Friday, December 6, 2019

The week in The Loft: Author Fiona Lehn!

Joining me today in The Loft is Canadian author Fiona Lehn. Fiona writes speculative fiction and romance for a variety of writing shops, including my "sister publisher, " Devine Destinies. She is a Writers of the Future winner and is also a musician, having toured with the Fiona Lehn Underground Band. In addition, she penned the highly acclaimed, "Waiting for Dogot." Fiona lives with myalgic/encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and "serves a feline in perpetuity."


Author Fiona Lehn

S:  Good morning, Fiona! Thanks so much for joining me today!

Why did you become a writer?

F:  As an avid reader from a young age, I was dissatisfied with the roles of women in fiction, and in reality. I wanted to change that (and reveal how) women could live, so I began writing speculative fiction.

S:  What attracts you to the romance genre?

F:  Romance reminds me that love and goodness can grow out of the most challenging experiences and can flourish in the most unlikely places. Romance unveils the spark of magic in the mundane. It reveals hope when all is despair. I find that very attractive.

S:  Do you write in other genres?

F:  Yes, I do. I tend to cross genres and upend tropes. I don't consciously intend to rebel against genre classifications. This just seems to be the way I write. My fiction is speculative in nature, with strong LGBTQ+ and other outsider characters. My adventure and quest stories are often romantic and/or humorous, while my mysteries may be dramatic and/or psychological. All seem to get an infusion of sensuality, heartwarming fluffy stuff, and low to medium heat. My genre crossing results in distinctive and touching tales that I hope people enjoy.



S:  What's your definition of romance?

F:  Spark. Magic. Light. Glass half full to overflowing. New beginnings. Electricity. Quaking. Shuddering. Gasping--in a good way. Unpredictable. Irresistible.

S:  Do you believe in love at first sight?

F:  Absolutely. It really happens. I fell n love at first sight when I was 17. One glance and I was a goner.

S:  Do you remember your first kiss? 

F:  (Laughs.) Yep, I remember. It was an awful, horrible kiss.  His tongue filled my mouth like a giant, slimy, squirming eel and was so vigorous, so insensate, so...gagging. Aieee! Luckily, my next kiss was most excellent!

S:  What was your worst date ever?

F:  The guy who was my worst kiss. The night wasn't a total loss, though. The DJ played Foreigner, one of my favorite bands. It was the early 80s. I loved Foreigner.

S:  What do you crave?

F:  I crave energy and endurance. I crave meaning. I crave knowledge, connections, and Cricket Bars--yum! And like most humans, I also crave love.



S:  (Chuckles.) Okay, I had to look up Cricket Bars. They are as advertised, protein bars made with cricket flour.  Amazing that crickets are considered an emerging source of protein. 

What would you like people to know about you?

F:  My cravings--with the exception of Cricket Bars--are the things that drive me to write. I don't know, perhaps all writers are like that.

S:  What's the best advice you have ever been given?

F:  Don't look at the boxes and try to fit inside one. Trail blaze.

S:  You have a book coming out Dec. 27 from Devine Destinies called "Lift-Off." Can you tell me about it?

F:  Sure. Here's the blurb--

The world's first tourist space cruise launches from the International Spaceport in White Rock, British Columbia on New Year's Eve. One hundred free cruise tickets are hidden all over North America. You have three days left to find one. Would you...

Break and enter? Risk a billion-dollar inheritance? Betray the love of your life?

It's random universe. While millions around the globe celebrate the Quicksilver spaceliner's impending launch, a handful of our heroes struggle to achieve their most stellar dreams.

One of the is a methane heiress desperate for a free ticket. Another is a newscaster digging for a killer scoop. And another is a veteran astronaut who's never been in space.

There are more. Tween twins attempt a secret mission, a star is almost born, and everyone is trying to get to the launch before the Quicksilver--you know--launches.

A lot can happen in a random universe. Do-gooders become saboteurs, cowards must courage, and loners find love. Who will crash and who will soar? The clock is counting down to one moment that will change everything: Lift-Off!



S:  That sounds fascinating! Where can readers buy your book?

F:  It will be available at https://www.devinedestinies.com/978-1-4874-2749-1-lift-off/. It will be available from other booksellers soon after.

S:  Fiona, thanks so much for joining me today! If you would like to learn more about Fiona and her books, please visit--

Facebook:  fb.me.FiFiHermitage
Amazon Author's Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Fiona-Lehn/e/B00JJ1VLSQ

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