I was blown away by a speaker who came to our Co-operative Nursery School in South Pasadena, CA. His name was Jim Trelease, the author of many books, and the one I bought that changed my life was called THE READ ALOUD HANDBOOK. My children were very young, four yrs. old & one yr. old, at the time and I had been reading aloud to them, of course. But Jim talked about reading aloud with your kids for a lifetime, even when they become teenagers. And it was like a lightening bolt. Why not? Right? Why do people sort of stop reading with their kids when they get older? Of course life is busy. Of course they are busy. But, honestly, those books that we read together as my kids got older are so special to me. Fabulous life-long memories. And how old-fashioned is it to all sit in a room and pass a book around for entertainment. Light a candle and we could have been a family from 150 yrs ago. It is such a joy to read aloud with children. And now that I’m fresh out of kids of my own, I volunteer when I can to read aloud. Most recently I volunteered with Monterey Reads, a fabulous program and some of the kids I read to inspired some of the characters in my new book, 13 ON HALLOWEEN.
If you could have a dinner party with any authors from any time in history, who would you choose and why?
I LOVE this question!
Here’s my guest list: Franz Kafka, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, Roald Dahl, Boris Pasternak & Gabriel García Márquez
It’s funny but in high school I was in a math & science track, as I was interested in becoming a Civil Engineer, like my Dad. This didn't require me to read very extensively. It was only when I went to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena that I was exposed to Franz Kafka, Ezra pound and Gertrude Stein and this was yet another lightening bolt moment for me. I ate up their words. I read and read and read. So this is really a party of all the authors that blew my literary mind at one point in life or another. Next up? Roald Dahl. I’ll never forget reading JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH with my girls. I had never read him before and it wasn't long until I dove into the BFG, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory and many, many of his other books. Both Boris Pasternak and Gabriel García Márquez tell sweeping stories in a way that wraps the reader in a warm blanket. I have a story I am working on, based on my family’s experience in Indonesia in WWII. It’s epic. A story much larger in scope than I’ve ever written before. And I use them both as touchstones when I get overwhelmed. Gabriel García Márquez was an influence when I wrote WINNEMUCCA. I am sure that if this dinner ever came to pass that great quantities of wine would be required and I’d never want to leave!
Where is your favourite place to write?
Anywhere I can see the sunset. I had a year of sunsets when we lived in Big Sur and after that, I can’t live where I can’t see the sunset. My favorites have been in our home here in the Monterey area, in a wine barrel where we lived in Big Sur and on camping trips.
What is your book about?
If you could have a dinner party with any authors from any time in history, who would you choose and why?
I LOVE this question!
Here’s my guest list: Franz Kafka, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, Roald Dahl, Boris Pasternak & Gabriel García Márquez
It’s funny but in high school I was in a math & science track, as I was interested in becoming a Civil Engineer, like my Dad. This didn't require me to read very extensively. It was only when I went to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena that I was exposed to Franz Kafka, Ezra pound and Gertrude Stein and this was yet another lightening bolt moment for me. I ate up their words. I read and read and read. So this is really a party of all the authors that blew my literary mind at one point in life or another. Next up? Roald Dahl. I’ll never forget reading JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH with my girls. I had never read him before and it wasn't long until I dove into the BFG, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory and many, many of his other books. Both Boris Pasternak and Gabriel García Márquez tell sweeping stories in a way that wraps the reader in a warm blanket. I have a story I am working on, based on my family’s experience in Indonesia in WWII. It’s epic. A story much larger in scope than I’ve ever written before. And I use them both as touchstones when I get overwhelmed. Gabriel García Márquez was an influence when I wrote WINNEMUCCA. I am sure that if this dinner ever came to pass that great quantities of wine would be required and I’d never want to leave!
Where is your favourite place to write?
Anywhere I can see the sunset. I had a year of sunsets when we lived in Big Sur and after that, I can’t live where I can’t see the sunset. My favorites have been in our home here in the Monterey area, in a wine barrel where we lived in Big Sur and on camping trips.
What is your book about?
I’m SUPER excited about 13 ON HALLOWEEN, the first book in the TEEN HALLOWEEN SERIES [http://www.authorlaura.com/#!books/vstc2=thirteen-on-halloween] which will be available on Amazon’s Kindle for 99 cents Sept. 20. And in print in mid-October. It’s a snarky, romp about a girl’s birthday wish that turns into her nightmare.
