A little bit about Tosca (gorgeous name BTW):
Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Iscariot, The Legend of Sheba, Demon: A Memoir, Havah: The Story of Eve, and the Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker (Forbidden, Mortal, Sovereign). A notorious night-owl, she loves watching TV, eating bacon, playing video games with her kids, and sending cheesy texts to her husband. You can find Tosca hanging around the snack table or wherever bacon is served.
Thanks for coming on Tosca! I’m excited to have you! Let’s dive right in. When did you know that you wanted to be a writer? How did you start?
I’ve actually always written since a young age. It was just something I did, though I never thought of it as a “thing.” It wasn’t until my freshman year in college while I was talking about one of my favourite books of all time, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and about how a great book is like an emotional roller coaster that it occurred to me that I might like to try to create the same kind of roller coaster for someone else to enjoy. This all happened during a conversation with my father, who made me a deal right then and there: he’d pay me what I would have made working as a bank teller during summer break, if I would spend those months writing a novel full-time. That summer, I wrote my first novel (about the Stonehenge people of Salisbury plain). It wasn’t a very good novel—it’s still in my basement—but it was an important learning process for me.
You write historical, fantasy and supernatural novels. Can you tell us a little about what inspires your ideas?
It’s different for each book—some of them were suggestions by others (Iscariot, by an editor friend, and The Progeny by a fan who wanted a book on Elizabeth Bathory). I wrote The Legend of Sheba because I wanted to know more about history’s enigmatic queen.
What is it that you love about writing in these genres and would you ever write anything else?
I really liked to read speculative and historical fiction growing up. So it’s just a preference for the kinds of stories that interest me. I really love getting into a world—whether it’s one I make up or a historical one—and seeing it fully. That said, I’m always open to new genres if the right idea comes along!
Can you tell us about your path to publication?
When I got the idea that would become Demon: A Memoir, I was actually writing my second novel—a fantasy novel about a woman warrior that I’d come to call “The Book That Will Kill Me” if only because I’d been working on it for nine (count ‘em, nine) years. When the idea for this story about a fallen angel came along, it stuck with such insistence that I put TBTWKM aside and wrote the new one over the course of about six weeks, figuring it was meant to be.
And then it took six years to sell. But when it did, it went in a three-book contract.
What are some of your go-to genres when reading and who are some of your favorite authors? What is it you love about those genres?
I read across all genres these days. That said, I’ve always been inspired by the work of Anne Rice—her dedication to historical detail and the sheer gorgeousness of her prose. But I’m also inspired by anyone who pursues what they love, and those who are excellent at what they do—whether it’s singing or cooking or gardening or making others feel important and seen.
Are you a pantser, a plotter or somewhere in between?
I try to plot a little… and then end up pantsing the rest of the way. Because try as I might to outline the entire thing, it’s totally different looking down at a map from 30,000 feet and being in it, boots on the ground. I find I just have to get in there and see what the terrain looks like before I know which way to go.
When you first get an idea, how long until you know you’re ready to begin writing and what does that progression look like?
Sometimes an idea might sit on my hard drive for years, waiting for the right time. I’ve even been known to carry first lines around in my head for years. But when it’s time to commit to an idea, I generally start researching and then build my outline (which often only amounts to a list of events) off of that. Then I’m usually good to go.
Your books look very extensive. Do you do a lot of research?
I do. For my House of Bathory duology (The Progeny and Firstborn), I went to Hungary, Croatia, Vienna, Slovakia, and Italy. Best of all, I got to take my mom with me. My mom and I have a history of globetrotting together, so it was a fun adventure to go tromping through the ruins of “Blood Countess” Elizabeth Bathory’s castles with her!
Wow! What a research trip!
What does a typical writing day look like for you/what is your process?
I’m very bad at routine. And now that I’m a new mom—I married a single father of four the year before last—I’m still trying to figure out how to juggle everything at home and dropping a lot of balls. (Moms, how do you do it all???). I write a lot at night the closer I get to deadline. My husband and kids are used to me staggering to bed some time after they’re sleeping, or even after they’ve gotten up in the morning.
What have been some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned on your writing journey so far?
I think to prioritize the story over everything else. Of course, the writing needs to be good, but it should also be transparent when possible. Any time the reader starts paying more attention to the language, they’ve come out of the story.
It is such a crazy and competitive market. How do you tackle the marketing and promotion of your books?
LOL good question! Marketing seems to change as fast as social media does. These days, I keep an eye on what seems to be working for other authors and basically just experiment a lot. I also enlist the help of a publicist. At the end of the day, the best marketing still remains word of mouth and the only way to fire up readers is to write great stories they’ll want to talk about.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers about writing? What about the process of trying to get published?
If you’re not published yet, this is a special, protected time. Write a lot. Be bold, experimental, and audacious. It gets harder to write this way as you publish and become constantly aware of those reading your work, which is why my #1 Rule of Writing is “write like no one will ever read this”—like you’re writing secret stuff in your closet. It helps keep fear from getting in the way.
Meanwhile, as you’re pursuing publication for your first book, write your next. And your next.
And of course, read. Read a lot, ask for help, and be gracious to those around you.
Anything else you would like to add or talk about?
That’s it! Thank you, Kelly!
Thank you so much, Tosca! Where can people find out more about you and your books?
Website: www.toscalee.com
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2I63XxV
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/427839.Tosca_Lee
Twitter: www.twitter.com/toscalee
Instagram: www.instagram.com/toscalee
Read the first four chapters of The Progeny here: http://toscalee.com/the-progeny-chapters-1-4/
Get Ismeni, the FREE eShort prequel to The Legend of Sheba here: https://amzn.to/2G0TJ02