Author Highlight: L.B. Carter

BIO: L.B. Carter is a multi-award-winning, internationally bestselling author, bookworm, scientist, and cat-mom with a penchant for sarcasm and puns, an adoration about alliteration, and a fox obsession.

Her books are a mix of haunting paranormal urban fantasy, gripping suspense, chilling horror, and dark humor with a dash of light romance. Expect unique contemporary twists on magical lore told by quirky anti-heroes, and cliffhangers that keep you reaching for the next book.

How did you come up with the story concept for The Fox and the Howl series?

Actually, my readers more or less requested it! They know how much I adore foxes and shared a photo in the group of three women in long gowns, each holding a fox. Several chimed in saying it would be fun to hear the backstory of the photo, which had witchy vibes. (The photo in question is now on my Mood Board for this series on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lbcarterauthor/the-fox-and-the-howl/)

What do you love about writing Paranormal/Urban Fantasy? What do you hate (or maybe just dislike) about it?

I love that I can take the world around us and add a little fantasy. My stories are often crafted by something commonplace -- like a garden fox or an infamous bridge, or the phrase "sell your soul to the Devil" with another series I've written -- and then twisting it into something a little darker, more magical, more mysterious... making you think twice. I'd say the hardest part, though, is getting all the action that I see in my head down into words. Those scenes move fast!

When it comes to world-building do you have any particular tricks or techniques?

I don't really. I read books as if seeing a movie play in my head (though often with a dreamlike quality that blurs faces or backgrounds). The same is true when I write. It's almost as if I'm reading the story and my fingers are essentially just recording it, rather than the other way around. That way, I'm writing more or less what I want to read and seeing the world as my characters do, filling it out as they experience it.

What was the most difficult part of the publishing process for you?

To be frank, promotion and marketing. I love crafting stories. I love interacting with readers. But getting my books to those readers, helping new eyes find them and pick them up is complicated and time-consuming.

What does your writing space look like?

I pretty much write wherever and whenever! I used to even write by hand on random sticky notes when a scene popped into my mind, but they got lost or mixed up and often

What are your tricks for juggling writing while maintaining a personal life?

Oh, I'm the wrong person for this question. My partner calls me a workaholic; I essentially work two full-time jobs and am terrible at not filling my free time with more work. I have a day-job that keeps me quite busy during weekdays. I cram in writing and editing, and marketing and planning into my week nights and weekends. A lot of my close friends are in the book world though, so I find a lot of overlap with author "work" and socializing. I enjoy what I do and wouldn't give it up... though I'm working on better work-life balance. There was a period in 2020 when I was writing so much, I didn't have time to read! (Though partly the pandemic put me in a bit of a reading slump.) In 2021, I'm making time for all the aspects of the bookish world that I love: community, consuming, AND creating.

What's the best piece of advice you've received about writing?

Write what you want to read and get input from readers, not other authors. Those are things I always keep in mind. But the best advice I got was to just do it, honestly. I'd been writing for years and it took three of the best people I've met through reading their books to convince me to publish.

What is the best book you’ve read recently?

Oh, tough question. I've read so many good ones recently. I recently just read books 1 and 2 in two newly released series: the Savage Lands series by Stacey Marie Brown, which is dark, visceral, and dangerous -- a mix of new adult paranormal romance and urban fantasy with fae -- and the Fallen Legacies trilogy by Julie Hall -- a young adult/clean new adult urban fantasy with angel/nephelim lore and academy vibes.