What is the best thing that I love about my work? I love writing stories that enable women to escape the hard reality of their lives. Romance and women’s fiction is often maligned as fluff or dismissed as unimportant, but the stories I write deliver empowerment and the belief that what women want – success, a happy home, career, men who adore them – is not unattainable.
What is my idea of perfect happiness? A warm fire, a glass of wine and my family surrounding me.
What is my greatest fear? Losing my ability to matter to someone
What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? Envy
Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? I have several role models in the writing world. First, I would say Robyn Carr because she wrote for many years before becoming a celebrated name in romance. She went eight years with no contract, that’s longer than I’ve been writing. But she persevered and earned her success. I always admire a can do attitude when it comes to the publishing world. That inspires me.
What is my greatest extravagance? Designer shoes
On what occasion would I lie? To prevent someone from being hurt.
What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? The uncertainty. One never knows if a book is going to resonate with readers. Everything depends upon sales – not quality – and that’s frustrating.
When and where was I the happiest, in my work? Probably right after I sold my first book. I felt like I had made it, and my editor at the time had such faith in me. I felt resilient and the publishing world felt full of possibility.
If I could, what would I change about myself? Constantly comparing myself to others. I do that too often and it undermines my confidence in my work.
What is my greatest achievement in work? To date, I received a nomination for a RITA, which is comparable to an Academy Award in romance. It’s judged by my peers.
Where would I most like to live? In the mountains, preferably the Smoky Mountains, so maybe Tennessee or North Carolina? I’m tired of hot and humid Louisiana, though I love our culture and food here.
What is my most treasured possession? Oh, dear. Hmm. I have many, but I love my wedding diamond. My husband was my childhood sweetheart and he grew up with very little material wealth. He saved to buy me the diamond, which he had a friend buy wholesale. He took out a loan and though it’s not quite a carat, I wouldn’t trade it for a 10 carat diamond. He sacrificed to give me that ring so it’s more than a thing, it’s a symbol of how much he loved me.
What is my most marked characteristic? Enthusiasm
What is my most inspirational location, in my city? Like Thoreau, I like to go into the woods to live deliberately. I feel most significant at our place on the lake, surrounded by the woods, sipping wine or whiskey as the sun sinks into the lake. Nothing more inspiring than that sight.
What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city? My husband and I have a handful of go-to restaurants. I love a good cocktail and cheese plate. Currently, we like Windrush, Cabo Verde, Wine Country and Frank’s in Shreveport.
What books influenced my life and how? I love The Good Earth by Pearl Buck because it’s a wonderful study in character motivations. I loved the early romances of Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodweis and Jude Devereaux because they swept me away, taught me what a true hero was (tender and fierce) and made me love the romance genre.
Who are my favorite writers? Kristan Higgins, Julie Ann Long, Robyn Carr, Sherry Thomas, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Elizabeth Hoyt, Julia Quinn, Lee Childs, Darynda Jones, Lianna Moriarty, and I could go on and on and on. I love too many writers’ work.
You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? Carole King
Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? I love Jamie Fraser from Outlander. I know I should say someone like Atticus Finch or some other hero that’s a model or wisdom or integrity, but I’m just smitten with Jamie Fraser – he’s the perfect romantic hero in my opinion. He’s fierce, strong, tender, self-deprecating, gorgeous, loyal, and I could go on and on here, too. He’s merely the ideal romance hero.
Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? The people who work behind the scenes making sacrifices, not looking for credit. The people who do the heavy lifting and never ask for any accolades. You can look in any organization and find them. In my personal life, Vickie and Matt Whitehead of Common Ground are doing amazing things with the youth in Cedar Grove.
Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? Braveheart
What role plays art in my life and work? I love the beauty of creating. There’s something sacred about pulling ideas, colors, words, things and transforming them into something different, something that evokes a new emotion.
Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? My mother. She thinks I’m incredible. I love being incredible to someone.
Whom would I like to work with in 2017? Well, I’m collaborating with several other authors to form a reading community on Facebook. It’s called Fiction From the Heart, and we’re calling it a book nook where readers can escape to find inspiration, great talking points and book recommendations.
Which people in my profession would i love to meet in 2017? I’d love to meet Nora Roberts. She’s pretty much the Queen of Romance. I would also love to meet Kristan Hannah. I loved The Nightingale and would love to talk to her about the research she did for the book.
