Nancy LiPetri enjoys showing readers her favorite places through the settings in her novels. We had the pleasure of having this Author interview – Nancy LiPetri for our blog. Check out this fantastic author and follow them for more amazing stories.
Nancy LiPetri now writes in south Florida after living on Lake Norman, North Carolina, for fourteen years. She enjoys showing readers her favorite places through the settings in her novels, so her first two are set on Lake Norman, NC, where realistic characters experience the culture, seasons and lake life along with relationship drama.
She also shares about the area at NancyLonLakeNorman.blogspot.com and uses a Sony Cybershot camera to fill her Lake Norman board and three In My Novels boards on Pinterest. Nancy loves a good road trip, so her second book, Across the Lake, also extends to North Carolina’s Outer Banks. And now that she lives in South Florida, Under the Palms, the third book in her Lake to Coast series takes readers into The Sunshine State for a whole new array of surprises. Her fascination with psychology, the subconscious, and relationship dynamics leads to themes of infidelity, mortality, morality, and love of all kinds.
Content is adult; romance may get steamy yet not graphic. Nancy’s writing is often called vivid, realistic, and relatable. Her characters often find themselves struggling with dark thoughts, confusion, and temptations. What will they dare to share and act upon?
She hopes her varied tales will reassure readers they are not alone in their own secret dilemmas. Readers are bound to recognize a bit of themselves or a friend in the cast of characters. Above all, her stories are intended to entertain. She writes a fast pace to keep you flipping pages and looking for more. When she’s not at her desk writing with her cat, you’ll find her at the beach (often with a camera), practicing yoga with neighbor pals, and working on her pickleball game (she and hubby play some mean mixed doubles).
She also enjoys connecting with fellow wildlife enthusiasts, friends, and readers on social media. Stop by her Facebook and say Hi.
When did you start writing?
I’ve been writing stories since I was a kid and could use my mother’s typewriter. My career was in copywriting for a California cataloguer, then when I became an empty-nester, I finally got time to put together my first novel, The Wooded Path, which was published traditionally by Oak Tree Press in 2014.
What was it like growing up?
I was an only child in Iowa, the nerdy girl who always had her nose in a book. Loved school, my cat, and close cousins. Got to learn about the country on vacation road trips with my parents.
How was your early life?
High school and college years were terrific, a time of blossoming for me. Went to so many dances and concerts (thus, there’s always music in my stories) and ended up marrying my Todd shortly after graduation. We’ve enjoyed living on both US coasts and in between.
What has been the biggest influence in your career?
In my writing career, I’d say my biggest influence would be the late Billie Johnson, my first publisher. She taught me so much about the book biz and pushed me out of my comfort zone when it came to building my brand and connecting with readers at events as well as on social media. I’m so grateful I got to start out with her.
Tell us about your newest release.
Under the Palms is the 3rd book in my Lake to Coast series and was just released in March 2023. It’s been an over-the-top fun release month with a cake and a party at my community pickleball courts. I didn’t expect the number of readers that showed up with stacks of my novels for me to sign, even my earlier books. Locals are just giddy over the story full of relatable, familiar details about Florida, the Treasure Coast, pickleball, wildlife, etc. One of the veterans was my guest of honor because he inspired me to develop a vet character which required me to research that experience.
Which book of yours would you call your favorite child?
That’s hard to say because each book explores separate issues I feel passionate about at the time of writing, so each is my favorite for different reasons. Book 1 for its messages about midlife and marriage as well as lake life; Book 2 for the playful, quirky new main character as well as numerous tidbits about my musician son; and now Book 3 for its messages about family dysfunction, ties and more on the life’s short theme.
What inspired you to write this book?
After years of collecting notes, I was out on the lake with friends for a nighttime boat ride during which we realized the depth finder wasn’t working…and the what-if’s inspired me to tie my ideas together with an inciting incident. That was the start of my contemporary intertwined series.
What are you usually found doing when you’re not writing?
Playing pickleball, swimming, bicycling, and birding with my camera.
What does your writing space look like?
My iMac sits on an old oak desk in my home office decorated with family photos and pics we took on our travels. Glass doors block me from the rest of the house, and there’s a powder puff bush outside the window. My tuxedo cat is often crowding my keyboard.
If you wrote your autobiography, what would you name it?
Hmmmm, maybe Positivity and Perseverance. (Ha, this retired copywriter can’t resist the alliteration.)
How long did it take to write your novel, and what was your process?
Each of my novels has taken about 3 years from start to finish. That includes putting my many notes/ideas/sparks into some sort of order in a Word file I bring up on one side of my work-in-progress. Some of my ideas have to be brought over from snippets I dictate into my phone at all hours and locations. Then because I’m influenced by the great John Irving, I do as he has said he does and get my ending in mind, then write toward that intended end.
Favorite reads?
Anything by John Irving…loved Where the Crawdads Sing…just reread The Storied Life of AJ Fikry…thought Gone Girl was terrific. Recently was amazed by The Personal Librarian. I have eclectic taste.
Do you have any book recommendations?
That SO much depends on one’s preferred genre(s). I learned over the past decade of being an author that you can’t recommend a book blindly without knowing a person’s taste. I’d recommend any from question 12, yet a fan of sci-fi or pure romance (for example) might not enjoy those. I have a Pinterest board of “Books I’ve Enjoyed” Anyone is welcome to peruse.
What’s your next big project?
Book 4 in the open-ended Lake to Coast series. It will be in the note-gathering stage for months, no doubt. I’m presently just enjoying this current release and taking a mental break from having a manuscript tugging at my mind.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Write to express what you feel passionate about. And study the craft. Read, read, read the genre you want to write.
Follow Nancy:
https://nancylipetri.wixsite.com/nancylipetriauthor
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