Having an Angel of a Good Time with Liv Rancourt

Today
I welcome the delightful Liv Rancourt to my blog. In Forever and Ever, Amen, Liv has mixed humor, quirky characters, romance and paranormal to create a “can’t-put-down” read.
Welcome, Liv.
Thanks so much for having me as a guest on your
blog, Betty. I’m very happy to be here!
Great
to have you, Liv. Please tell us a little about yourself.
I’m shy, which is
something you’d never know if you only met me on-line. The internet is a dream
come true, because I can be as kooky as I want on Facebook or Twitter, and no
one knows it’s me. I’m sneaky that way.
As
a shy person, how do you handle spicy sex scenes and relatives? Are your family
and friends supportive or do they choose not to read your books because of their
sensual nature?
Hmm. I have one
long-time friend who skips the naughty bits in my books because it feels weird
to her, like she’s peeking into my bedroom. Then there are books I tell my
mother NOT to read, because she won’t like them. (She also doesn’t like to read
F-bombs, so I try to use them only when no other word will do.) Other than
that, I haven’t had any blow-back.
I do try to be careful
about writing sex scenes, and go back and forth over how far to go. On the one
hand, writing naughty is very popular right now, and I feel like you almost get
penalized if you don’t include fairly graphic material in your work. On the
other hand, I don’t want to do something just because it’s trendy. On the third
hand (hey, I’m talented), I agree with writers who say you can reach a deeper
level of openness and vulnerability with your characters by getting them
physically naked. It’s a fine line, and one I’m continually working on.
I
agree, and treading that fine line means plenty of revision. When you get the
edits back from your editor, how do you work through that process?
Somewhere I read a
strategy that works pretty well. I read through the comments, trying to stay
fairly neutral and open-minded (which can be easier said than done). Then I
make a pass and fix all the easy bits: spelling problems, commas, word
multiples like when I use the same work three times in two sentences, stuff
like that. Then, depending on the extent of the bigger fixes, I’ll either dive
in and start wrestling with them, or I’ll put the piece away for a day or so
and ponder how to handle what the editor’s asking for.
I
like that strategy. Having been through extensive editing for your own books, has
being an author changed how you read books now?
Oh yeah. I’m forever
making mental notes of things I like and things I would have done differently.
It takes a pretty amazing writer to shut my internal editor down these days.
Is
there an aspect of writing that you favor over others, e.g. dialogue,
exposition, description of a scene, setting, or character, etc.? Is there one
that is more difficult for you?
DIALOGUE. I love
creating conversations that sound like real life, but better. My challenge is
putting in enough description to give my stories a sense of place, and
balancing exposition with dialogue.
How
do you balance writing, marketing, promoting, bookkeeping, family and work?
I wish I could say I
had a magic formula, but sadly, I don’t. Most days, I do the best I can. In
general, I try to make sure writing trumps social networking and promotion. My
kids are teenagers, so I need to be around, but they don’t need as much direct supervision
as they used to. They do compete with me for computer time, especially now that
school’s out, which is an added complication. And then there’s the day job…
With
all of that going on, do you keep a notebook in your pocket, briefcase, purse
or on your bedside table to write down ideas that come to you right away so you
don’t forget them? Have any of these ideas developed into a successful piece?
Evernote! I have it on
my phone and on my laptop, and from work I’ll use the web version. If someone
says something that would make good dialogue or I come across a situation I can
use, I jot it down. I can also copy relevant webpages when I’m researching a
topic, and I’ll usually keep copies of my WIPs there, too, so I have a back-up.
The phone, laptop and webpage are all synched, so it’s all wherever I am.
Wow, you are organized!
Evernote sounds like a great app for writers. Thanks so much for joining me
today, Liv. It’s such a pleasure to learn more about you.  Best of luck with your books.
Thanks again, Betty! I
hope you and your readers are all geared up to enjoy the holiday. Happy Fourth
of July 😉
Author
Bio:
Liv Rancourt writes paranormal and romance, often at the same time.
She lives with her husband, two teenagers, two cats and one wayward puppy. She
likes to create stories that have happy endings, and finds it is a good way to
balance her other job in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Liv can be found on-line at:
Website & blog www.livrancourt.com
Liv’s books are available at:

9 thoughts on “Having an Angel of a Good Time with Liv Rancourt

  1. Becky Lower says:

    Great interview, Betty and Liv! I agree on the delicate balance that we all strive for, be it in the sex scenes or the writing/promotion equation. Wish there was a magic formula…

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