Interview with Lila L. Pinord

[Scott]

(In the following, Ellen George interviews Lila L. Pinord, author of Skye Dancer, Min's Monster, and Evil Lives in Blue Rock.)

I recently had the pleasure of asking author Lila L. Pinord some questions about her work...

ellen - Lila, I have compared you to Mary Shelley - in that you both seem like such sweet lovely ladies, YET you create works of horror - What's a sweet lady doing writing horror?

Lila - Maybe I'm not so sweet....Just kidding! But thank you for the comparison to Shelley! My goodness, what an honor. It has always seemed strange that such a young lass could write Frankenstein, doesn't it? Ever since I was a young girl, I read everything I could get my grubbly little hands on, especially dark moody books, full of suspense, and yes, horror. My mother used to hide more objectionable material from me, but I'd find them eventually. So I grew up with Frankenstein-type books and watched all movies having to do with horror and always knew that someday I'd be creating my own. If my mother had her way, I'd have been writing romance novels.

ellen - When did you start writing?

Lila - I wrote my first book when I was 25 right after my marriage, but it soon got lost in the clutter of living the 'real' life. I began again in the 1990's after my retirement and life had slowed down to a crawl.

ellen - Your heritage plays a great part in your work - can you tell us about it?

Lila - Yes, certainly. I've derived all of my values from the cultural setting where I grew up. I spent the first seventeen years of my life growing upon the edge of the Quinault reservation, and didn't leave until I got a scholarship to a local community college about forty miles away. We held our elders in high esteem and family values played a big part in our growing up years. Now there seems to have been an erosion of these values in the modern world. Elders, or storytellers, passed on so many stories to the youngsters, trying to instill a pride in their culture. I was one of the lucky ones in that they stuck. I use many of their teachings and stories within my books.

ellen - The atmosphere of your books is important- what does Nature mean to your work?

Lila - Nature was all around us where I grew up. We had the Pacific Ocean to the West where the song of the gulls was a constant in our lives, a river that emptied into it and the entire village was surrounded by trees. So I find myself including all of the Nature's abundance in all my books. In Skye Dancer, there is a terrific storm and flood; there is thick fog in Evil Lives in Blue Rock; and my latest creation, Min's Monster, a snow storm hides a serial killer! I have written another about the hottest day of the year, and shall finish it someday.

ellen - Which of your books would you love to have made into a movie? Dream cast?

Lila - I believe Skye Dancer would make a wonderful movie filled with adventure, suspense, horror and crime. I don't have a dream cast, except they should used more 'real' Native Americans in the parts that call for them. In this case, a couple of half-breed Indians, such as I am.

ellen - What responsibility does authorship mean to you?

Lila - We should be true to our nature. There is a lot of truth in what I write and I don't try to put other groups down in any way.

ellen - Have you lived anywhere else aside from the Pacific Northwest? Has that influenced you?

Lila - A few times I tried living elsewhere, but it seems like my home in the Northwest always called me back. "It's in the blood", as some of the Elders used to say, "it calls out to you." Maybe that's true. Eastern Washington is too hot and dry. In Texas I couldn't see any mountains! It is cool and mountainous where I live and I will die here.

ellen - What advice do you have for people who have a story in them and want to write?

Lila - If it's in you, then sit down and get started. The words will come. They have most likely been just waiting for you to put the words down!

ellen - What is the publishing world like in today's market?

Lila - Even publishers agree - it's a hard market to get a foot into. Little baby steps is the way to go unless you just happen to find the right agent, the right publisher, at the right time. I have sent out hundreds of query letters to agents and publishers and some don't even bother to answer. They can afford to be 'picky' since there are so many new authors out there, just waiting to be discovered.

ellen - What is your next book about?

Lila - The book I am trying to get out on the market is called Finding Time, title subject to change. A toddler goes missing and he ends up time traveling to the past and the future, having some interesting adventures along the way. His mother is seeking him through time and she also meets up with some pretty interesting characters herself.

ellen - Who are your facorite authors? Any writer influenced you?

Lila - There are so many. Like I stated before, I read anyting and everybody as I grew up, so I kind of loved them all. I do believe that Mary Higgins Clark was one of my earlier influences as far as telling a good story goes. Then I discovered Stephen King, John Saul, and other writers in that genre. However, the biggest influence was and still is Dean Koontz. I love the way these writers now have their names on the covers of their books much larger than the titles! When I can do that, I'll consider myself a success!

ellen - How do you go about writing a book - any disciplines?

Lila - I make myself sit down before the keyboard once a day for at least two or three hours. However, my mind is working constantly, playing with characters, plots, putting them into perspective so that when I sit down to write, the words kind of just flow.

ellen - How can your fans contact you?

Lila - Website is http://lilalpinord.bravehost.com where there is a message board and my email address. I woud love for them to do so and tell me what they think of my books.

ellen - Lila it has been a pleasure - you are a wonderful writer and a delight! Thanks so much!