Friday, May 4, 2012

Real Virtue Author Katy Lee


How a Personality Test Led to Real Virtue



Hi, Marian, thank you for having me in your virtual home today. I’m excited to share a little tidbit about myself with your readers, so here goes…

I love research. It is my favorite part of writing. I know I learn more than I will ever need for my stories, but I love stretching my mind and filling it with knowledge. I do have to say, though, I didn’t always know this about myself.  

It was a few years back when I realized research was exciting for me. I took a personality test in a leadership course at the local college. The outcomes for the test were nine different personalities, one of which was The Researcher -- A person who seeks knowledge for understanding life. I skimmed over that one, dubbing it as “booooring,” and zeroed in on The Artist -- A person who seeks beauty in life. I thought for sure that one was me.
 
Imagine my disappointment when my scores came back announcing me as The Researcher.

Seriously?

 
But after my initial desire to flush the test, I realized that I do live to understand how things work, and in fact, I don’t need to seek beauty in life -- I can actually research how to make my own. That’s when I started writing and doing just that.

 
In my new release, Real Virtue, my heroine is a gamer. (And, yes, for my research I had to open every online game account I could find.) My story opens with Mel Mesini reaching the highest level in this online interactive game she plays. A game that promises her a life she can love. She’s playing while she is supposed to be working. She plays because she doesn’t feel so great about her real life. She plays because it’s a perfect world she can control—until someone begins messing with her virtual life, breaking into her account and stealing all her possessions.
 
And since I write romance, I needed a hero that would be Mel’s perfect match…and not just virtually, but someone intelligent and real. Someone handsome and brave. Someone that could outshine her alluring fantasy world.



BLURB:

In a virtual reality game where she can fly, someone’s aiming to take her down.

Mel Mesini is a New York City restaurateur and an avid, virtual reality world traveler. She’s risen above her misfit life and now bears a striking resemblance to her glamorous, gaming avatar. But her successful life—both online and in reality—takes a swerve the night her father is seriously injured in a hit-and-run. Mel is careened back to her judgmental hometown, where being the daughter of the town’s crazy lady had made her the outcast she was. To make matters worse, Officer Jeremy Stiles, the man whose harsh, rejecting words had cut her the deepest, is heading the investigation.

Jeremy knows he hurt Mel and attempts to make amends by finding her father’s assailant. When he realizes she’s the actual target, his plan for reconciliation turns to one of protection—whether she wants his help or not. What he wants is answers, especially about this online game she plays. Is it a harmless pastime as she says? Or is she using it to cover something up? As a faceless predator destroys the things that matter to her, Jeremy knows he’s running out of time before she loses the one thing that matters most—her real life. 

Katy Lee writes higher-purpose stories in high-speed worlds. As an inspirational author, speaker, home-schooling mom, and children’s ministry director, she has dedicated her life to sharing tales of love, from the greatest love story ever told to those sweet romantic stories of falling in love. Her fresh and unique voice brings a fast-paced and modern feel to her romances that are sure to resonate with readers long after the last page. Her debut novel Real Virtue is a finalist in many writing contests, and took second place in the 2011 Georgia Maggie Award of Excellence. Katy lives in New England with her husband, three children, and two cats.










Thanks for joining me today, Katy, and much success on your book Real Virtue


11 comments:

  1. Thank you for having me today. I'm excited to share Real Virtue with more people. And I'm excited to share more about myself. I'll be honest, I'm quite the introvert, but all this sharing is starting to open me up. :)

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  2. Hi Katy! I love that photo of you. Real Virtue was an excellent read that will appeal to fans of romance, thrillers and even gamers! Best of luck with your book.

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  3. Hey Katy,
    I can't wait to start reading Real Virtue. My son is quite an avid gamer and I have lived with a room of boys (then teens, then adult males) playing video games. Real Virtue is at the top of me TBR pile. I love the entire concept.

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    1. Thank you, Gerri. :) I'm excitd to hear what you think.

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  4. I could totally use your help with research right about now. Writing dystopian is definitely stretching my "muscles". My problem with research is that i don't know what to keep and what isn't really important to the story. It's all so very fascinating, but after hours of watching You-tube videos about everything from water powered "jet" packs that allow you to fly/hover over water, and these cool skateboard/roller blade hybrid things that kids are wearing down in Guatemala, it's hard to wrap my head around what my future world will look like.

    Good luck with the tour and have fun writing the next book, Sweetie!

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    1. If I can hlep you in any way let me know. I'm game!

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  5. Thanks for having Katy visit. It is always delightful to read your writing kate. Best blessings with your Real Virtue.

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    1. Thank you, Gail. I will cherish that compliment. Delightful writing is gooood.

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  6. Let me second that. Real Virtue was a truly enjoyable read, Marian.

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    1. First, I want to thank you for having me on your blog, and second, thank you for reading RV. I know an author's time to spread so thin.

      This means so much to me. :)

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