The Writer's View: Tamara Carlisle

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Tamara will be awarding two $25 Amazon GCs to randomly drawn commenters during the tour. Click on the banner to see the other stops in her tour.

The view inside my writing space is primarily of the Queen Anne-style desk I’ve had since I was a teen. I wrote even then on that same desk. I try not to have a lot of distractions around me so there isn’t much else to see except blinds that are closed to avoid outside distractions such as passing cars or animals that have wandered away from the nearby creek; speakers that are silent because I can’t even listen to music while writing without losing my train of thought; a coaster with my usual Diet Pepsi or Sugar Free Red Bull sitting on it to keep my fatigue at bay (or, when I’m trying to be healthy, water); a Royal Tara Celtic Spirit lamp for the extra light I prefer and because I’m obsessed with everything Celtic thanks to my Scots-Irish heritage; a phone sitting in its charger; a mouse pad containing a picture of my daughter at the age of five; a cordless mouse because I fight with the corded ones; a somewhat wide-screen monitor with a Skype camera perched atop it; and a simple keyboard because I have difficulty using laptop keyboards and ergonomic ones. I keep the computer itself as well as the printer off to the side and out of the way.

Someday, I hope to be able to write in bed with a large monitor hovering above or to the side of me and excellent voice recognition software. I’m really not that lazy, but it does sound nice in principle, especially after a long day at work.

The view outside my window is covered by my blinds. If I opened the blinds, it would be very dark for most of the year since I usually write in the evenings. In the summer, when it is light later, I would see a large tree and a little red school house that is silent because all the children who spent their day running and screaming have left for the day (and those pre-schoolers really do scream all day long).

When I’m writing, however, I don’t see either of those views. I transcribe the story from the movie playing in my head. In Away from the Spotlight, the movie in my head started with a daydream about the red carpet at the Oscars, a far more glamorous setting than my little desk that overlooks a little red school house.

About the Author:

Tamara Carlisle is a former attorney and business consultant. Away from the Spotlight is her first published work of fiction. She currently is working on two additional novels: one is about love in the music industry and the other is a work of paranormal fiction. Tamara currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her British husband and daughter. For further information, go to http://www.tamaracarlisle.com.

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Tamara’s Goodreads Author Page also includes a blog detailing trivia relating to Away from the Spotlight.

In the closing weeks of law school, Shannon Sutherland meets handsome and charming Englishman Will MacKenzie. Initially swept off her feet, Shannon finds that Will has a secret that, once discovered and the consequences realized, could destroy their fledgling relationship. Will and Shannon take great pains to have a normal relationship but, ultimately, find it impossible to do so. Will the pressures of their careers and the temptations of others drive Will and Shannon apart? Can Will and Shannon live a happy life away from the spotlight?