| author |
| Silver Fox's Den
INTERVIEW |
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| SF - Why and when did you start writing creatively?
LEB - I began writing after my child was seriously hurt in a daycare center accident, and I wanted to come home to be with her during her recovery. In all honesty, at that time, I never saw myself as an author... I was just a Mom in a state of panic, trying to enter a short story contest to win the prize money in order to keep the lights on in my home. The story grew, got way bigger than the contest rules called for, and next thing I knew I had a book. It was all a back-handed blessing, and my friends were the ones who kept the faith, read my work, and urged me to submit it to publishers (by sending it out for me--they would not hear no for an answer, LOL.) SF - Where do you get the inspiration for your stories? LEB - I look at life, the experiences I've had, at the human condition, the dynamics between people, the news (world news), and draw from the compelling realities all around us. SF - Are there parts of you contained in your works? LEB - Big smile... always. SF - Do you identify with any one particular character?If so how? LEB - Usually I identify with the female characters--all of them, actually... their strengths, their weaknesses, their fears, their passions. In a way I feel that one must do that, must put oneself into another person's shoes and ask the critical question, "If that was me, if I had to deal with this situation, how would I handle it?" SF - What genre(s) are you most comfortable with? LEB - I love the paranormal, because there, every genre I write can become one beacon for my imagination. In that genre, I can carry the suspense, the hot romance, the crime, and the 'other worldly' events that really stretch one's creativity. SF - Where do you hope to see your creative career go? LEB - I'd love to be able to transition what I do into screenplays that ultimately wind up on the silver screen, television series, and like film projects. SF - Have your life experiences influenced your work? If so , how? LEB - Absolutely. In my opinion, you cannot write a credible scene of loss, for example, if you haven't experienced said emotion... the same with passion, rage, hurt, heartbreak, joy, faith--all of what one experiences seeps into the writing one way or another. SF - What , if anything, would you like to share about you , the person? LEB - Mainly that, I'm a mother & wife first, and the writing is a glorious way to express my beliefs and my creativity without sacrificing my home life to make a living. That has always been it for me: family first. SF - How has your transition to publication gone? LEB - I've been blessed. I've had some bumpy periods, but all in all, I'm not complaining. SF - What would you like to do differently the next time? LEB - Better integrate all of my various pen names so that readers would have known the full scope of what I've written sooner. [Oh, yeah, if I could go back in time, I'd change that awful orange and purple travesty called a cover on my first book, "Sundance," LOL!] SF - To whom do you seek advice and / or support from? LEB - My editors, my agent, and other authors who are friends--so that I get multiple perspectives... then I sit in the kitchen with my husband and we sort it all out. After that, I turn it over to the Almighty in prayer and hope I'm making a good decision. SF - When can your fans expect to enjoy your work again? LEB - Soon [laughing]!!! ] I have a new crime book sequel just out by Kensington/Dafina, entitled, "Blind Trust" -- which is a follow up to "Betrayal of the Trust" (written as Leslie Esdaile Banks.) In 2006, that will be a craaazy pub year: February, the sixth book in the 9-book Vampire Huntress Legend series by St. Martin's Press, under pen name L.A. Banks, will be out, "The Damned." Also, I'll be in an anthology by Kensington, "Valentine's Day is Killing Me." In addition, I'll have a contribution in Kensington's Dark Dreams II (April), then the Scarface book will be out (by Dark Horse Publishing--a novelization of the classic movie, Scarface).... plus a romance title, under Leslie Esdaile, "Take Me There," is due out that spring, and book 7, "The Forsaken," in the Vampire Huntress Legend will be out in July... just in time for, "Shattered Trust," the third book in Kensington's 4-book crime series. After that, St. Martin's has two anthologies I'll be in, one is "My Big Fat Paranormal Wedding," and the other is yet to be titled. I've been writing my butt off this year, whew! SF - How can your fans reach you? LEB - I have two websites, one for general fiction which shows all my work comprehensively at: www.LeslieEsdaileBanks.com and for those into the paranormal, I have a site dedicated just to that series at: www.vampirehuntress.com -- my e-mail address can be found under Author Contact at both sites. SF - Do you have any presently scheduled events for the next few months? LEB - Yes... too many to list here, especially with Halloween right around the corner, LOL. If you go to my websites and click on Appearances, the full list is there. SF - What books / poetry / artwork have you read / seen lately that you would like to recommend? LEB - Lately, with this writing schedule, I must confess that I haven't had a