Twelve-year-old Roxie wants to be like Adrianne, the peacock [popular girl in class] who gets everything she wants––a trampoline, a flock to prowl around the mall with, and most especially invitations to parties despite the fact that Adrianne tarantulas [scares the heck out of people] and hamsters [hops from one thing to the other without really doing anything] and cats [completely annoys Roxie] and owls [knows everything] and eagles [gets all the attention] her way to get it all. But everything changes when Roxie invites all the peacocks in the eighth grade to her birthday party on Halloween and they all come. And a boy, the boy, actually talks to Roxie. Roxie chameleons and eagles until the peacocks decide they want to celebrate Roxie’s birthday in a way Roxie never expected. In her attic with the lights out and a pact to swear to never tell a living soul what happens in that room. Roxie gets everything she’s always wanted, except what she wants most of all––her old life back.
I’m also really excited that WINNEMUCCA is now available in a paperback edition!
https://www.createspace.com/3610611
It’s a story about a teenage girl’s enchanted road trip to her true self. When fear's as blind as love, how far would you go to find your own happily ever after?
One mistake will change Ginny's life forever.
One answer will set her free.
Once upon a time Ginny's road blood ripened, the day she got wise to love. Engaged to the high school quarterback, his quarter-carat ring and enchanting smile should have been enough for her. But, she stands him up and takes a walk where every step questions her happily ever after gone-bad and the fate of the mother she never knew. The mother her father refuses to talk about. Ginny fights to untangle her big, fat, lie-of-a-life on an enchanted road trip to Winnemucca, where she believes all her answers lie. To solve the riddle of her past, she must outrun everyone who wants a piece of her future-including a man determined to see she never has one.
INCLUDES A BONUS SNEAK PEEK: CH 1 -3 of 13 on Halloween about a girl's birthday wish turning into her nightmare.
I’m also super excited that Winnemucca’s trailer just won Books In Sync’s August 2011 book trailer contest: http://www.booksinsync.com/booktrailercontest.html
Twelve-year-old Roxie wants to be like Adrianne, the peacock [popular girl in class] who gets everything she wants––a trampoline, a flock to prowl around the mall with, and most especially invitations to parties despite the fact that Adrianne tarantulas [scares the heck out of people] and hamsters [hops from one thing to the other without really doing anything] and cats [completely annoys Roxie] and owls [knows everything] and eagles [gets all the attention] her way to get it all. But everything changes when Roxie invites all the peacocks in the eighth grade to her birthday party on Halloween and they all come. And a boy, the boy, actually talks to Roxie. Roxie chameleons and eagles until the peacocks decide they want to celebrate Roxie’s birthday in a way Roxie never expected. In her attic with the lights out and a pact to swear to never tell a living soul what happens in that room. Roxie gets everything she’s always wanted, except what she wants most of all––her old life back.
I’m also really excited that WINNEMUCCA is now available in a paperback edition!
https://www.createspace.com/3610611
It’s a story about a teenage girl’s enchanted road trip to her true self. When fear's as blind as love, how far would you go to find your own happily ever after?
One mistake will change Ginny's life forever.
One answer will set her free.
Once upon a time Ginny's road blood ripened, the day she got wise to love. Engaged to the high school quarterback, his quarter-carat ring and enchanting smile should have been enough for her. But, she stands him up and takes a walk where every step questions her happily ever after gone-bad and the fate of the mother she never knew. The mother her father refuses to talk about. Ginny fights to untangle her big, fat, lie-of-a-life on an enchanted road trip to Winnemucca, where she believes all her answers lie. To solve the riddle of her past, she must outrun everyone who wants a piece of her future-including a man determined to see she never has one.
INCLUDES A BONUS SNEAK PEEK: CH 1 -3 of 13 on Halloween about a girl's birthday wish turning into her nightmare.
I’m also super excited that Winnemucca’s trailer just won Books In Sync’s August 2011 book trailer contest: http://www.booksinsync.com/booktrailercontest.html
Here’s an excerpt: http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com/excerpts/
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
My sister broke my nose when I was in middle school and I got in trouble!
Winter or summer? Summer
Ebook or paperback? Ebook
Favourite food? Popcorn
Sporty or couch potato? Sporty
Cook or be cooked for? Cook, when I can!
My website: http://www.authorlaura.com/
My blog: http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com/
To celebrate the release of 13 on Halloween, Winnemucca and 13 on Halloween are currently available for just 99 cents each!
Thanks so much for hosting the interview Suzy! I had a blast.
It was an absolute pleasure, Laura! I can't wait to read your books... they sound awesome!
No comments :
Post a Comment