What project, in 2017, am I looking forward to work on? I’m starting a series set in south Texas that revolves around three sisters saving a historic beach hotel. I’m in the middle of researching it at present and I’m getting excited about the story lines.
Where can you see me or my work in 2017? You can find my books on Amazon.com and other major book retail outlets. I spent most of early 2017 traveling to book events so the end of 2017 is quiet. But I will be booking new events for 2018 and more info can be found on my website http://www.liztalleybooks.com
What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? No matter how our bodies or minds erode, our thirst for living and creating never fades.
Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story? Kellie Coates Gilbert, Jamie Beck, Kim Law, Winnie Griggs, Phylis Caskey…I could name many terrific heroines with awesome stories.
How can you contact me? Via my website – www.liztalleybooks.com or on social media – www.facebook.com/liztalleybooks
You can find my books on amazon via this link
What is Your Story?
Two Day Tour with Peter de Kuster in the greatest bookstores of your favorite city. In Paris, Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Berlin, London and Amsterdam we offer this unique What is your Story? experience. To (re) write your story about yourself and your work. In the process transforming your capacity to successfully have the creative life and work you love.
In this journey, Peter de Kuster, founder of The Heroine’s Journey explores with you the way we tell stories about ourselves to ourselves — and, most important, the way we can change those stories to transform our creative business and life.
“Your story is your art, your art is your story,” says Peter. As human beings, we continually tell ourselves stories — of success or failure; of power or victimhood; stories that endure for an hour, or a day, or an entire lifetime. We have stories about our creative challenges, our art, our clients, our money, our self promotion, our time, our families and relationships, our health; about what we want and what we’re capable of achieving. Yet, while our stories profoundly affect how others see us and we see ourselves, too few of us even recognize that we’re telling stories, or what they are, or that we can change them — and, in turn, transform our very destinies.
Telling ourselves stories provides structure and direction as we navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and helps us interpret our goals and skills. Stories make sense of chaos; they organize our many divergent experiences into a coherent thread; they shape our entire reality. And far too many of our stories, says Peter, are dysfunctional, in need of serious editing. First, he asks you to answer the question, “In which areas of my creative life and business is it clear that I cannot achieve my goals with the story I’ve got?” He then shows you how to create new, reality-based stories that inspire you to action, and take you where you want to go both in your work and personal life.
Our capacity to tell stories is one of our profoundest gifts. Peter’s approach to creating deeply engaging stories will give you the tools to wield the power of storytelling and forever change your creative business and life.
Become a great Storyteller
That’s why I set up What is your Story? service in the great cities of the world and their great bookstores. A new way to use the power of your story. To guide you to life-changing, eye-opening but often elusive works of literature, both past and present, the books of fiction that truly have the power to enchant, enrich and inspire.
In two days with Peter de Kuster you’ll explore your relationship with books so far and your unique story identity will be sketched. You will be guided to books that can put their finger on what you want to rewrite in your story, the feelings that you may often have had but perhaps never understood so clearly before; books that open new perspectives and re-enchant the world for you.
You will be asked to complete a questionnaire in advance of your session and you’ll be given an instant story advice and books to read to take away. Your full story advice and books to read list will follow within a couple of days.
What Can I Expect?
Here’s an outline of the WHAT IS YOUR STORY? journey.
Journey Outline
OLD STORIES
- What is your Story?
- Are you even trying to tell a Story?
- Old Stories (stories about you, your art, your clients, your money, your self promotion, your happiness, your health)
- Tell your current Story
- Is this Really Your Story?
YOUR NEW STORY
- The Premise of your Story. The Purpose of your Life and Art
- The words on your tombstone
- You ultimate mission, out loud
- The Seven Great Plots
- The Twelve Archetypal Heroines
- The One Great Story
- Purpose is Never Forgettable
- Questioning the Premise
- Lining up
- Flawed Alignment, Tragic Ending
- The Three Rules in Storytelling
- Write Your New Story
TURNING STORY INTO ACTION
- Turning your story into action
- The Story Effect
- Story Ritualizing
- The Storyteller and the art of story
- The Power of Your Story
- Storyboarding your creative process
- They Created and Lived Happily Ever After
RESERVATION AND FEES
The “What is your Story?” fee is Euro 2.495 excluding VAT for a private tour with a small group of 1 or 2 people.
Questions? Contact Peter de Kuster at 0031 6 33661772 or mail him at peterdekuster@hotmail.nl