Author Interview: Avianna Lemonier

About the author:
Avianna Lemonier is an American author and poet, currently residing in Tallahassee, FL. With an educational background in psychology, Avianna Lemonier has used the gift of writing to uplift individuals of all backgrounds. Instilled with a strong sense of faith, her work is created to encourage. As an advocate for mental health support, Avianna Lemonier has contributed to and founded a number of projects that are dedicated to improving public awareness of positive mental health care.

What inspires you to write romantic fiction?
I enjoy writing romantic fiction because I love love itself. Love can be a beautiful and life-changing thing. There's something that is so engaging about taking love (whether it be our own personal experiences with love or the experiences of those around us) and turning that into a story.

Tell us about how you write.
Music has a big impact on the way that I write. Some of my favorite work that I have done has been inspired by the music that I listen to. That is usually how I come up with ideas for my writing. Once an idea comes to me, I'll sit and think about how I would like to bring it to life (whether I want it to be a collection of poetry, a short story or something else) and then I'll just start writing.

My favorite place to write is in a little corner in my room by a window. There are a lot of trees in the area surrounding my home and for some reason that really calms and inspires me so that's where I put my desk and when I'm ready to write, I just sit there and start working.

Do you listen to or talk to to your characters?
I don't really listen to or talk to my characters but sometimes I will give them their own personal soundtrack. Again, music is a very important part of my writing process so some of my characters do have special songs that I associate with them and that usually helps me in the process of giving them a personality and a storyline.

What advice would you give other romance writers?
I think that writing from a place of vulnerability and openness is very important for those that are comfortable with doing so. My advice to other romance writers would be to try and connect your own life with the life of your characters or just your writing in general. I find that audiences are very receptive to vulnerability in writing because it acts as a mirror that allows them to know that they are not alone. So be open about your own struggles or personal emotions and experiences and perhaps that will resonate with someone else.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
At the moment, I am mainly publishing my books independently. I enjoy the freedom that that decision has given me.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I was once told that there isn't any "room" for books in our society because "no one wants to read anymore", but I just don't think that that's true. Book lovers still exist and because they still exist, books still need to be published. I am very encouraged and inspired by the way that self-publishing is now being promoted and even encouraged in some ways.

Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to write. I used to tell myself that if I could just write and publish one book, I would be satisfied. When I would tell people that I wanted to be a professional author, they would usually ask me what else I wanted to do in addition to that. I'm very grateful to see, as an adult, that writing is something that can be taken seriously and considered a serious profession and I think the future of self-publishing (in addition to traditional publishing) is very bright because independence as it pertains to authorship is now being embraced.

Which romance sub-genere(s) fit your stories best?
Some of the romance sub-genres that fit my stories best include poetry and Christian fiction.

My books are available in the following formats:
eBook, Print