Author Q&A: Vicki Lewis Thompson

New York Times bestseller Vicki Lewis Thompson adores the life of a romance writer.

While she’s enjoyed many spotlight moments in her career, dreaming up stories and sharing them with her terrific readers beats the red carpet every day.

After publishing more than 150 books, she’s ready to publish 150 more.

SADYE: How did you come to see yourself as a writer, and what inspired you to seek publication?

VICKI: I love this question because it allows me to honor my mother, who was a writer of poetry, a co-writer of a musical, and my biggest cheerleader when I first started making up poems. I was about eight.

She died too young, before I became a published novelist. That was many years ago and I still miss her.

SADYE: What have been the most surprising, rewarding, and challenging parts of your writing career?

VICKI: I can’t believe I’ve written more than 150 books!

The rewards have been huge, bringing me experiences I would never have had otherwise, a connection with thousands of readers, and recently, the joy of watching my daughter, Audrey Sharpe, become a successful published novelist, too.

The biggest challenge is time. A writer has homework for the rest of her life and there’s never enough time to finish it!

SADYE: What has been the most touching or memorable piece of reader feedback you’ve received?

VICKI: I’ll pick two. A teenage boy emailed me that one of my books was the first novel he’d ever read and now he was hooked on reading.

A woman wrote a snail mail letter telling me that after reading one of my books, she was inspired to tackle the problems in her failing marriage and that now they’re happier than they ever were.

I only aspire to entertain readers for a few hours, but every so often, I change their lives.

SADYE: What message or theme would you like readers to take away from your work?

VICKI: I’m an optimist, which is I why I’m such a fan of romance novels and the HEA.

Because I believe we manifest what we focus on, I’d be delighted if I’ve directed my readers’ attention to the warmth and satisfaction found in positive human interactions.

SADYE: What advice, as relates to your writing career, would you give your younger self?

VICKI: I’d tell her that while the money, the awards and the growing stack of books are all great for the ego, the only lasting pleasure is in the process, the joy of creation.

I would tell her to be grateful every day that she’s found work that she loves so much that it’s not work at all.

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Learn more about Vicki Lewis Thompson on her website, where her books can also be purchased, and like her on Facebook. 

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