chance to read for pure pleasure (bummer!) My TBR pile is waaaay out of control, but I'm always scouring research books for the series I write. SF - What is your idea of fun? LEB - Curling up on the sofa with my hubby and watching a great flick--eating lots of popcorn, with a beer. SF - What experiences do you hope to one day have? LEB - To be able to be on a movie or TV show set, actively consulting about a project based on one of my novels. SF - What places do you still wish to travel to? LEB - Ahhhh.... the Mediterranean & Spain! Maybe the Fiji Islands, too :) SF - Do you have an agent ? LEB - Yes... Manie Barron--he's "da bomb!" SF - Are there any other professionals you are seeking to enhance your career? LEB - Not at this time... I also have a great publicist, Lauretta Black Pierce of LBP Enterprises, and she's doing a bang up job. SF - How many not yet to be released works do you have keeping warm on the back burner? LEB - Three additional Vampire Huntress books for 2007, one crime book to finish off that contract of 4 books, a second Scarface book for Dark Horse, and another romance = 6, total for now. SF - Who did your cover for you? LEB - Vince Natale does the covers for The Vampire Huntress Legends, and Eric Battle does the website character art on the bio pages for each Guardian... but I also have to give a huge shout-out to my webmaster, Chris Bonelli, who developed the www.vampirehuntress.com site and who is a webmaster extraordinnaire--he does art, man! Like I said, I've been blessed! Those guys are awesome! SF - Off all of your released works which is your favorite? LEB - The Vampire Huntress Legends series... it's a whole world that was built just for that, plus, like Prego spaghetti sauce, it's ALL in there (crime, suspense, romance, drama, ha ha ha!) SF - When and where / what type of environment are you most creative in? LEB - In my house once everyone goes to school and work, phones are off, slippers are on, donning sweats, a t-shirt, no bra, and a huge cup of coffee, LOL! SF - What other talents should everyone know you have? LEB - Can't say... if I tell ya, I'd have to kill ya (wink!) SF - Where would you like to see your life five years from now? LEB - Doing more screenwriting, and being in a position to do significant philanthropy. Truthfully, giving back is where it's at--Pay It Forward, ya know. SF - Anyone out there you like to acknowledge? LEB - The Creator, first and foremost--without divine inspiration and guidance, everything is moot. However, my family... husband and kids and parents have weathered it all, and extended family that is always supportive of my whacky concepts, that's who was there during good times and bad times. But my editors (especially Monique Patterson), my agent (Manie Barron--who made this all possible), my publicist (Lauretta Black Pierce, who pulled all my disparate pieces together), and the Street Team folks over at the Yahoo Groups and The Forum at the vamp site (LuvPoetess leading the charge), and innumerable friends (my home girl, Tina)... hey, if it were not for them, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. SF - I'd like to thank Leslie Esdaile Banks for honoring my readers with a one on one interview. There is no place in the literary world where avid readers have not heard of her. With her multiple pseudonyms using the names: L.A. Banks, Leslie Esdaile Banks, Leslie E. Banks, Leslie Banks and Leslie Esdaile, simultaneously with five major publishers: St. Martin's Press (NYC), Simon and Schuster (NYC), Kensington Publishing (NYC), BET/Arabesque (NYC), and Genesis Press (MS.). it can get confusing. While traveling around the United States, I frequent book stores, talk to book clubs, visit libraries and it would be hard to find someone who has not read at least one of her books. If you haven't, I assure you that you are truly missing a treat. Regardless of the genre you prefer she has a book you'll devour and want more. I look forward to reading her soon to be released titles (2006): The Damned : A Vampire Huntress Legend - Scarface, Volume 1 . I have enjoyed her most recent (2005) releases Blind Trust - The Forbidden : A Vampire Huntress Legend - Keepin' It Real - The Bitten : A Vampire Huntress Legend . If you, like I , have a private library I strongly urge you to add her titles. I appreciate her very personal candor. Quite often, the "famous" authors get "full of themselves". It was so nice to chat with Leslie Esdaile Banks and I look forward to keep tracking of her ever growing career. Her personality actually managed to outshine her physical beauty and wonderous talent. And, please sign her guest book when you visit her web site. |
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| Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
(Coming February, 2006) ISBN: 0312336241 |
| Publisher: Dark Horse Press
(Coming 2006) ISBN: 1595820175 |
| Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
(February 1, 2005) ISBN: 0312324081 448 pages $14.95 |
| Publisher: Dafina Books ( September 1, 2005) ISBN: 0758207352 276 pages $15.00 |
| Publisher: Kensington
(May 1, 2005) ISBN: 0758208596 315 pages $6.99 |
| Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (July 1, 2005)
ISBN: 0312336225 480 pages $14.95 |
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