Interrogation Room
Meet Lolo Paige
Every now and then, the stars align and allow me to invite one of my writing buddies to come sit under the bright light in the Interrogation Room. The cold metal chair isn’t comfortable, and my aim is to make them squirm in their seat during the interrogation. Today’s interviewee? Meet Lolo Paige!
1. Tell me a little about yourself.
Hello, I’m LoLo Paige, and I write action-adventure romantic suspense, and romantic comedies. I publish books as both an independent publisher and with traditional publishing. I’m a former wildland firefighter, having fought wildfires in several states, including Montana, California, and Alaska. I write strong, tough women firefighters and hunky smokejumpers who battle wildland fire. I love writing the trust, friendship, and pitfalls of relationships in the action-packed, perilous world of wildland firefighting. I also love writing romantic comedies and romantic crime thrillers, because of my decades of stage acting in local theater productions, and working as an extra in several Hollywood movies. My books have received indie awards and have appeared in the Booklife section of Publishers Weekly, so I’m thrilled about that.
2. What’s the name of your book, and how did you come up with that name?
My recent release, Alaska Blaze, is about two rival firefighters who battle both wildland fire and their disdain for each other. But when a dangerous life-threatening crisis strikes, their fiery rivalry transforms into a powerful alliance, igniting a growing attraction as intense as the flames they fight.
I have Alaska in all the titles in my Blazing Hearts Wildfire series books so readers know exactly where my stories take place. I live in Alaska and am proud of my state. Alaska is more of a character than a setting in my books.
3. How or why did you decide to become a writer?
I’ve wanted to write since the sixth grade, but only got around to it when I retired from my day job with the U.S. Department of the Interior. I wrote a lot of legal and technical reports and publications for DOI. When I started my writing career, I wrote freelance nonfiction articles and true stories for magazines and newspapers. One of my stories won an Alaska Press Club award, where one judge suggested I write a novel based on a near-death experience that happened with my fire crew up in Alaska’s Interior. So I did!
4. How long does it take you to write a book?
My first book, Alaska Spark, took a couple years to write because I didn’t know what I was doing. The second book took one summer to draft, then several months to revise and publish. The third book had several starts and stops due to changing the characters and the story, but once I got going it took a few months. My fire books take longer than my romantic comedies to write because of the research I do to keep the stories in real fire scenarios. Lots has changed since I was a wildland firefighter, so I try to keep up with current methods and equipment. The fire stories also have a couple of subplots in addition to the main romance. My romantic comedies only take a couple of weeks to write because they’re shorter with one central plot.
5. Many writers experience writer’s block. Does that ever happen to you? How do you approach it?
I don’t experience writer’s block so much as I have burnout, from pushing too hard for too long. There’s more pressure nowadays to keep readers satiated, especially in the romance genre where readers seem to devour books in a matter of hours, it seems like. When the words don’t flow it’s usually because I’m tired and I need to get some rest. When this happens I stop and play with my goldens, get out of the house, and do things with my friends. Taking time away from my story often helps because when I return to it, obvious things pop out, like plot holes or a different aspect of the character I hadn’t thought of before.
6. If you didn’t write, what would you do?
Probably do more traveling and more reading.
7. What has been the most surprising result of your writing career?
All of the wonderful friends I’ve made at writer conferences and workshops and joining online writer groups. I found a whole new world of friends and acquaintances where we can talk about writing and publishing. Another surprising thing is, I still can’t believe readers pay for things I make up in my brain!
Great! Now let’s find out a little more information about you.
8. How would your worst enemy describe you?
One guy once told me I was narcissistic and flighty. I suppose I’m a little of both, after working so many years in local theatre, some films, and as an author.
9. How would your best friend describe you?
I’m motivated, loyal, fun, and adventurous.
10. What’s the biggest misconception about you?
That I’m an extrovert.
(I have to tell you folks, I think Lolo is being a bit deceptive here. This gal has personality plus—and proudly puts it on display!)
11. If you could go back in time and tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
Don’t sweat the small stuff and if you want to do something you’ve always dreamed of doing, do it no matter what anyone says.
12. What is your greatest strength?
Finishing what I start, and doing what I say I’m going to do.
13. What is your greatest weakness?
I allow myself to become easily distracted and I always want to reach for that next shiny thing.
14. If you were going to wind up on a reality television show, which one would it be—and why?
This is a tough question because I don’t watch them but have seen some of the Alaskan ones. If I did a reality show, I’d have to write one: what it’s really like to live in Alaska, since most of our population lives in cities and small towns. Not what is grossly misrepresented in the plethora of “reality” shows set in Alaska.
15. When was the last time you righted a wrong in a public place? What was the ‘wrong’ and how did you fix it?
People jumping ahead of elderly people in line. I see that more and more in different venues. I always call them on it.
16. Who is/was your childhood hero and why?
My heroes and heroines came from books. I used to read the Judy Bolton, Nancy Drew, and Beverly Gray series, and I liked Beverly Gray because she was worldly and became a foreign news correspondent and an author as the series progressed. And I also liked Superman because I read the comics and watched him every day after school. He could solve any problem.
17. If someone wants to contact you about your project, what’s the best way for them to do that?
People can email me at: lolo@lolopaige.com
They can visit my website at: lolopaige.com
And on Facebook on my author page at: https://www.facebook.com/LoLoPaigewildlandfire
Thank you Lolo, for taking the time to come and squirm in the cold metal chair.
If you’re a reader who likes your action and adventure books sprinkled with some romance, check out Lolo’s Blazing Hearts Wildfire series!
