Q&A with author Lauren Baratz-Logsted

In 1994, Lauren Baratz-Logsted took a gamble – and it paid off. With her passion for the pen, she set out to focus on her career as a writer. While success didn’t come knocking on her door the very next morning, it didn’t take long for Lauren to make her fiction debut. The Thin Pink Line was released in 2002 and since then Lauren has proven to be prolific with a collection of adult and teen novels to her credit, as well as a great series for children.

I recently chatted with Lauren about her latest release, Crazy Beautiful, and I’m pleased to share the conversation with you here. Please join me in welcoming author Lauren Baratz-Logsted.

Hi Lauren. Can you tell us about Crazy Beautiful?
Lauren: It's a contemporary re-visioning of Beauty & the Beast told in he-said/she-said fashion about a boy with hooks for hands and a gorgeous girl who meet on their first day at a new school.

But what’s it really about?
Lauren: HA! Good question! It's about how the world often reacts to people so much based on physical characteristics alone. And since Lucius is modeled after the Beast, it's about how we are often the authors of our own tragic conditions. Oh, and redemption and forgiveness - it's about that too.

What were some of the challenges in writing in the he-said/she-said style?
Lauren: I wish I could tell you some horror stories, about how hard I had to struggle, but that simply wasn't the case. Lucius Wolfe and Aurora Belle are so distinctly different from one another, it was exciting to create their voices.

What are/were some of your favorite fairy tales?
Lauren: Beauty & the Beast, of course! I also have a fondness for Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin.

You’ve written for teens and for adults. How do you balance your writing life?
Lauren: I balance it by writing pretty much 365 days a year, so when you think about it, my life is kind of unbalanced.

Tell us a bit about your journey as an author.
Lauren: I'd need to write a whole book for that! I left my day job in 1994 to take a chance on myself as a writer. I made my first sale eight years later. That book was The Thin Pink Line, a comedic novel for adults. I've since had four comedic novels published, one Victorian suspense, two YA, one tween, and the first four volumes of The Sisters 8 series for young readers which I created with my YA novelist husband Greg Logsted (Something Happened, Alibi Junior High) and our nine-year-old daughter Jackie. I also edited an anthology of stories called This Is Chick-Lit, and have had several stories and essays published. That all makes it sound easier than it is. It has been a long journey and it goes on being a journey, every day.

What have been some of the challenges in your career as a writer? How did you overcome these?
Lauren: I guess the biggest is that we live in the era of branding. A lot of people - many of them publishing professionals - expect a writer to be one thing: write one kind of book and stick to it. But for me, that'd be like eating the same wonderful menu at every meal until I got sick of it. Even within a genre like YA, it's tough to pigeonhole my stuff: Angel's Choice and Crazy Beautiful are serious, Secrets of My Suburban Life is comedic, and I have two different books coming out next year that are set in the Victorian era, one a coming-of-age story while the other is more suspense/mystery. So how did I overcome the industry's desire to pigeonhole? I'm bullheaded! I just barreled my way through!

You’ve been at this business for some time. How do you explain your staying power?
Lauren: I believe in myself. Please don't take that as cockiness, because it's not. It's just that I believe in my ability to come up with ideas that appeal to others and further believe in my ability to execute those ideas in such a way that enough people get some sort of enjoyment. It helps to flat-out love what you're doing, which I do.

How would you say the industry has changed since you debuted with The Thin Pink Line?
Lauren: The rise of social media. Every year we become more connected to everyone else. This can be a wonderful thing for authors because there are so many new ways to promote our work without relying strictly on in-house publicists. It can also be a problem, though, for authors who talk without thinking first.

How has social media and technology enabled you to connect with readers?
Lauren: Being interviewed here, for one! And sometimes serendipitous things happen, particularly through Twitter right now. There's been a lot of pre-pub buzz for Crazy Beautiful - more so than for any other book I've written - and nearly all of it can be traced back to Twitter. It also helped that Mashable named me one of 100+ authors worth following on Twitter, an honor they gave out to writers not based on book sales, but rather for writers who do more than simply promote-promote-promote on there, endlessly talking about me-me-me.

What advice do you have for writers starting out?
Lauren: I say the same thing every time: 1) read, read, read - read everything you can get your hands on, in and out of your area of interest, and recognize you can learn just as much if not more from a lousy book as you can from a good book; and 2) always remember, the only person who can ever really take you out of the game is you.

What’s up next for you? What can readers look forward to?
Lauren: Well, you already know about Crazy Beautiful, which is due out September 7. And due to your strong journalistic skills, you even wormed out of me what it's really about! In terms of 2010, I have four books coming out:

The Education of Bet (spring, from Houghton Mifflin), a YA novel set in the Victorian era about a 16-year-old girl who impersonates a boy in order to get a proper education.

The Twin's Daughter (fall, Bloomsbury), a YA suspense novel set in the Victorian era about a teen whose life is irrevocably changed when she discovers her society mother has an identical twin who grew up in the poorhouse.

Marcia's Madness and Petal's Problems (April and Sept, respectively, Houghton Mifflin), Books 5 & 6 in The Sisters 8 series for young readers.

