{"id":29744,"date":"2025-08-26T03:00:35","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T10:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=29744"},"modified":"2026-03-11T16:46:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T23:46:08","slug":"qa-with-lisa-towles-thriller-author","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/26\/qa-with-lisa-towles-thriller-author\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&#038;A with Lisa Towles, Thriller Author"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/QA-with-Lisa-Towles-Thriller-Author.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-29746 size-full\" title=\"Q&amp;A with Lisa Towles, Thriller Author\" src=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/QA-with-Lisa-Towles-Thriller-Author.png\" alt=\"Q&amp;A with Lisa Towles, Thriller Author\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/QA-with-Lisa-Towles-Thriller-Author.png 300w, https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/QA-with-Lisa-Towles-Thriller-Author-80x80.png 80w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Please welcome Lisa Towles to our Featured Author Q&amp;A series at Writer\u2019s Fun Zone. Enjoy!<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019d like to be considered for an interview, check out our guidelines <a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/guest-columnists-welcome\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<h2>About Lisa Towles<\/h2>\n<blockquote><p>Lisa Towles is an award-winning crime novelist from the Bay Area.<\/p>\n<p>Her 14th thriller, <i>Switch,<\/i> will be published by Indies United Publishing on September 30, 2025.<\/p>\n<p><i>Switch<\/i> is the 3rd and final book of her E&amp;A Investigations thriller series about former CIA operative Mari Ellwyn and her partner Derek Abernathy.<\/p>\n<p><i>Hot House<\/i> is a psychological thriller, <i>Salt Island<\/i> is an Eco-Thriller, and <i>Switch<\/i> is a Techno Thriller.<\/p>\n<p>For follow up questions, feel free to email Lisa at <a href=\"mailto:lisamarietowles@gmail.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lisamarietowles@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>On to Our Interview!<\/h2>\n<p><b>Q. Tell us who you are and what inspires you to write.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">A. I&#8217;m a crime novelist and a communications leader for tech companies.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">I&#8217;m also a mentor and creativity coach for novice writers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">I write mostly standalone crime thrillers, and I&#8217;m inspired by complex crimes and the complex personalities that commit them.<\/p>\n<p><b>Q. How did you get to this place in your life? Share your story! <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">A. I&#8217;m from New England and I&#8217;ve lived in the Bay Area since 2007.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">I&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<p><b>Q. What are you most passionate about? <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">A. I&#8217;m passionate about technology &#8212; and my latest book <i>Switch<\/i> is about quantum computing, which is another area of interest for me.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">I&#8217;m passionate about the concept of secrets, because I think what we hide from the world (and ourselves) has power.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">So my interest in human behavior and psychology draws me repeatedly to that dark side and how we&#8217;re impacted emotionally by what happens in our world, in our relationships, and the need to reconcile things and go deep inside.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">I&#8217;m also passionate about supporting other authors, and one of the ways I do that is through my <a href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLbkr7W9ytZ0YlPKx5flDqGpVzfRllnk2o&amp;si=fdqpfZ0oOjX8hdi6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Story Impact author interview series on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process, routine, and\/or rituals around your writing?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">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.).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Sometimes I&#8217;m just thinking about writing, or plotting, or organizing my files, and that counts!<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">And other times I just need a day off because my brain needs a rest.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">And marketing and promotion is separate from that. That&#8217;s the &#8220;business of writing&#8221; and requires a different set of skills, discipline, and energy.<\/p>\n<p><b>Q. What are a few challenges you faced in creating, marketing, or publishing your creative work? And your solutions to them.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">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.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">One of the hardest parts is deciding how much you&#8217;re going to do yourself and what parts you&#8217;ll sub out to consultants.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">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.<\/p>\n<p><b>Q. What do you wish you had known before you started writing fiction? <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">A. Well, I think I was lucky in a way, because I&#8217;m a lifelong musician and I had private music lessons on piano and flute from very early childhood.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">So my musical training helped me develop discipline early on, and as a creative person that was very beneficial.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">But I wish I had found writing mentors along the way, especially early on.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">That&#8217;s why I&#8217;m so passionate about helping novice writers to help them have a better launch on this journey than I did. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p><b>Q. What&#8217;s next for you in your creative work?<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">A. I have another standalone thriller coming out in 2026, called <i>The Weight of Cold Things<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">It&#8217;s a dark thriller, sort of like &#8220;Yellowstone&#8221; meets &#8220;The X-Files&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">It will be released next August.<\/p>\n<p><b>Q. Is there anything else you wished I&#8217;d asked? Please share!\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">A. What keeps me going on the often challenging writing journey?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Wonderful writing friends who give me support, inspiration, and companionship along the way.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Writing is a team sport so let&#8217;s help each other!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Switch-Investigations-Thriller-Book-3-ebook\/dp\/B0FHJ7NZRH\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Switch (E&amp;A Investigations Thriller Series Book 3) by Lisa Towles<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Switch-Investigations-Thriller-Book-3-ebook\/dp\/B0FHJ7NZRH\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-29745\" title=\"Switch (E&amp;A Investigations Thriller Series Book 3) by Lisa Towles\" src=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Book-Image-Lisa-186x300.jpeg\" alt=\"Switch (E&amp;A Investigations Thriller Series Book 3) by Lisa Towles\" width=\"155\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Book-Image-Lisa-186x300.jpeg 186w, https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Book-Image-Lisa.jpeg 552w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 155px) 100vw, 155px\" \/><\/a>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 &#8212; all of which lead them to a corrupt organization using fringe technology to manipulate global levers of power.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Connect with Lisa Towles<\/h2>\n<p>Website:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/lisatowles.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/lisatowles.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Facebook: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lisatowleswriter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@authortowles<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Twitter: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/writertowles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@writertowles<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Instagram: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/authorlisatowles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@authorlisatowles<\/a><\/p>\n<p>LinkedIn:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lisatowles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lisatowles<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Pinterest: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/bridgit66\/_saved\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@lisatowlesauthor<\/a><\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<h2>Also by Lisa Towles<\/h2>\n<h4 class=\"post-title entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2022\/11\/18\/five-strategies-to-prevent-perfectionism-the-thorny-side-of-self-care-by-lisa-towles\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Five Strategies to Prevent Perfectionism: The Thorny Side of Self Care by Lisa Towles<\/a><\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"post-title entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2022\/08\/23\/book-trailers-why-to-use-them-how-to-make-them-by-lisa-towles\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Book Trailers: Why To Use Them; How To Make Them by Lisa Towles<\/a><\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"post-title entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/17\/facing-rejection-and-asking-yourself-are-you-ready-for-the-yes-by-lisa-towles\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Facing Rejection and Asking Yourself: Are You Ready For the Yes? by Lisa Towles<\/a><\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"post-title entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2022\/02\/04\/the-power-of-no-by-lisa-towles\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">The Power of No by Lisa Towles<\/a><\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"post-title entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2021\/11\/23\/author-self-care-interview-with-beth-barany-author-and-creativity-coach-by-lisa-towles\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Author Self-Care: Interview with Beth Barany, Author and Creativity Coach by Lisa Towles<\/a><\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"post-title entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2021\/10\/21\/broaden-your-reading-to-better-your-writing-by-lisa-towles\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Broaden Your Reading to Better Your Writing by Lisa Towles<\/a><\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"post-title entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/30\/qa-with-thriller-novelist-lisa-towles\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Q&amp;A with Thriller Novelist, Lisa Towles<\/a> (2021)<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Award-winning author Lisa Towles shares her writing journey, passions, challenges, and latest thriller, Switch, in this candid 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