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What can you tell us about your new release, Stones?

Stones is book five of my series The One True Child. It is the continuation of Claire’s story, set seven years after the end of the last. In this one Claire is now married to Matt, they have a daughter, Bree, who is six, and they are settled in New Zealand. But darkness is still stalking Claire in the form of Marcus Ryder, who takes Bree in order to force Claire into complying with his plan. There are a lot of discoveries in this story, from truths about certain characters’ backgrounds, to learning more about who Claire really is and the world she belongs to.

What books are currently on your night stand?

I am currently reading The War of the Dwarves by Markus Heitz. It’s the second instalment in this series and I’m really enjoying it, as it is just as good as the first. The next in the queue is Shadow Tyrants by Clive Cussler and Boyd Morrison. There are many more on my ever growing and varied to-read list still yet to be purchased.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

A little while ago it would have been: ‘Write more often and get your work out there sooner.’ But now it’s: ‘Keep living, keep growing and having new experiences. Ignore those that laugh when you say you love writing, and just keep going. It is your experiences as you grow that will get us to where we are now. Worry less that your writing isn’t good enough, as you are still learning. Keep reading, those books are amazing grounding in story craft, so study them well.'

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

That extra hour would probably be spent reading. In the last few years it has felt like I have lost the precious time to really curl up with a book and enjoy it. I have read, but it has always been hurried while waiting for appointments or rushed so I could give feedback. There is nothing like relaxing in my favourite chair, a book in hand and a cup of tea at my side.

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

There are many things that keep me going and give me joy. Every day is a blessing for me, and I try to keep that in my mind; especially when I experience those down days. My family keep me grounded. The unconditional love, support and encouragement of my husband is a great light in my life, and my children are a constant source of joy and laughter.

I also find joy in nature, weather it is a glorious sunrise or sunset; a storm raging around me; the sound of bird calls first thing in the morning; or just a beautiful scene of a river threading its way through a gully, or sea with waves pounding onto the shore. They are peaceful moments when I can stop, breathe, and clear my mind, while just enjoying the fact that I am alive.

What scene in Stones was your favorite to write?

There are two scenes in Stones that I would say were equal in enjoyment to write, and still bring me a shiver of enjoyment as I read them. The first was a confrontation between Claire and Marcus. He is trying to get information from a man and was forcing Claire to do it. It is the first time in the book that you truly get to see what sort of man Marcus really is, and it was a lot of fun to write the direct and physical interaction between my protagonist and antagonist.

The second is a bit more intricate. It deals with the revelation of a secret that has been hidden from everyone. I’m not going to go into any detail about what the secret is—as it would be a spoiler for the readers—but I will talk about the experience. While I was writing it, the words just seem to form themselves. The revelation was a surprise even to me and it was one of those great ‘ah-ha’ moments. It took me a good half an hour after, and many scribbled notes, to see how it fitted in with the story to come. I think it was also the catalyst for the next instalment of The One True Child Series.

L.C. Conn is the author of the new book Stones

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