Q&A with Lisa Towles, Thriller Author
Please welcome Lisa Towles to our Featured Author Q&A series at Writer’s Fun Zone. Enjoy!
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If you’d like to be considered for an interview, check out our guidelines here.
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About Lisa Towles
Lisa Towles is an award-winning crime novelist from the Bay Area.
Her 14th thriller, Switch, will be published by Indies United Publishing on September 30, 2025.
Switch is the 3rd and final book of her E&A Investigations thriller series about former CIA operative Mari Ellwyn and her partner Derek Abernathy.
Hot House is a psychological thriller, Salt Island is an Eco-Thriller, and Switch is a Techno Thriller.
For follow up questions, feel free to email Lisa at lisamarietowles@gmail.com.
On to Our Interview!
Q. Tell us who you are and what inspires you to write.
A. I’m a crime novelist and a communications leader for tech companies.
I’m also a mentor and creativity coach for novice writers.
I write mostly standalone crime thrillers, and I’m inspired by complex crimes and the complex personalities that commit them.
Q. How did you get to this place in your life? Share your story!
A. I’m from New England and I’ve lived in the Bay Area since 2007.
I’ve always held a full time corporate day while also writing full time, and my career in communications is complementary to my writing journey using most of the same skills and talents.
Q. What are you most passionate about?
A. I’m passionate about technology — and my latest book Switch is about quantum computing, which is another area of interest for me.
I’m passionate about the concept of secrets, because I think what we hide from the world (and ourselves) has power.
So my interest in human behavior and psychology draws me repeatedly to that dark side and how we’re impacted emotionally by what happens in our world, in our relationships, and the need to reconcile things and go deep inside.
I’m also passionate about supporting other authors, and one of the ways I do that is through my Story Impact author interview series on YouTube.
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process, routine, and/or rituals around your writing?
A. My standard practice is to write a little bit every day, and to try to hold myself to schedules (finishing a first draft by September 1st or something.).
Sometimes I’m just thinking about writing, or plotting, or organizing my files, and that counts!
And other times I just need a day off because my brain needs a rest.
And marketing and promotion is separate from that. That’s the “business of writing” and requires a different set of skills, discipline, and energy.
Q. What are a few challenges you faced in creating, marketing, or publishing your creative work? And your solutions to them.
A. Whether you have a traditional publisher, are self published or working with a smaller press, marketing and promotion is a continuous requirement of this path.
One of the hardest parts is deciding how much you’re going to do yourself and what parts you’ll sub out to consultants.
I think I have a good mix now, but for a long time I was doing everything (and working full time) and I was constantly burned out.
Q. What do you wish you had known before you started writing fiction?
A. Well, I think I was lucky in a way, because I’m a lifelong musician and I had private music lessons on piano and flute from very early childhood.
So my musical training helped me develop discipline early on, and as a creative person that was very beneficial.
But I wish I had found writing mentors along the way, especially early on.
That’s why I’m so passionate about helping novice writers to help them have a better launch on this journey than I did. 🙂
Q. What’s next for you in your creative work?
A. I have another standalone thriller coming out in 2026, called The Weight of Cold Things.
It’s a dark thriller, sort of like “Yellowstone” meets “The X-Files”.
It will be released next August.
Q. Is there anything else you wished I’d asked? Please share!
A. What keeps me going on the often challenging writing journey?
Wonderful writing friends who give me support, inspiration, and companionship along the way.
Writing is a team sport so let’s help each other!
Switch (E&A Investigations Thriller Series Book 3) by Lisa Towles
Following Hot House and Salt Island, Mari Ellwyn and Derek Abernathy return to track a string of unsettling bank robberies, the disappearance of a body from the local morgue, and a missing Medical Examiner — all of which lead them to a corrupt organization using fringe technology to manipulate global levers of power.
For Mari, the case forces her to reconcile the truth about her missing father and finally come face-to-face with her nemesis, international crime boss Jacquel Martel, before she becomes another victim in his deadly game.
Connect with Lisa Towles
Website: http://lisatowles.com
Facebook: @authortowles
Twitter: @writertowles
Instagram: @authorlisatowles
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisatowles
Pinterest: @lisatowlesauthor
