Spotlight On AdC's Ms. July Ester Lopez

 

 

SPOTLIGHT ON MS. JULY

ESTER LOPEZ

 

Ester began her writing career after a “close encounter” in 1989 on a desolate beach road in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. It took her twenty-five years from start to ‘published’ to write her first book. Of course that included learning the craft, raising three children, and a move from the beaches of northwest Florida to the mountains of Tennessee.

This year, Ester celebrates ten years since the publication of her first book, “The Abduction.” She now has seventeen books published, four of which are children’s books.

Ester currently lives in the Smokies with her husband, two mini horses, Pepper and Bucky, and their dog, Chewie, and is working on her next two books.

Do you have a new book or series?

 

I have a new book, “Guardian Investigations: A Matter of Time.” It’s the seventh book in The Angel Chronicles Series.

Where did the idea for this story come from?

The idea came to me at the end of the last book in The Angel Chronicles Series, “Nephilim.” It took me over a year to get the idea to work.

Who’s your favorite character in your new book? Why?

My favorite character is Elena Romero Cummings, a private investigator, along with her husband, Pete. Because I see myself in her shoes most of the time.

Are there specific people or events that helped shape the story?

I had a contest for my readers to help me name the agency they were forming (as private investigators) as well as a title for the book. The winner would be a character in the story. This was one reason I had a hard time putting the story together, but it turned out pretty good. And now, that reader (who is also a reviewer) may become a regular character in my next story.

Do you get inspiration from personal experience or just plain imagination?

I get inspiration from both my personal experiences and my imagination. I’ve worked a lot of different jobs over the years and that helps a lot.

Have you ever driven down a road or gone on vacation and thought, wow, this would make an awesome story?

Well, my close encounter led to my first book in The Genesis Saga of The Vaedra Chronicles Series. Then characters in each subsequent story led to other stories. I’ve even heard songs that made me think, ‘that would make a great story.’ In fact, “Bailey’s Irish Dream” was inspired by a song in the early 2000’s by the Real McCoys-Another Night.

Do you need silence or background noise when writing?

I usually write in silence. I could probably write with music playing, but if it’s a song with words, I will sing along and then I wouldn’t be writing.

How do you stay motivated?

It’s hard to stay motivated with so much going on in the world right now. Instead, I’ve used some of it for my stories, especially the sci-fi stories. Currently, I’m working on two books-one is a children’s book, “Adventure Street Kids.” The other is a non-fiction book, “Are You My Irish Cousin?” I have two more planned in that series, “Are You My Spanish Cousin?” and “Are You My Czech Cousin?” Those books will keep me busy for a while.

Do you take time off once a book is sent to the editor, or do you move on to the next story?

I do take time off when a book is done, but I should be marketing the book instead.

It’s time to sit back and relax. What’s your go-to?

When I’m not writing, I make earrings or wine charms or galaxy bags. I started back in stained glass recently, but I’ll be canning vegetables soon or make wine when my garden is ready. Lately, I’ve been reading books.

Will you be attending any book signings or conventions?

I decided to take this year off from those because I was homeschooling my granddaughter, but she has graduated very recently, so I may do some in 2027.

 

Contact Information:

 Esterlopez.com

 x.com/esterlopez1 

facebook.com/ESTERLOPEZAUTHOR

 

 

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