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Above The Fold - August 13, 2010
LILLIE AMMANN
Inspired Author, Editor,
And Literary Entrepreneur
LILLIE AMMANN writes and edits as a freelancer for authors, publishers, and business and nonprofit organizations. A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Southwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, she owned and operated an interior landscape business for more than twenty years.
Lillie always dreamed of writing someday - and suffering a stroke made her realize that "someday" had finally arrived. Although it took a couple years to recover enough to write, she started writing as soon as she could. Now, she has published two novels: Stroke of Luck, a contemporary romance, and Dream or Destiny, a romantic mystery.
As a freelancer, Lillie works with authors and publishers to prepare manuscripts for publication, writes and edits business documents, and helps families and individuals compile family histories and memoirs. She especially enjoys helping self-published authors navigate the publishing maze. Lillie likes to think of herself as a "book midwife": she can design the interior of the book, negotiate and contract with cover designers and printers, create and maintain the author's Web site, and help with promotional activities, such as writing and distributing press releases. Ultimately, she's as proud of the published book as the author is.
To learn more about Lillie, visit:
www.lillieammann.comBOOK VIDEO TRAILER:
Dream Or Destiny
(Lillie Ammann)
Dream Or Destiny
(Lillie Ammann)
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Lillie Ammann (Dream Or Destiny)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Lillie. We're looking forward to sharing more about your book with our readers.
Where did you get the idea for this quite compelling, fast-paced mystery thriller?
Lillie Ammann: The original idea came from a TV documentary about a psychic who has dreams that helps law enforcement solve crimes. She has been able to lead investigators to find bodies they would never have found otherwise because she dreamed of the location of the body.
Then my writer’s “what if?” thinking kicked in, and I wondered, “What if someone dreamed about the actual crime while it was happening?”
From there, the characters took over the story.
AR: What is it about David that draws Marilee to him so?
LA: He is both strong and vulnerable—strong because he has overcome his abusive childhood to become independent and successful and vulnerable because he still bears the scars of the abuse. Marilee is also drawn to the depth of his emotions about his sister and her death, though he tries to maintain control.
AR: Your reviewer complimented your ability to maintain the suspense of the story until the very end. Was it difficult for you to pull off such a feat?
LA: Actually maintaining the suspense wasn’t hard. Figuring out the identity of the killer was hard! The characters really took over, and I didn’t even know who killed Barbara until the end.
AR: The characters in the tale are quite authentic and genuine. How did you manage to craft them in such lifelike fashion?
LA: The characters came to life in my mind, and I just revealed them on paper. I didn’t have any idea that abuse/domestic violence would be involved in the story at all, but David insisted on telling me his and Barbara’s stories of abuse. I read a lot of first-person accounts by abuse survivors, which helped me gain an understanding of David’s emotions and actions. One of the nicest compliments I’ve had was from a domestic violence advocate, who asked me if I had personal experience with abuse because David was so true-to-life.
AR: What kinds of responses have you gotten to the book thus far?
LA: I’ve had wonderful reactions from reviewers and readers alike. I’m thrilled at the positive feedback on both the characters and the mystery.
AR: Is there a sequel in the works?
LA: Act of Faith is the story of Bonita Hernandez, one of the minor characters in Dream or Destiny. I’m not making as much progress on it as I’d like because of a combination of a very busy freelance schedule and family obligations. But the sequel is in the works.
AR: Please share more with us about your publisher, GASLight Publishing.
LA: GASLight Publishing is a small publisher in Leander, Texas owned by my friends Ken and Grace Anne Schaefer. They started the company to publish Grace Anne’s prehistorical novel series, People of the Frozen Earth, and expanded to publish a few other titles as well. They limit the number of books they publish so they can focus on each individual title. I love the personal attention as well as their commitment to excellence.
AR: What are your future writing/publishing aspirations?
LA: After Act of Faith, I have one more sequel to Dream or Destiny—the story of Tess, “the crazy lady.” Much of my creativity goes into working with other authors. I like to call myself a midwife helping authors deliver a bouncing baby book. My services include editing, consulting on publishing, handling all the details for authors who choose to self-publish, creating and maintaining Web sites and blogs, and helping with promotion. I’m as proud as the authors when their books are published and when they get great reviews.
AR: Do you have a website where our readers can learn more about you and your ongoing efforts?
