Please help me welcome Lauren Clark to the blog. She is an award winning author who's agreed to share with us today.
CC: Tell us about growing up.
LC: I
grew up in Akron, New York, a tiny suburb outside of Buffalo, NY. It’s a town
of about 3,000 people and I attended a K-12 school. We were quite close to
Canada and I spent a lot of time in Ontario when I was a child. I have two
brothers, who are both now married. Each child in the family has two children,
so my parents have 6 grandchildren.
I’m
single and have two boys, 17 and 9. They are awesome and keep me grounded.
I
was both a bookworm and a jock – Lol. I
played field hockey beginning in the 8th grade through my senior
year. I also participated in soccer, swim team, softball (1 year) and
cheerleading. I was also in the honor society, took as many AP courses as
possible, and graduated in the top of my class.
CC:Who are your favorite
authors and favorite genres?
LC: Right
now, Sue Monk Kidd, JoJo Moyes, Chris Bohjalian, Sophie Kinsella, Emily Giffin,
and Jennifer Weiner top the list. I also adore Rainbow Rowell, Veronica Roth,
and Suzanne Collins. My tastes are so varied. One week it’s thrillers, the next
week, sweet romance, the next dystopian.
CC: A lovely mix. Have you also read Sarah Addison Allen? What’s your favorite way to
relax and recharge? Hobbies?
LC: I
work full time, write, and go to graduate school these days, so anytime I’m not
in front of a laptop or computer screen “doing work” I feel like it’s a little
bit of an escape. That said, I do read on my iPhone, so I’m still relying on
technology to “get away.”
My
hobbies …. Running, wine night with girlfriends, reading. Collecting story
ideas while I travel and visit friends and family.
CC: Do you have a favorite quote
that sums up how you feel about life?
LC: “Can I be blunt on this
subject? If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools)
to write. Simple as that.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
“And what, you ask, does
writing teach us? First and foremost, it reminds us that we are alive and that
it is a gift and a privilege, not a right.”
― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
CC: How long have you been
writing?
LC: I’ve
been writing in my current career (public relations, television reporter and
anchor, web content manager) for almost 15 years. I’ve been writing fiction
since 2009.
CC: Where do you prefer to
write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?
LC: I
prefer to write in the morning, in the solitude of my office, before everyone
wakes up. I generally get up between 5 and 5:30 am, grab coffee, and write or edit
for two hours. Of course, that continually makes me a few minutes late for
work, but I think my boss has gotten used to the idea that he’s not dealing
with a run of the mill employee. My goal is always better time management!
CC: Are you a plotter or a panzer?
LC: Definitely a plotter. I need a plan, and often write a few sentences on every chapter, mapping out the entire book before I begin writing the first word. Plotting everything, to the best of my ability, saves me time in the end. Certainly, there are times that the characters veer off and do their own thing, but I always come back to the main plan and stay relatively on course.
CC: Do you use real events or
persons in your stories or as an inspiration for stories?
LC: I
use real situations in my stories, does that count? It seems that I have all
sorts of crazy things that happen to me on a daily basis (i.e. A greeter in
Wal-Mart who wanted to buy my brand new iPhone. A grocery store check-out clerk
who insisted that I buy Blue Bell vanilla ice cream instead of Breyers). I’ve
used quite a few of those strange, but funny, incidences in Pie Girls and Dancing Naked in Dixie.
CC: Do you set daily writing
goals?
LC: As
far as writing goals, 2,000 words is a good day. I’m usually happy with 1,500,
but it all depends on the chapter I’m working on. I love to complete a chapter
in a sitting, so if it takes 1,650 words, I’m done! I try to write every day,
Monday through Friday. Some weekends are too full of kids’ activities and
social events, so it’s tough to squeeze in a few hours, but I try.
If
I’m on deadline to revise a book, I’m very structured and methodical. I work
out the number of pages to complete per day and pin the calendar to the fridge
and set up reminders in Gmail.
CC: What do you hope your
writing brings to readers?
LC: It’s
my hope that my stories might give my readers a bit of escape from normal,
every day life. I hope that they read my stories, lose themselves a little bit
in the setting and characters, and laugh out loud at some of the funny
situations my characters find themselves in.
CC: What long-term plans do you
have for your career?
LC: I’m
all about improving my skills as a writer. I’m a voracious reader of writing
craft books – and adore James Scott Bell, Donald Maas, and other experts in the
field.
CC: Would you like to tell us
what you’re working on now?
