Today I am speaking with Lena Austin.

Good Morning Lena, thank you for taking time to talk to Fallen Angel Reviews today.

Good morning!

You have quite a list of credits on your website. Not only that you are a very busy person, too. Not to mention you scuba. I bet that is fun.

Yeah, I bore easily and can't stay still for long. Drives people nuts. As the old expression goes, "When I walk, I hurry. When I run, I run fast. When I sit, I fall asleep." That pretty much covers me. I love to scuba. It's as close as ordinary humans can come to flying or space-walking. Absolute freedom.

If your readers were to follow you around for a day, what would they see in the day of Lena?

They'd be pretty tired. I run on a schedule from 7 AM to about 11 PM or so. Let's see, can you read military time?

0700 Bathe, breakfast, dress, yap on the phone with my daughter Tuesday
0800 Walk the dog, yap on the phone
0900 Clean using the FlyLady.net system, do a load of laundry, make bread in the bread machine, yap on the phone
1000 Blog, promote, take care of author business, yap on the phone
1100 Do a craft or sew. Lately I've been into faux stained glass
1200 Lunch, walk the dog again
1300 - 1500 Write with my daughter Tuesday. We're writing a new series, Night Critters for Changeling Press.
1600 Walk the dog again
1700 - 2100 Cook dinner, eat with Dante and Randy, watch TV, walk the dog again.
2100- Whenever I fall asleep Yap on phone and play Zoo Tycoon on computer.

Why not tell your readers about your latest release? We would love to hear more about it.

As of today, I think that would be Viva Los Regalos: Beware the Fury. That one was so much fun to write! Los Regalos is a paranormal Las Vegas, where a paranormal mafia run by Da Boss rules. We dropped a lot of hints throughout the series as to who Da Boss is, but we never actually say. You have to figure that out for yourself.

I went on the idea of "What would happen to the gods of Olympus today? Would they have modernized and changed with the times?" I say, "Of course." So, my Fury is a modern young woman with a bad temper and a nose for murder, which makes her an excellent detective. I thought my crit partners would murder *me* for the way I solved the problem of her immortality vs. her human lover.

Where do you get the inspiration to pen your stories?

Anywhere and anytime, I could get an idea. Songs, documentaries on TV, joking with my friends, a book or movie I say, "I can do that better." Who knows? I keep two large ring binders full of ideas, and I'm constantly adding more.

Would you like to tell us about your upcoming releases?

Next up is the first in the Night Critters series, Must Love Dogs, co-authored with my daughter Tuesday Richards. It's due for release in March '08. I'll say this -- It's a true departure from my regular writing because of the mixing in of Tuesday's "voice." She's young and very sassy, so the heroine is very smart-mouthed and a "Chusky." That's a werewolf who is the daughter of a Chihuahua and a Siberian Husky. The purebred werewolf she meets via a dating service just barely keeps up with her. LOL!

Is there much research in your writing?

Oh, absolutely! Half of my home office wall is a bookcase full of reference material, and that's just the non-sexual stuff. That's not including the internet, or my notes from documentaries. If you're referring to the sex, let's just say I am blessed with two cooperative men and three copies of the Kama Sutra.

Which of your stories do you think is the most unique?

I have to choose? That's like asking a Mom to pick which one of her children is the most unique. She'd answer, "They all are, but for different reasons."

Is there any of your personality or life experiences in your writing?

Oh heavens, yes! I don't write outside my experiences if I can help it. Sure, no one person is the ultimate authority on any given subject but if you don't write what you know, you're asking for someone who is an expert to point out your errors. I shudder at the thought.

What is your favorite genre to read?

Science fantasy. I'm a huge fan of Piers Anthony, Anne McCaffrey, and Mercedes Lackey.

When is your best time of the day to write?

Mornings are my most energetic, but I recognized long ago that my family needs me then. So, I write in the afternoons.

Is it hard for you to develop story ideas?

Definitely not! I'm an anal-retentive plotter, and to me that's as much fun as writing the story. I'll spend several weeks plotting and arranging my story long before I turn on Dragon Naturally Speaking and tell it.

Lena, is there anything in your life that you haven’t done, that you would love to do?

Take a cruise to the Caribbean, learn to play the guitar, and drink my coffee without cat fur in it.

You get a phone call from NASA requesting you go on their next trip to study Mars. Would you accept or decline the invitation?

When's the liftoff? I'm outta here. Screw the in flight movie, do they have email instead?

One morning you wake to find a magic bottle that offers three wishes, what would you wish for?

1. That my body be composed of parts resembling Pamela Anderson's torso, Tina Turner's legs, Martina McBride's face, Cher's toned arms, and the rest is mine as I had them when I was twenty, and make the skin tones match my own.

2. I want more money than Bill Gates that I get legally and without harm to another.

3. Peace on earth. Real peace, not imposed by dictatorship or one religion gaining power over all the others. The kind of peace that comes with understanding and love for all humankind. The kind of peace that means there's no need for a military of any kind other than to drive ships into unexplored places both here on earth and out in space so science can expand knowledge.

What is your absolute best time about the holidays?

The preparation. I'm a grandmother now, so I enjoy baking cookies, decorating, and planning the get-togethers. It's a big excuse for me to be a domestic goddess for a couple of months.

Would you like to share your website or myspace or other sites with your viewers at this time?

Website URL: LenaAustin.com
Blog: lena_austin.livejournal.com
Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/LenaAustin
MySpace:myspace.com/LenaAustin

I'm upgrading my blogs, and soon I'll have a new one on blogspot. Best one is the MySpace for now.

Lena, I have enjoyed our talk and thank you for taking time to share some insight with us. I wish you the best in your writing.

Thank you, Linda. I've had a wonderful time. Pop back by whenever you have time.

Interviewed by: Linda L.