Lisa Regan is here today as part of her Finding Claire Fletcher blog tour. I got to read a review copy of Claire Fletcher and, while I knew it was Lisa's debut novel, I never would have believed that while reading it. After a debut this well done, I know that I can't wait to read Lisa's next novels! So it's a treat for me to have Lisa here today and I'm honored to be part of her tour.
Welcome, Lisa!
WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER?
When I was 9 or 10 I became obsessed with the movie Space Camp and all things related to astronauts. I mean totally obsessed. I watched that movie almost daily. I had books about the space shuttles and posters of the space shuttle on my wall. I thought the space shuttle was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I dug up as much information as I could on the space program and how to become an astronaut. At night, I couldn’t sleep worrying that I would be too short and too near-sighted to become an astronaut. I thought a good place to start would be actually going to space camp. My fifth grade class even collected aluminum soda cans to raise money to send me to space camp. That’s how serious I was about the whole astronaut thing. (In fact, I remember one day in particular when the giant, looming tower of cans in the back of the classroom crashed to the floor, causing quite a clatter!)
Even before my big astronaut dream developed, I had been journaling and writing poetry. And of course I was a voracious reader. My mom developed this ingenious chore system where my brothers and I could earn a seemingly unlimited amount of allowance per week based on how many chores we chose to do. There was a whole range of chores, and you could earn anything between a quarter and a dollar fifty per chore. Your weekly allowance depended entirely on you and how much work you were willing to do. The more work you did, the more money you earned, and at the end of the week, my mom totaled up how much we’d earned and paid each of us. I always picked up as many chores as I could (well I measured it in terms of how many books it would buy me—I always tried to earn enough to buy two books) but instead of putting my money away for Space Camp, I went to the local bookstore and bought as many books as I could get with my allowance that week.
So even though I truly believed that being an astronaut was the dream dearest to my heart, I was unwilling to give up my books for it. During the seemingly interminable time that I was saving up for Space Camp, I wrote countless poems about becoming an astronaut. One day, while I was writing a poem which, as I recall, was cleverly titled “On Becoming an Astronaut” I realized that I didn’t want to be an astronaut at all. I mean if I wanted to become an astronaut, wouldn’t I be boning up on math and science instead of spending all my spare time writing? The writing about becoming an astronaut was more enjoyable and fulfilling to me than the prospect of actually becoming one. So I tossed my astronaut dream out on its head and started writing stories. I was hooked.
I think the writing bug was always in me, I just didn’t realize it till that moment—that specific moment, writing that specific poem. I am not sure that that was the moment I knew I wanted to be a writer. I think it was the moment I knew I was a writer. Certainly that was the moment I gave myself permission to go all in.
After that, I wrote a lot of short stories, a lot of poetry. I kept voluminous journals. Before I turned eighteen I had written four and a half novels. I still have them all.
Now writing is one of those things that I’ve just always done, and I know it’s one of those things that I’ll always do because no amount of rejection can take away the enjoyment it gives me or diminish how much I love doing it!
What about you? When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?
FINDING CLAIRE FLETCHER BLOG TOUR DETAILS
As part of the Finding Claire Fletcher Blog Tour (12/6/12 through 12/21/12), Lisa Regan will be giving away the following items:
$25.00 Amazon Gift Card
1 signed copy of the paperback of Finding Claire Fletcher
1 e-book version of Finding Claire Fletcher
All you have to do is visit the Finding Claire Fletcher Blog Tour & Giveaway page on Lisa’s blog which you can find hereand comment on that page letting Lisa know whose blog you’ve just come from. Each commenter will be assigned a number and then the winners will be chosen using random.org. Winners will be announced on 12/24/12!
PURCHASE LINKS
SYNOPSIS
During those ten years, Claire endured the cruel torture and depravity of the man who abducted her. Paralyzed by fear and too ashamed to return to her family, Claire is resigned to her life as Lynn, the identity her abductor forced upon her. Every time she attempts escape or betrays him in the smallest way, someone dies. Even now, her clandestine run-in with Connor Parks may have put his life at risk, as well as the lives of her family.
Connor is convinced that not only is Claire Fletcher alive, but that she is also the woman he met at the bar. Driven to see her again, he begins his own investigation, off the clock and without the police department's consent. He is determined to find her and unravel the mystery of her abduction and odd reemergence. But finding Claire Fletcher proves more dangerous than he anticipates. In fact, it may be deadly.
AUTHOR BIO
Lisa Regan is a suspense novelist. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She is a member Sisters In Crime. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter. Her second novel, Aberration, is due out 6/6/13.
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