Interview with Lux Zakari!!

What made you decide to write in this genre?

It was never so much a decision as it was a natural draw. I find it impossible not to write about relationships, with all the good and the bad, and for the most part relationships concern sex in some capacity. I choose to be graphic with all the sexy details because I’m being graphic about everything else everyone is feeling or doing. It wouldn’t feel right for me to skimp there. Plus, it’s hot and fun!

Which character did you like writing the most? Why? Which character was the hardest?

Finale’s protagonist, Olivia Gray, was the most fun to write. I loved the opportunity to be so sarcastic and describe the world in such a dry, ridiculous, over-the-top way. Her growth was also really satisfying to chart, as was the decline of her secret paramour, the musician Jonathan Levant. Their relationship and dialogue felt very natural and easy to write. The children were definitely most difficult to write, as I don’t currently have kids of my own. Hopefully I succeeded in lending them a semblance of realism!

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Tell us a little about your writing process.

I definitely start out with a synopsis to get me going, but I don’t write in any specific order. Actually, I write in no order at all; I’ll start in the middle and sometimes write the end before the beginning. I just go with whatever idea is most vivid in my head—that ensures that at least something gets done!

Where did you get the idea for this book?

The inspiration for Finale may strike some readers as obvious, but it goes beyond the bare-bones concept of a music legend dying under sudden circumstances and leaving his three children behind. This isn’t the music legend’s story. I wanted to explore the idea of what the aftermath of his death would be like for all the parties involved, and I wanted to intersperse the story with a complicated love story providing evidence behind the decision to leave the children under the guardianship of a person who never thought of anyone but herself.

Did it require a lot of research? What was your favorite part of research?

My friend cracked me up recently; I was telling him how on some occasions, I try to be an unobservant as possible, and he was like, “You try to be unobservant? How are you a writer, man? ...Maybe that’s why you’re prolific; you’re just making shit up!” Generally, that’s what I do; I definitely just wing it if I have no idea what I’m talking about, and for the most part, I have little experience with some major themes of the story, such as fame and parenting. But the story did have to be grounded in realism, so whenever I would reach a point where I needed a fact or some realistic inspiration (i.e., when the Grammies took place, what kind of car was popular in 1985), I’d just type “XXXX” and go back later to fill those spots in.

Is there anything you'd like to share with readers?

In the near future, look for some happy endings – but know they won’t come easy!

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Purchase link for Finale: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=601&zenid=6682f72a0e56c6d5ef87b6d88e427d51

Purchase link for Coercion: http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_12&products_id=315

www.luxzakari.com