We are delighted to welcome author Lillian R. Melendez to Omnimystery News today.
Lillian's latest novel of suspense is Auditory Viewpoint (Black Rose Writing; trade paperback and ebook formats) and we recently had the opportunity to chat with her to discuss her work.
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Omnimystery News: Both of your published novels are stand-alones. Have you ever considered writing a book as one of a series?
Lillian R. Melendez: Several characters in the books that I write are your average men and women who wake up in the morning, go to work, and enjoy life; whatever activities suits them. They are neither law enforcement nor private detectives, but when life disrupts their everyday routine, they do not have much of a choice, but to stop and focus on the problem at hand and solving the mystery before it's too late. Most characters are not fascinated with the dangerous adventures they find themselves on, and they do not wish to be in the same or similar predicament again.
I may write a series one day for an amateur sleuth, but it must make logical sense in my mind before I begin to write chapter 1.
OMN: Into which category would you place your books?
LRM: I categorize my books as psychological suspense, but I also see my books under "Thriller" on several bookstore websites. I don't find it as a disadvantage to label it in such way, because I think most readers who love a mystery story wouldn't care what specific trait your genre is in as long as the story is interesting to them. The key is the synopsis.
OMN: Describe your writing process for us.
LRM: My writing process is never a fixed routine. On one book, I first write a list of key words and key sentences and on another book; I write without stopping which is called freewriting. I also make an outline that isn't restrictive. When I am away from my desk, I write any ideas that come to mind on a small notepad or on my iPhone note app. This type of process is called brainstorming. When it comes to outlining, I believe it is only to be a guide, because a novel is usually 45,000 words or more which is a lot when you reach that amount. The story at first is always in different sequences and new chapters comes in-between the outline, which means that as the creative process takes hold on paper, the outline simply helps the story make sense. The outline should never be restrictive like a writing assignment for a class.
OMN: How do you go about researching the plot points of your stories?
LRM: I do a lot of research for my books by asking experts questions on the topic at hand. I also speak with librarians on finding the right materials to research on my own. While all the topics are challenging, the most difficult researched so far was the topic on identity theft and cybercrimes. It was difficult to understand in details, yet exciting, because I learned more on this issue which I didn't know before.
OMN: How true are you to the settings of your books?
LRM: I feel setting is very important. The setting needs to feel as true as the characters in it. I don't want readers to struggle to see things. My job is to make every part of the book easy to read, but as quizzical to the end result.
OMN: What advice might you offer to aspiring writers?
LRM: Never stop writing and consider asking other writers for advice. It's important to get back to your creative work, because you have a talent and it would be nice to share it with the world. Enjoy the sometimes smooth and sometimes bumpy ride along the way. You cannot learn anything without trial and error. Your strengths and weaknesses are tested, but you will improve in your craft. Putting a manuscript in your drawer for months shouldn't be an option, unless you're developing more ideas and doing revisions to submit it on a later date.
OMN: Complete this sentence for us: "I am a mystery novelist and thus I am also …".
LRM: I am a mystery novelist and thus I am me.
OMN: What's next for you?
LRM: I just completed writing my third manuscript and currently doing several revisions. Stay tuned!
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Lillian R. Melendez was born in New York, and grew up in South Orange, New Jersey. She received a Bachelors degree in English with a minor in Psychology from Trinity University in Washington, D.C. Aside from writing novels, she continues to write and publish short stories and poetry. Lillian is a member of Mystery Writers of America. She currently resides in the Northeast.
For more information about the author, please visit her website at LillianRMelendez.com and her author page on Goodreads, or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
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Auditory Viewpoint
Lillian R. Melendez
A Novel of Suspense
Gloria Rank has lived her entire life in the dark. Blind since birth, she has made a name for herself as a respected talk radio show host in New Jersey. When her younger sister, Anna, has her identity stolen and a man is murdered outside her apartment, Anna becomes the prime suspect in an FBI investigation. But when bodies begin piling up around her, the FBI has to admit that she is being stalked by a murderer.
With the FBI focused in the wrong direction, it is up to Gloria to teach Anna to use her other senses — hearing, touch, taste, and smell — which she never really had to completely rely on before to help uncover a ring of identity thieves and stop the killer from taking her life, and perhaps Gloria's as well!
Their only hope for survival is an experiment in perception that will unearth heartbreaking secrets and catapult Gloria into a darkness of the heart beyond any that she has ever known.
