Lida Sideris’ first stint after law school was a newbie lawyer’s dream: working as an entertainment attorney for a film studio…kind of like heroine, Corrie Locke. Unlike Corrie, Lida has never been blackmailed, never investigated a suspicious death, an alien encounter, a catnapping, a missing corpse or been involved in a low-speed car chase. Lida lives in the northern tip of Southern California with her family, her rescue dogs and a flock of uppity chickens. Lida was one of two national winners of the Helen McCloy/Mystery Writers of America scholarship award for her first book.
https://www.lidasideris.com
BMH: Why did you become a writer?
LS: I love the way certain books made me feel – they provided an escape hatch. My objective is to do the same for my readers.
BMH: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
LS: When I was about nine and read my first Nancy Drew book. I wanted to get in on the fun!
BMH: What is something you wish someone would have told you before you became an author?
LS: Take time to chill and have fun. Writing is a lot of work and it can be overwhelming. Enjoy the adventure.
BMH: You can go back in time, meet and chat with anyone, who would it be? What would you talk about?
LS: Harper Lee. Why one book?
BMH: Why crime fiction?
LS: It’s the genre I enjoyed reading the most (light-hearted mysteries) and the one that seemed the greatest challenge to write. All those twists and turns! It’s also the most satisfying because it gives me a chance to take down fictional bad guys/girls, through my heroine, without my lifting a finger (well, I lift only a few fingers…keyboard-wise).
BMH: Have you written in other genres?
LS: I recently published my first children’s picture book – THE COOKIE EATING FIRE DOG.
BMH: What is something you’ve never written about, but hope to some day?
LS: A fantasy or sci-fi novel. I’d love to create a whole new world in a galaxy far, far away.
BMH: How big a part did your upbringing have on your writing?
LS: My botanist grandfather wrote non-fiction books on botany. I have vivid memories of him balancing a typewriter across his legs as he sat on his bed writing volume after volume. He thrived on his writings.
BMH: In real life, who is your hero/heroine? Why?
LS: My mother because she not only has my back, but everyone else’s, too. There are a lot of backs in her life!
BMH: What two words best describes your writing style?
LS: Positive, fun entertainment. Did you say three words? 🙂
BMH: Outliner or seat-of-your-pants writer?
SLS: Seat-of-my-pants.
BMH: How much editing do you do as you write your first draft?
LS: Tons!
BMH: How do you use social media to promote yourself?
LS: I’m not a big social media user, but I do use FB, Twitter and Instagram to showcase appearances, writing news and my dogs and chickens.
BMH: Do you blog?
LS: I sure do, on topics I hope will be interesting to readers and writers (everything from Dalmatians to bamboo trees and writing tips, too).
BMH: What comes first for you, characters or plot?
LS: I let my characters lead the way.
BMH: What do you do to cut loose and have some fun?
LS: Go on mini road trips.
BMH: What did you do to celebrate when you signed your first book contract?
LS: I was so ecstatic; I flew right up to cloud nine and stayed there for about a whole year. It was a wonderful trip!
BMH: Where was you first appearance as an author?
LS: At my local bookstore. I had no idea what to expect. Should I do a presentation? Give a talk? Maybe a little song and dance? I was prepped for anything.
BMH: What authors influenced you the most?
LS: Oh, so many – Carolyn Keene, Agatha Christie, Janet Evanovich, Alexander McCall Smith, Dr Seuss, to name a few.
BMH: How do you do research?
LS: Mostly on the internet, but sometimes, I’ll read an article that may lead to an idea to research.
BMH: Do you have a daily writing routine?
LS: Not really. But I do try to write daily, even if it’s for just five minutes.
