An Introduction to Winter Bliss with Lucy Limón

Lucy’s book, Holidays Ablaze, was my first introduction to the Horned Up for the Holidays series and I quickly fell in love with her strong, independent female lead, Sophia, and icy, ruthless demon, Samite. She wrote them together so beautifully, and it was a great introduction to Winter Bliss!

Despite having written for years prior to this release, Holidays Ablaze, was her debut and what a debut it was! Today, I’ve sat down with Lucy to talk about what it was like releasing her first novel and what plans she has for future releases.

Q: Who has been your biggest supporter(s) throughout your writing career?

A: I’m lucky to have found a tight-knit writing group. They’ve been my biggest supporters, especially Catrina Bell and Lark Green. This past December, we published a set of holiday novellas together. Both Catrina and Lark had self-published previously, but it was my first time. The support and guidance I got from them was invaluable. It also helps that I have a very supportive family.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration from in your work?

A: I often get inspired by other stories. When I read or watch something that is either really good or hits just right for me, it feels a little like falling in love. The characters own a piece of my heart and take up space in my head. For example, prior to writing Holidays Ablaze, I’d just finished reading the hugely popular Dramione fanfic ‘Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love’ by Isthisselfcare on AO3. I cannot express how much I loved that story. My main character, Samite, was definitely influenced by my love of Isthisselfcare’s version of a grown up Draco Malfoy.

Q: What does it mean to you to be an author?

A: It means connecting with readers. I write the way my husband cooks, with an aim to please the person I’m doing all this work for. I want the fruits of my labor to be enjoyed, so I have to keep my reader in mind at all times.

Q: What is your writing process like? Do you listen to certain music, snack, make loads of phone notes when inspiration randomly strikes, etc.?

A: Oh, I love talking process and craft! My DMs are open to anyone who wants to nerd out on this at length, but for now, here’s my answer:

I’ve been writing for over a decade even though I’ve only recently started to publish. I’m always refining, but currently I feel really great about my process. I start with what I call a ‘flavor profile’ for each story. Just a quick list of all the things that are going to give this story its unique flavor. For example, in February I published a follow-up story to Holidays Ablaze called My Indecent Valentine. It appears in the My Monster Valentine anthology. My flavor profile for that story included: demon/human romance, voyeur, fire attraction, Valentine’s vibes, Indecent Proposal vibes, my wife, touch her and die. Some of the items are tropes or microtropes, and others relate to tone, world, or seasonal details, etc.

From there, I create what I call a tent-pole outline, which is like a regular outline but very sparse. Ideas get captured in their own document, and then I do the thing every craft book tells you not to do. I write and edit as I go. At the end of each chapter, I go back and reference my flavor profile, tent pole outline, and ideas document and edit to ensure I’m keeping things cohesive and on-track from start to end. Not that it’s perfect, but I rarely find myself three states over from my intended destination.

After that, I’ll get feedback from alpha and beta readers and do another round or two of edits.

Q: Is there a genre or subgenre that you want to explore that you haven’t yet? Conversely, are there any that you’ll never write?

A: I’ve always loved fantasy, sci-fi, and romance. A few years back, I inexplicably dipped my toe in young adult and wrote a contemporary story. I don’t know what possessed me, and even though I did learn a lot, it was not for me. I doubt I’ll write in that genre again. I need at least a little bit of fantasy or paranormal in my worlds to keep me invested, and I prefer adult characters.

Q: What has been the hardest part of your career as an author so far?

A: Self-publishing is a beast, and self-promoting is not something I feel particularly adept at. That’s an area I’m going to need to get a whole lot better at if I want to reach a greater audience with my future stories. Which I do!

Q: What do you consider to be your greatest strength and weakness as an author?

A: The skill I’ve developed that I feel particularly strong in and the one that has helped me grow the most is learning to give and take feedback. That includes learning to be a little selective in who I solicit feedback from.

I don’t know that I have one particularly glaring weakness to point to, but I know I have plenty of room to grow. Someday, I want to be as good as the writers I admire most, and I’m not there yet. I’m happy with my progress, and proud of what I’ve put out into the world, but I’m always aiming to make my next story even better.

Q: Who is on your radar as someone you’d love to work with?

A: Between publishing the holiday series and the Valentine anthology, I’ve had two wonderful experiences with collaborative projects. It’s so fun to work with other writers. Catrina has tentative plans to open up the Winter Bliss universe to other writers within our writing group, and I for one can’t wait! The talent in our group is top notch, and I’d love to pay forward all the guidance and advice Catrina and Lark gave me for self-publishing my debut novella.

Q: At some point in our lives, we’ve all heard the negative comments: “You’re not good enough.” “You’ll never make it.” “This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen.” “You don’t belong.” How do you move forward when faced with negativity?

A: I’m not going to lie, it’s tough, and you never become impervious to criticism or negative self-talk, but you do gain levels in your ability to process those emotions and either move on from them or, better yet, make use of them. Back in December, I read one particularly unkind review of Holidays Ablaze that really bummed me out, but a month later, I needed a growth arc for my main character, Sofia, for My Indecent Valentine, and it was easy to draw from that experience. She’s a chef, so I shook her confidence with a harsh restaurant critic and wrote her a (hopefully fun and interesting) way to gain her confidence back.

Q: What advice would you give to women who are wanting to write, especially if it’s something others might perceive as “outside of the norm”?

A: I would say that ‘the norm’ is only the norm until it isn’t anymore. Every experience has the potential to redefine a person’s concept of normal, and that includes the stories they read. So, whatever ‘abnormal’ story you’ve got knocking around in your head, get it out there. The world will be a better place for it.

While you’re waiting, give Lily Mayne’s Berries and Greed a read! It has a wild cult, clueless demiurgus being worshipped, and fun non-human anatomy! Lucy loves when an author successfully subverts expectations, and Lucy says Lily Mayne did just that!

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