women's fiction and paranormal romance.

How long have you been writing for?

Since I can remember, but professionally for two years.

What is your favourite  movie?

The Princess Bride.

How  difficult is it to come up with one of your amazing plots?

The basic plots aren't too difficult to come up with as they are loosely based on my own experience and those of my friends and family. I just add a fictitious twist on those events and make it much more romantic than it actually was! lol.

How about characters?  Are they easily born and developed?

 Once again, they're very loosely based on people I've known in my life. Although sometimes, a new character I've never met before presents themselves to me and as I write, I get to know them.

How long does it take you to complete a novel from concept to completion?

About two months, sometimes three, depending on the length and my own life circumstances.

What was your first published piece? And how was it to publish your first book?

My very first was Confidante: The Brothel. It was a lot of fun and very exciting because it was new and there were so many possibilities because of it.

Have  you ever trashed a novel or story before or after finishing it, feeling it wasn't turning out as you planned?

I have. During one of my novels, I got half way and decided I hated it, so I had to push its release date and start again.

Out of all your brilliant  characters  Which ones were you favourite?

Paige from Phoenix and A Beautiful forever and Damien from Drawn

Do you have a special time or place to write?

I generally find that I write best from 10pm to 2am, and I write in the lounge room on the couch watching tv.

Any funny experiences or quirks you'd like to share with your readers?

I have an obsession with songs that evoke the emotions I want to show in each of my books. There'll be a particular one that I will play over and over again to get myself prepared before I start writing. I also require a strong coffee and sparkling water before I sit down to type. Because once I start, I'm not moving! lol

Which one of your awesome  books would you like to see be made in to a movie?

Drawn. I'd love to see that passion on the screen.

What was the worst job you ever done?

I generally have a pretty positive outlook on working, I can make the most out of most situations. But I did work with my mother for a while and it was hard to keep home away from work. So things could get quite uncomfortable and embarrassing.

Do you ever get any ideas at random moments, and if so how do you hand on to them?

I do. I have a Galaxy Note 3 as my phone, so no matter where I am, I can pull out the little pen and scribble down my thoughts. There's a lot of different ideas on there these days.

Can you write on demand and under pressure, or do you need time and space before the creativity starts to flow and how do you over come writers block?

 I'm yet to experience writer's block so I'm very lucky in that respect. But I can write on demand and find that my best work is done under pressure. Too much time and I procrastinate.

Who was your inspiration  behind your lead men in your books?

My husband likes to think it's him, and my male friends like to think it's them. But in truth, they're all the men I wish existed. They're my own special fantasy.