LA: They can visit www.lillieammann.com, where they will find information about all my books, my services, and my clients’ books. My blog, which is part of the Web site, talks about writing, editing, and publishing and includes book reviews and author interviews.
AR: How can they contact you directly?
LA: E-mail me at lillie@lillieammann.com or fill out the contact form on my Web site. They can also visit my blog and leave a comment.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
LA: I love to hear from readers, especially through my blog. I respond to every comment so anyone leaving a comment will receive a personal reply. I also respond to e-mails, but sometimes messages end up in spam and get missed.
AR: Thanks again, Lillie, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
LA: Thank you! I’ve enjoyed chatting about my books and writing.
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Lillie. We're looking forward to sharing more about your book with our readers.
Where did you get the idea for this quite compelling, fast-paced mystery thriller?
Lillie Ammann: The original idea came from a TV documentary about a psychic who has dreams that helps law enforcement solve crimes. She has been able to lead investigators to find bodies they would never have found otherwise because she dreamed of the location of the body.
Then my writer’s “what if?” thinking kicked in, and I wondered, “What if someone dreamed about the actual crime while it was happening?”
From there, the characters took over the story.
AR: What is it about David that draws Marilee to him so?
LA: He is both strong and vulnerable—strong because he has overcome his abusive childhood to become independent and successful and vulnerable because he still bears the scars of the abuse. Marilee is also drawn to the depth of his emotions about his sister and her death, though he tries to maintain control.
AR: Your reviewer complimented your ability to maintain the suspense of the story until the very end. Was it difficult for you to pull off such a feat?
LA: Actually maintaining the suspense wasn’t hard. Figuring out the identity of the killer was hard! The characters really took over, and I didn’t even know who killed Barbara until the end.
AR: The characters in the tale are quite authentic and genuine. How did you manage to craft them in such lifelike fashion?
LA: The characters came to life in my mind, and I just revealed them on paper. I didn’t have any idea that abuse/domestic violence would be involved in the story at all, but David insisted on telling me his and Barbara’s stories of abuse. I read a lot of first-person accounts by abuse survivors, which helped me gain an understanding of David’s emotions and actions. One of the nicest compliments I’ve had was from a domestic violence advocate, who asked me if I had personal experience with abuse because David was so true-to-life.
AR: What kinds of responses have you gotten to the book thus far?
LA: I’ve had wonderful reactions from reviewers and readers alike. I’m thrilled at the positive feedback on both the characters and the mystery.
AR: Is there a sequel in the works?
LA: Act of Faith is the story of Bonita Hernandez, one of the minor characters in Dream or Destiny. I’m not making as much progress on it as I’d like because of a combination of a very busy freelance schedule and family obligations. But the sequel is in the works.
AR: Please share more with us about your publisher, GASLight Publishing.
LA: GASLight Publishing is a small publisher in Leander, Texas owned by my friends Ken and Grace Anne Schaefer. They started the company to publish Grace Anne’s prehistorical novel series, People of the Frozen Earth, and expanded to publish a few other titles as well. They limit the number of books they publish so they can focus on each individual title. I love the personal attention as well as their commitment to excellence.
AR: What are your future writing/publishing aspirations?
LA: After Act of Faith, I have one more sequel to Dream or Destiny—the story of Tess, “the crazy lady.” Much of my creativity goes into working with other authors. I like to call myself a midwife helping authors deliver a bouncing baby book. My services include editing, consulting on publishing, handling all the details for authors who choose to self-publish, creating and maintaining Web sites and blogs, and helping with promotion. I’m as proud as the authors when their books are published and when they get great reviews.
AR: Do you have a website where our readers can learn more about you and your ongoing efforts?
LA: They can visit www.lillieammann.com, where they will find information about all my books, my services, and my clients’ books. My blog, which is part of the Web site, talks about writing, editing, and publishing and includes book reviews and author interviews.
AR: How can they contact you directly?
LA: E-mail me at lillie@lillieammann.com or fill out the contact form on my Web site. They can also visit my blog and leave a comment.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
LA: I love to hear from readers, especially through my blog. I respond to every comment so anyone leaving a comment will receive a personal reply. I also respond to e-mails, but sometimes messages end up in spam and get missed.
AR: Thanks again, Lillie, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
LA: Thank you! I’ve enjoyed chatting about my books and writing.