Author Interview: Lorna House
- fridaynightwritesi
- Jun 6
- 7 min read
Hello, everyone! Welcome back to Friday Night Writes! As always, our goal is to shine a spotlight on members of the book community and introduce readers to awesome authors, narrators, event hosts, influencers, and more.
This week, we'd like to introduce our featured guest, author Lorna House. This time around, Sam will be participating in the interview.
Lorna, thank you for joining us!
Why don't we start with something simple? Tell us a little bit about yourself!
[I'm] the author of A Throne of Serpents & Roses and the Forging Destiny series. [My] books are known to be quirky and adventurous, bordering on the edge of chaotic. [I] bring characters to life in a way that will have you falling for even the villains. [I] live in the south with [my] husband, two dogs, and three cats. When [I'm] not writing, you can find [me] reading, out exploring the world, filming, and buying more books to stack up [my] TBR.
Very cool. Which genres do you write in?
High fantasy.
High fantasy is a tough genre. Personally, I'm intimidated by all the world-building. Kudos to you for taking that on and rocking it! Did you always want to be an author?
I wanted to be Dr. Seuss when I was a child. Growing up, I just loved to create fantasies and tell stories. I never thought I could be a published author until I published my first book! I thought I would grow up and help wildlife or create some form of art.
I feel like that happens to a lot of us. We love writing and telling stories, so we just sort of fall into the world of publishing books later on. Do you still love art?
I am passionate about art (currently, I am into 3D printing) and helping wildlife. Did you know 10% of all profits made from my art and writing goes to animal sanctuaries?
I did not! That's awesome. It's so important to work toward improving our world, not just for humans, but for everyone and everything that lives here. How long have you been writing?
I dallied with writing when I was a child, but nothing serious. In 8th grade, I began writing angry poetry, which helped me get out a lot of that teenage stress. In 2020, I began writing my first book (which is no longer on the market).
I remember watching your TikTok videos from way back when you first got started. You've come a long way since then. How many books do you currently have published?
I have two series, two books in each.
Forging Destiny is about a war between Alchemists and Elementals and the academy that unites them. [It] follows the second princess of the Alchemy nations as she journeys to the academy where she will decide which side to fight for - Elemental or Alchemist. Along the way, she finds out that perhaps her destiny lies in neither nation, but in a much more mysterious region of myth and legend.
The Throne Games is an Alice in Wonderland retelling that meets the fae world. On Aniera's wedding day, her little sister is kidnapped, and now Aniera must journey across the Rift to participate in the Red King's Games to rescue her sister.
Is there one of your books you wish received more love than it does?
Forging Destiny. While I will admit The Throne Games is far superior and sells better, when I released Forging Destiny, I had zero media following, and Forging Destiny never received the hype it truly should have.
That happens when we're first getting started. Still, your books sound fascinating. I have to admit I personally love a good Alice in Wonderland retelling. There's so much in the original tale to work with. Are you independently published or traditionally published?
Independently published under Chaotic Dragon Publishing.
Okay, and are you a plotter, a plantser, or a pantser?
Plantser. I have a very minimal basis of a story in my head when I begin writing, and I let my characters surprise me just as much as they surprise our readers.
Characters really take on a life of their own once the book gets started. Sometimes my characters even derail the plot completely, so I'm a plantser, too. Do you have any routines that help you write?
Sitting at my computer desk. I COMPLETELY zone out and let my fingers walk across the keyboard. Hours can go by without a true "thought" from me and I'll have written hundreds of words before I even know it.
It's the best feeling when "author brain" kicks in like that. Sometimes it doesn't, though. Then those hours staring at a screen with no progress can be tough. How do you deal with writer’s block when it strikes?
I wouldn't say that I have writer's block, but I do have lazy-block where I just don't want to sit and write. I deal with this by making a small goal to hit 200 words a day, which takes the smallest bit of time, so even if "I don't wanna," it goes by fast.
Reasonable goals can be really important. Some days are 2,000-word days and some days are made for bullet points, you know? I can personally only take on so much because of the stresses of real life. That's why I usually only have one WIP at a time, too. How many WIPs do you have going right now? Can you tell us anything about them?
I have two WIPs: the third book for the Throne Games and the fourth book for Forging Destiny. They are currently on hold until September because they're gonna dive deep into a stressful area, and I'm currently pregnant and not stressing myself out. The third book in the Forging Destiny series is currently sitting with my editor though.
Sounds like congratulations are in order! That's awesome. Well, welcome to the world soon, Little House! You mentioned stress, and being an author can definitely be stressful. What do you enjoy most and least about it?
Enjoy Most: Creating stories full of adventure and daring tales.
Least Enjoy: Editing or writing the summary.
Fair. Those things are tricky. You have to get them just right. What do you do for your mental health and to recharge your creativity?
Disney! It was on my first Disney trip that I said, "Hey, I think I'll go spread the magic and publish a book," and Forging Destiny came to be. Any time I need a little boost of creativity, I book my next trip.
Disney is the best. I haven't been there since I was in middle school. We're waiting until our kids are a little older to take them so they'll remember the experience, but I can't wait to go back again. So obviously, you love Disney magic, then. What are some of your favorite and least favorite things?
Favorite Things: Writing, Disney, 3D printing, and coming up with different art forms (I'm skilled in drawing, painting, jewelry making, resin casting, and SO MUCH more).
Least Favorite Thing: Not living at Disney (since Disney is my BIGGEST inspiration for writing).
It's great that you know what motivates you. Do you have any advice for unpublished writers or people who hope to become authors someday?
It's perfectly okay if you don't write 1,000 words a day. Set your goals low and you'll get more done. Setting those high goals will psychologically wear you down, and nobody needs that.
Definitely not. I agree, 100%. Speaking of wearing ourselves down, let's switch gears. We've got some fun questions for you, too! What’s your favorite Dinosaur?
Pterodactyl (I never spell it right; forgive me.)
Hey, you got it right this time. What's the most daring thing you've ever done?
Moved states on a whim.
Always risky, but it usually does prove to be an adventure. Do you collect anything besides books?
Oh goodness, I am such a dragon with my random hoards of collections! I collect Stitch merchandise, Jim Shore figures, gemstones, Loungefly bags, Disney ears, Pokemon plushies, and more.
A whole treasure trove of interests! Very cool. If you could be a shifter what would your alternate form be?
If we're in a fantasy world, a dragon for sure, but if we're still in our world, then a red panda.
Oh, like in Turning Red! There's a whole movie about Red Panda shifters. My littles love it. Now, what are you interested in that most people aren’t?
I would say anime, but I think anime has been getting more and more popular.
It has. It used to be super niche, but not so much anymore. What food have you never eaten but would really like to try?
I think I've tried everything that I would want to try (including kangaroo, eel, and other weird animals).
It's cool that you have such a broad palette. New experiences are fun. Well, that's pretty much all we have for you today, so let's remind readers where they can find you online before you go.
Awesome. Do you have any planned events?
These are always listed in my LinkTree. This year, I am attending Sinful Signings and Booked in Chaos.
I'm going to see you at both of those! How fun.
Once again, thank you so much for joining us this week, Lorna! It's been great getting to know more about you and your author journey. We hope you've had a wonderful time with your interview!
To all of our readers, thanks for spending some time with our guest author this week! We hope you've enjoyed this interview, too! Be sure to follow Lorna House on her social media platforms so you can keep up to date with her journey.
Check back next week for another interview. Next time, we'll be chatting with Kimberly Pinzon!
See you soon!
The Friday Night Writes Crew
Evie Black & Samantha Moran
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