Big 4 with Bec: Lani Woodland
Lani Woodland has been an avid reader since elementary school when she first discovered the Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins series. In sixth grade she began writing plays and recruiting (with force when necessary) her friends to act them out. Most of these early works were inspired by She-Ra, the epitome of girl power to her young self.
She graduated from BYU with a BS in Family Science. Lani has always loved scary stories, and has a hard time enjoying any book without at least a little romance in it. She lives in Southern California with her husband, their two children and a large collection of board games. She has worked as a spot-welder, babysitter, janitor, photographer, gymnastics coach, and movie extra. She enjoys bonfires at the beach, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, speed talking, chocolate as a cure-all, and the word “precisely”.
1. Our reviewer, Krista, absolutely loved the first two instalments of your Yara Silva trilogy, mentioning that they’re becoming ‘darker and more intense’. For readers who are waiting to get their hands on a copy of Indelible (book 2), can you tell us a bit about Yara’s character development, and her relationship with Brent?
I’m so happy Krista liked them! Yay! Yara is trying to avoid becoming like the women in her family. She doesn’t want to be a Waker (someone who can see and talk to ghosts). However in Intrinsical she learns she can’t run from who she is. In Indelible she has come to terms with being a Waker but she hasn’t really embraced it. She still longs to be normal. The series so far has been about her becoming okay with the hand she has been dealt. I think her relationship with Brent is fairly realistic (aside from the paranormal problems). Neither one of them are perfect. They are both growing into the people they are going to become and they are attempting to do that together.
2. You’ve said that you enjoy beach bonfires and ‘hole-in-the-wall’ restaurants, among many others things. What’s your
favourite setting to write in? Do you need quiet and solitude, or do you thrive in busy, populated environments, where you can people-watch (or even eavesdrop)?
I like to write alone in the quiet. I don’t have a laptop so I write at home in my living room. I love to write when the room is clean. If I had a laptop I have several places I would love to write. Down the street from my house is this beautiful fountain. I think that would be a great place to write. I have a family and it is hard to write with them around. Mainly because I can be working really well and it all screeches to a halt when my kids need help with something. I create best alone. When I am editing though I work well with my friend Melonie and my husband Evan. It is great bouncing ideas off them.
3. The final book in the trilogy, Inevitable, has a tantalising name, perhaps hinting at destiny. Can you give us a teaser? How important are the themes of fate and destiny in your work and are these themes that you enjoy in other fiction?
The third book will be tying together all the loose threads I created in Indelible. I love reading about fate but I don’t think my books have fate in them. I feel like there are certain things Yara has to deal with because of who she is but she is free to choose whatever life she wants. Well, she will still have to deal with ghosts, but it is up to her whether or not she decides to help them.
4. Which of your fictional characters Burns Brightest in your mind and why?
I think Sophia burns the brightest. She was a very memorable character. I feel like she had a lot of hidden depth that was hidden behind a whole lot of anger. She was also my most ghostly ghost to date.
Lani Online:
Intrinsical book website.
Lani’s blog.
Lani’s website.
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