Interview with MariaLisa deMora, Author of Tarnished Lies and Dead Ends

by grant

in Author Interviews, News, Romance

02 Feb 2021

What can you tell us about your new release, Tarnished Lies and Dead Ends?

It’s a massive expansion of a previous short story, Thunderstruck. Tarnished Lies and Dead Ends drops us back in the middle of the Incoherent MC. The story also ties up some loose ends left at the end of Retro’s story, Trapped by Fate on Reckless Roads.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

Jordan Castillo Price’s newest release, Other Half (PsyCop Book 12), and Mariana Zapata’s The Wall of Winnipeg and Me (for a reread).

What advice would you give your teenage self?

Do it! Do everything! Fear nothing! Also, don’t try to lie to your daddy. He always knows!

If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?

Reading! I’ve been addicted to books since I taught myself to read at an early age. The small country school where I attended didn’t have kindergarten, so I started first grade as a 5-year-old. Also, the county library was a magical place for me growing up. So many books! We lived quite a ways out of town, which meant Saturdays were my stock-up days for books. I was fortunate in having a librarian who didn’t believe in age-restricting the stacks, and she also gave me a “special” library card that allowed twice as many check-outs as normal. I worked my way through so many sections of that library, and never got tired of reading. Still don’t! It’s how I begin and end each day.

What makes your world go round? Why does it bring you joy?

Family and friends. If we’ve learned anything over the past year, it should be to cherish those we love.

What scene from Tarnished Lies and Dead Ends was your favorite to write?

There’s a scene just before the mid-way point where our hero is being forced into a decision. It’s hard, and no one likes having their control stripped away, much less an alpha male like our hero is. Yet, in the midst of all this angst and anger, death and destruction, the characters still found humor, and later when editing that scene I still cracked up reading it. The raw reality of the human interactions between the characters is just awesome, and makes me proud of my words.