LC: In
September, I landed a two-book deal with Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson. I
couldn’t be more thrilled, and I have met a wonderful team of talented women
who will be bringing my new suspense novel, “Center of Gravity,” to market in
July 2015! Another novel will follow, and involves a sister betrayal
storyline. The books will be published
under LAURA MCNEILL (my real name), as they wanted to reserve Lauren Clark for
RomCom Fiction.
CC: Congratulations! What advice would you give
to unpublished authors?
LC: Persevere.
Don’t give up. Finish that “terrible, awful” first manuscript, even if you
think it’s the worst piece of fiction you’ve ever read. There’s something
completely satisfying in finishing an 80,000 word manuscript, and it teaches
discipline and follow-through, which are necessary for a lengthy, successful
writing career.
CC: Share a fun fact readers wouldn’t
know about you.
LC: I
have an unrequited love affair with caramel desserts. For my birthday, my boys
bought me a 7-layer caramel cake. It was divine. (And I did share with a dozen
of my closest friends).
CC: Yum! I love caramel. Share something about you that
would surprise or shock readers.
Surprise
or shock? Hmmm. I have a tendency to lose things. My keys. My
car in a gigantic parking lot. Today, it’s my wallet. Sigh. I need to invent an
invisible tether to all things important to functioning as a person.
CC: Is your book a series?
LC: Nope.
Not this one.
CC: Can you give readers a blurb
about your book PIE GIRLS?
But now, Searcy has a teeny, tiny problem. Her husband’s had a mid-life crisis. He’s quit his job, cancelled her credit cards, and left her for another man.
Searcy returns to Fairhope, ready to lick her wounds. But when her mother falls ill, she’s is thrust into managing the family business—only to discover the beloved bakery is in danger of closing its doors forever.
Enlisting the help of the adorable bike store owner next door, an array of well-heeled customers, and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Searcy hatches the plan of the century to save Pie Girls.
CC: How about an excerpt:
Thirty minutes later, I am decked from head to toe in the
finest lingerie Saks Fifth Avenue has to offer. Wrapped in a lovely camel
Armani overcoat, belted securely, I smooth the deep red cashmere scarf against
my neck.
The sensation of wearing barely anything gives me a heady
rush of power. The garter belt, slung low around my hips, allows a satisfying
tug when I take a step. Silken stockings caress my legs, and Lucinda opted for
a buttery-soft pair of black thigh-high boots to finish the outfit.
After smoothing and coaxing my hair into submission, Lucinda
talks me into some lotion, and then a dusting of sparkly powder to highlight my
décolletage. She wields a huge brush and swishes the iridescent flecks onto my
skin with expert precision. The result is amazing.
“Perfect.” I blink at my reflection. My skin appears softer
and luminous, almost flawless. The glow makes my eyes seem brighter, even in
department store lighting.
“You look fabulous,” my personal shopper agrees. She steps
back to survey her work and gives me a satisfied nod. “He won’t be able to help
himself once he sees what’s under that overcoat.”
Lucinda squeezes my hand. “Good luck with everything. I
think Alton will come to his senses.” She pauses and frowns. “He’d better.”
As for Pamela Pryor, she’d better watch out.
This is war. No price is too high.
I am going to win my husband back.
Where can readers find your books? (buy link)
Nook: http://bit.ly/1pHBVuo
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/pie-girls/id906182442?mt=11
Is there anything else you’d
like readers to know about you?
Thank
you to the lovely readers who’ve championed my books, suggested them to
friends, and gifted them to loved ones. I offer my sincere appreciation.
About Lauren Clark:
Lauren Clark writes contemporary Southern novels sprinkled with
sunshine, suspense, and secrets. A former TV news anchor, Lauren adores
flavored coffee, local book stores, and anywhere she can stick her toes in the
sand. Her big loves are her family, paying it forward, and true-blue friends.
She is the author of four award-winning novels, Dancing Naked in
Dixie, Stay Tuned, Stardust Summer, and Pie Girls, as well as a short story, A
Very Dixie Christmas, published in the Merry & Bright holiday collection.
Lauren is a member of the Gulf Coast Writers Association and the Mobile Writers
Guild. Check out her website at www.laurenclarkbooks.com.
Blog – http://www.laurenclarkbooks.com/blog
Twitter - @LaurenClark_Bks
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lauren-Clark/235315706518284
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/laurenclarkbks/
5 comments:
Thank you for hosting today
Great interview, I enjoyed reading it.
Lauren, thanks for sharing with readers. Best wishes for the future.
Caroline ~ Thank you for the opportunity to be featured on "A Writer's Life."
I really enjoyed the interview questions and appreciate the opportunity to tell your readers about PIE GIRLS <3
Lauren
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