6/22/2012

Get Lost in the 5th Realm with Connie Gillam

GET LOST IN A STORY READERS: 

I’ve known Connie Gillam for many years now.  We met while working on the Daphne Committee.  Such a wonderful writer, lady, person all around.  Her romantic suspense novels are breathtaking, her young adult, exciting and moving.  A Golden Heart finalist, A Daphne finalist and a fantastic volunteer for many years for the Daphne and the Maggie, Connie gives back.  I’m so excited to have an opportunity to shout about her debut.  Please welcome, Connie Gillam!


Lisette Beaulieu’s private school classmates have always made the 15-year-old Creole orphan feel like a freak. But Lisette never believed them until she accidentally raised the dead in a cemetery late one night.  When she discovers that her mother’s family is alive and practicing Voodoo in the bayou, her world spins farther out of control.  Her best friend Scooter is about to make his own deal with the devil to keep his brother out of jail; and her classmate, Eric, has a talent with swords and saving her life. That talent will be needed when Lisette learns that an ancestor promised her to a demon overlord in exchange for greater Voodoo power.

DONNELL:  Hi, Connie, welcome to Get Lost in a Story.  What’s your favorite room in your house?

CONNIE:  My favorite room is my office.  Lately it’s been invaded by my twenty month old grandson who thinks my computer’s only use is for watching Yo Gabba Gabba.

DONNELL:  ANSWER THIS QUESTION.  I’D RATHER LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS, BY THE OCEAN OR. . .

CONNIE: Even though I don’t swim, I’d love to live by the ocean. The ocean calms me and fills me with power. I think in another life, I lived on an island and my soul is trying to get back there.


 My husband and I have dreamed of having a second home on the Georgia coast.  Hopefully it will happen.

DONNELL:  DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE GENRE?

CONNIE:  I read almost every genre, evident by my writing. I’ve written one women’s fiction, one romantic suspense, one mainstream suspense, one young adult and one mainstream with supernatural overtones.  

DONNELL:  WHAT’S IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR RIGHT NOW

CONNIE:  A lot of stuff that needs to be thrown out. Between launching this book, finishing the Daphne finaling manuscript and working full time, I’ve let my domestic side slide. (According to my husband, it was never there to be with.)

DONNELL:  COFFEE OR TEA OR. . .?

CONNIE: Tea, definitely tea.

DONNELL:  WHICH CHARACTER WOULD YOU INVITE TO DINNER?

CONNIE:   Every adult male I’ve written about. My half Asian FBI agent in my romantic suspense to the Chief of Police from the Lakota reservation to the ex-con bent on revenge from my current manuscript.


If we’re talking about characters from other books, I’d love to meet Clare Beauchamp Randall and Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. I’d also love to meet Joe, the sexy cop from The Past Came Hunting.

DONNELL:  (oh, thank you, Ms. Connie :) WHICH CHARACTER WOULD YOU PREFER NOT SHOW UP?

CONNIE:  I’d like to blow my current antagonist’s balls off so, maybe it’s better that he not show up.

DONNELL:  ARE YOU ORGANIZED?

CONNIE: I wish you could see my office. My desk is piled with pieces of paper too important to file.  Of course, they get lost in the other pieces of paper too important to file.

DONNELL:  WHAT SOUND TO YOU LOVE?

CONNIE: Music! I love music. Each manuscript has a song or a soundtrack that puts me back into that story.

DONNELL:  IF YOU SIT DOWN TO WATCH TV, WHAT TYPE PROGRAM ARE YOU MOST APT TO WATCH?

CONNIE: I love science fiction and fantasy movies. I can watch one and not get caught up in ongoing sitcoms or dramas. Although, I’m currently watching Game of Thrones. 

DONNELL:  WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE A WRITER?

CONNIE: I’ve been a storyteller since I was a child. On the way to grade school with my friends, I’d make up a story as we walked, leave it on a cliff hanger (I didn’t know what that was at the time) and finish it as we walked home.

DONNELL:  IF YOU COULD MEET SOMEONE PAST OR PRESENT WHO WOULD IT BE?

CONNIE:  My great grandmother. Dead long before I was born, she was an amazing woman struggling with eight kids during the depression in the segregated South. 

AND NOW CONNIE, IT'S YOUR TURN. . .

CONNIE’S QUESTION FOR READER.  If you could be any person (male or female) in history, who would it be?

I’m giving away one digital copy or one print copy (released later this month) to a lucky winner.


Bio: Raised in the Midwest, Connie currently lives in Georgia. She's a member of Georgia Romance Writers and the Kiss of Death Mystery and Suspense subchapter of RWA.
Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

DON’T FORGET to FOLLOW us on Twitter #GetLostStories or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes. Join us on Monday when Maureen hosts Diana Peterfreund ~ Donnell


34 comments:

  1. Good morning, Connie, Wow, you asked a toughie, and one I don't think we've had before -- you didn't qualify for how long. Okay, I'd like to be...Hillary Clinton for a few days -- in her professional life. I'd love to know the ins and outs of the STATE department and what it's like to meet all those people all over the world. BUT, after a week or so then I want to be me again. Best wishes with THE FIFTH REALM.

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  2. Thanks, Donnell, for having on the blog.

    Yes, Hillary Clinton is an admirable person in a tough job. She's smart and saavy and she's focused. I'm always attracted to those types of people, mainly because I lose my focus at times.
    I'd like to live in Charlayne Hunter-Gault's shoes for a few months as she integrated the University of Georgia in the 1960s. Talk about having to be tough.

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  3. Tough one... I think I would like to be one of the Queens of England... not sure who... but just want to experience the nobility in the past....

    Congrats on your new book!

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  4. Thanks, Donnell.

