Interview: Lori Foster

I'm so delighted to feature an interview with the lovely Lori Foster today! You all know how much I loved Back in Black - I couldn't wait to ask Lori all sorts of questions about her research for the series.

Please welcome Lori to the blog everyone! She'll be dropping by to answer any further questions, so comment away!

1. Who is Lori Foster? Tell us all your deep, dark secrets. (We won't tell anyone...)

I’m a country girl who likes one-pot meals like green beans and ham, sauerkraut and ribs, beef stew, etc.. I have three wonderful sons and an adorable grandson and a 30+ year marriage with a terrific hubby. I love animals, children, and the outdoors. I despise abuse and bullies of any kind. I love to draw and paint, just not as much as I love writing. :-) The best travel is in the RV with my pets along. Take me anywhere near water and I’m happy!

2. I just read "Back in Black" and loved it! How did you come up with the idea of the SBC Fighters series?

My family and I are HUGE fans of the UFC. We’ve been watching since the beginning of the sport, back when it was no-holds barred, no weight classes, and very few rules. I like it better now that it’s been regulated and I think it provides for a higher level competitor. Anyway... loving MMA as I do, I have my favorite fighters. I’d see them in interviews and love how they talked of their wives, their children, their parents or pets... They’ve very real, hard working, dedicated and intelligent guys.

Perfect hero material!

3. Can you share some of the research you did into the world of mixed martial arts?

I attend a lot of live fights... no wait, I did that before I decided to write them into books.

For fights I can’t attend, I watch on PPV – but I did that before writing about them too. LOL

I did get to do some really great interviews with fighters, and the one-on-one feedback was amazing. I think I already had a pretty good grasp of how it all works, but getting to hear it first hand, and learning of individual routines, really helped me to round out some of my stories.

4. Drew Black...what can I say...he's definitely a manly man of a hero. Rough, tough and absolutely delicious. Where did you get your inspiration for his character? And did he behave when you put him on the page?

Weeeeellll... anyone who watches MMA knows the very outspoken, foul-mouthed prez of the UFC, Dana White. See the fun? I just made him single and named him Drew Black. LOL. Honestly, I know NOTHING of Dana White beyond his public persona. But it doesn’t take a genius to see that he IS a genius, at least where business is concerned. He took a faltering business ready to collapse and has turned it into a sport fast-growing in popularity. He does like the “F” word a bit too much and seems to think it is a “catch-all” adjective and adverb in every sentence. LOL. But he also amused me.

So I wrote him in. ;-)

5. Is "Back in Black" the final installment of this series?

I never say never, but for now, yes, it’s the last. Five books is a long series for me. I bore easily and my mind is always jumping ahead to other things, other scenarios and characters and conflicts.

6. What are you working on now?

I recently made a move from Berkley to HQN. In 2011, I’ll have a spring novella, and then 3 back-to-back single titles romances with the. The new series is about Uber-Alpha guys. The first one, “If You Dare,” features a mercenary type hero who goes into Tijuana to rescue his friend’s sister who was taken there to be sold. He gets the sister – plus one. The other lady he rescues has a unique set of circumstances, and now that he’s gotten her safe, he doesn’t quite know what to do with her.

I had a ton of fun writing that book, so I hope readers will enjoy it!

7. Anything else you'd like to share?

Dianne Castell and I do a yearly event that brings together readers and writers, with some editors and agents thrown in. It’s called “The Reader and Author Get Together,” and this will be our 6th event. Information is on my website at: http://www.lorifoster.com/community/readergettogether.php

Everyone is welcome! For only $50 (the cost of the meals provided) you get an entire weekend of fun. I hope everyone will check it out.

And Nalini, we need to get you there one these years! :-)

N: One of these years!! Thanks so much for the interview, Lori.