How can readers learn more about you and your books?
Lauren: Just go to http://www.laurenbaratzlogsted.com/!

Thanks, Lauren! I appreciate you taking the time to talk about Crazy Beautiful and your latest news.
Lauren: Thank you so much, Lori, for having me!

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Be sure to visit Lauren’s site to learn even more about her journey as an author. You can also pre-order Crazy Beautiful here.

And don’t forget, there are more amazing authors on the Q&A schedule. You don’t want to miss authors like Erica Orloff, Kyra Davis, or Daphne Uviller do you? Then don’t forget to “follow this blog” (on the menu to the right) and you’ll also be entered in the contest for a signed copy of one of my books! By following this blog, you'll be able to stay up to date with what's happening, what guests are coming up, book reviews and so much more.

Until next time… happy reading!

interview with author Lorna Suzuki

As promised, one of the new features of this blog will be interviews with emerging and established authors (and other industry types). To help you keep track of who’s on deck, I have added an interview schedule. If you look to the right menu panel of the blog, you’ll see a list of upcoming guest authors. Keep in mind the list is growing! From now on, we’ll have an interview every Wednesday, so be sure to visit often to see who our special guest is.

I am pleased to kick off the author Q&A series with a wonderful Canadian author who has a real knack for fantasy. Lorna Suzuki, author of the Imago series, features a strong female protagonist in her writing and it’s a delight to have her with us on this blog. Lorna was kind enough to respond to a number of questions I had regarding her fantastic Imago series. Please join me in welcoming Lorna as she shares more about her books and writing.

Lorna, can you tell us about the Imago series?
LS: There is a total of seven books in the series if you include the prequels, Imago Prophecy and Legacy. These two titles chronicle 1000 years of events leading up to Book 1: Tales From the West. Imago is set in an imaginary time and place. There is an ensemble cast of characters, but the central protagonist is Nayla Treeborn. A product of an ill-fated affair between a mortal woman and an elf, she is shunned by one race and denied by the other. To make matter worse, she steps into the male-dominated arena of warriorship to become a respected captain and a skilled assassin. And all without supernatural powers! Each adventure is quite different, but the characters remain true to their personality as they face each new situation.

What was your inspiration?
LS: Being a martial arts practitioner/instructor I was bothered by the fact women attending training seminars never thought they could really be taught to fight until they saw puny me throwing guys around. They said it was in their upbringing, culture and the books they read: Women don’t fight back; they wait to be rescued. I didn’t want my daughter reading about helpless women waiting for a hero to rescue them. I wanted her to read about women who could do the rescuing, but in a realistic way, not with magic and super powers. Please note: Imago is not a child’s fantasy. It has graphic violence and adult content, so be warned.

Will we see more Imago books?
LS: Originally, I was only going to write three books at the most, but those following Nayla’s adventures kept asking for the next adventure. Book 6: The Spell Binder will be released this October and the final installment, Book 7: The Broken Covenant will follow. Will there be a tenth book in the series? All I can say is that fans were outraged when I revealed my plans to kill off Nayla! In the end, she lives, but many fall in her place. As for more, I’ll see what the fans want.

What other writing plans do you have?
LS: I just wrote my first YA Fantasy, book one in a trilogy, but the ultimate goal? To write a historical fiction about one of Egypt’s most prominent female figures, someone I consider more powerful and fascinating than Cleopatra. It’ll require a lot of research and guesswork as those in power that succeeded her attempted to erase her from Egypt’s history. Now this would be a major feat.

Tell us about your writing routine.
LS: After I walk my daughter to school or wait until she’s in bed asleep, then I begin my work. Lately, I’ll listen to Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” first as the theme of the song primes me for immersing myself in this imaginary world where I pull the all the strings (yes, I rule Imago). Get into some comfy clothes, grab a cup of coffee, and then I get typing on my laptop until I’m too exhausted to write anymore.

You also write freelance. What appeals to you as a writer?
LS: In the last while, I’ve been writing biographies for a company called Life & Times Production. One was made into a documentary that aired on The Biography Channel, but I have a love for natural history and to write a wildlife documentary in the style of David Attenborough’s Life on Earth would be wonderful!

Tell us about what you're working on right now.
LS: Currently, I’m working on edits to my debut YA novel. Working title: The Magic Crystal, Book One of the Dream Merchant Saga. Right now, I’m considering a 3-book deal with an indie publishing house interested in this trilogy, so I’m racing to polish up the manuscript and edit it down to at least 150,000 words.

How can readers contact you?
LS: Through my official website or through my page on Authorsden.com. Also on twitter @LornaSuzuki.

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Thanks, Lorna! I really appreciate you sharing all your great news. Best of luck with the Imago series and with the debut of your YA fiction.

Readers, remember there are more interviews to come. Next up is Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of Crazy Beautiful. From Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Crazy Beautiful will be available in September 2009. Lauren will be here on Wednesday, July 8th, so mark it in your calendar!

Why miss an author Q&A? Don’t forget to enter the contest for a signed copy of one of my books by clicking ‘follow this blog’ on the panel to the right. Plus, you'll be able to stay up to date with what's happening, what guests are coming up, book reviews and so much more.


Until next time, happy reading!