    And thank you for having me.

    I've always found Hillary Clinton a fascinating person. She's very focused and doesn't let the detractions of her personal life stand in her way.

    I'd like to be Charylene Hunter-Gaunt. She integrated the University of Georgia in the 1960s. That takes courage.

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  5. I'm soooo stealing Donnell's answer - especially the part about being able to switch back. Whenever I think about this sort of question, I start thinking about all the negatives associated with being that *other* person. My life as plenty challenges, but they are *my* challenges - lol.

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    Replies
    1. Interesting answer, May.

      I toyed with the idea of being one of the Queens of England, but I don't know if I'd like living in a fish bowl.

      Delete
    2. I'm with you, Irene, I could only deal with that amount of responsibility for a limited amount of time.

      It's all I can do to deal with my children's problems. Multiply that by millions? Yikes!

      Delete
    3. Irene-

      I'm with you. I wouldn't want to live my life in a fish bowl.

      Delete
  6. Hi Connie, so cool to see you on here and your book looks great. Can't wait til it's out.

    I have no idea who I'd come back as. Someone with the means to do a lot of luxurious traveling, not so famous she couldn't blend in. Not sure who that is--probably because they blended in. Ha!

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    Replies
    1. Hey Clover-

      Thanks. I love the cover. My critique partner, Tamara LeBlanc, designed it. Isn't she great?
      The 5th Realm is available now, digitally. The print book hopefully will come out by the 1st of July.
      Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Clover.

      I'm with you. I've always wanted to win the lottery, be famously rich, but never have my name published. I wouldn't want to lose the experience of going out and shopping, dining, vacationing as myself.

      Delete
  7. Great interview, y'all. I'd be Elenore Rosevelt. I've always loved a quote attributed to her: No one can make you feel inferior unless you let them. That may not be it exactly, but it's the jist.
    Being from GA, Connie, you have to know about Tybee Island. Such a gorgeous beach. I'm not a get in the water person either, but that beach is spectacular. Hope you find your house someday. Good luck with sales for the new book. Intriguing story line.

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    1. My son and daughter-in-law vacationed on Tybee Island at the beginning of the month and loved it.

      As far as Elenore Roosevelt, I think of her as the role model for the modern first lady.

      Delete
  8. What a lovely interview and so fun to learn about Connie. She's always so nice when I talk with her, it never occurred to me she had it in her to *think* about blowing someone's balls off. Just goes to show, it's always the quiet ones. For me, I'd love to spend a few days as Albert Einstein. Just long enough to understand the scope of his thinking and appreciate his worldview.

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    Replies
    1. You're right, Amy. You have to watch out for the quiet ones.

      Albert Einstein's a good choice. I'd like to ask him about the possibility of time travel.

      Delete
    2. Watch for the quiet ones, Amy.

      I'd love to meet Albert Einstein, also. My question to him would be: "Is time travel possible?"

      Delete
  9. Welcome to GLIAS, Connie. The story sounds wonderful. I, too, have a special song that takes me into every story. Very cool.

    ~Angi

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Angi. So happy to be here.

      I've always loved music. Sometimes it takes me a while to find the right song(s) for the book, but it's amazing how quickly I can get into the story when I find it.

      Delete
  10. Hey Connie and Donnell! Great interview, ladies!

    Wow, who would I be? Honestly, no one comes to mind. This may sound hokey, but I'm really happy being me. I like visiting other lives via reading, (Getting Lost in the Story) but I do like returning to my own reality. I'd be afraid whoever I chose would have all kinds of problems I never knew about.

    Best of luck with The 5th Realm, Connie!!

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    Replies
    1. Great answer, Susan.

      Can't wait to read Lowcountry Boil.

      Delete
  11. Thanks, Marsha.

    My son and daughter-in-law were on Tybee Island earlier in the month and loved it.

    Elenore Roosevelt was an amazing woman. Good choice.

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  12. I apologize. For some reason, my replies to individual comments aren't showing up.

    I'll try again.

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  13. May-

    Being the Queen of England sounds intriguing. I've often wondered why Queen Elizabeth I was called the Virgin Queen. History indicates there were several men in her life and...

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  14. This is so frustrating, my apologies. Connie's answers seem to be going into the Spam director. Dear Blogger: Connie Gillam is a great author and not SPAM... Take that!!!

    Donnell :)

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  15. Donnell-

    Thank you for checking. I was beginning to believe my computer skills were worst than I thought.

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  16. Hi Connie!

    First, huge congratulations on your book's release!

    It would be fun to live in Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vince's head for a while. Can you imagine the creative energy?

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    1. Cathy I so agree, wow can you imagine the genius might be overwhelming just to stay in their heads for a few minutes.

      Delete
  17. Hello there, Pixie Sister! I am SO excited about your debut !!

    I think I would like to be Georgianna, Duchess of Devonshire because I would NOT have put up with what she put up with from the Duke! I'd have given him a good old-fashioned all day Alabama butt-whooping and gotten him into line from the start! And I would be living at Chatsworth and spending his money, be a fashion icon and be involved in politics. What's not to love?

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  18. I enjoyed the interview. I'd probably like to be Queen Elizabeth II.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)comm

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  19. Hi Connie,
    Wow, great questions...no one comes to mind this early in the morning, but I do love to read about women in history and have a book on several of them. Women have always been the glue through society, even when they had no control. Their strength is amazing and we'd do well to keep it moving forward.
    Good luck with your book. A wonderful cover and plot~~

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jean, Louisa, bn100 and Cathy for dropping by.

      Jean, I agree with you. Women are definitely the glue that holds the world together.

      Delete
  20. Can you tell I'm behind on emails? See you in a few, Connie!

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