Spotlight Interview: Laurie Salzler

Today we have the pleasure of getting to know Laurie Salzler a little bit more.
She’s was so kind to answer our nosy questions.

Laurie is the author of A Kiss Before Dawn and Right Out of Nowhere. Her newest novel Positive Lightning will be released in spring 2014.

So, welcome, Laurie, and thank you for answering our questions.

Let’s start with something easy – some warm-up questions:

Coffee or tea?
Definitely coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon when I’m writing.

What puts you in a bad mood?
You won’t often find me in a bad mood, which is not to say I don’t get angry. I just don’t hold on to it. It’s not healthy, nor does it achieve anything positive. The thing that angers me the most is animal abuse. There’s no excuse for it.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?
The ability to travel to anywhere I wanted with a snap of my fingers. I’d envision myself, say, in Alaska, snap my fingers, and I’d be there. Hopefully not within two feet of a grizzly, though 🙂

Where is your favorite place you’ve ever traveled to?
All hands down, it was Alaska. I could live there. But my partner won’t hear of it, so I’ll have to start looking more seriously into developing that superpower.

Fav chocolate?
Any of the Australian or Canadian brands.

What would you do if you won the lottery?
Well, I’d have to play it first. But if I did win, I would drive to where my partner works, tell her boss she’s retiring, take her home, and start planning to travel the world.

And now off to the writing-related stuff:

For how many years have you been writing now, and how did you come to it?
When I was a kid, I wrote a ton of poetry. I didn’t write for several years when in high school, but I’d always wanted to write a book. I just didn’t know what I wanted to write about. In 2009, I made a huge personal decision, and the weight I’d been carrying on my shoulders for years just melted away. Suddenly, my mind was clearer than it had been for years, and a story started to take shape. A Kiss Before Dawn was that story and my debut book.

Why do you write?
What does it mean to you? I write because… I have to. It’s a therapeutic outlet for me. One of my favorite things to do is write a love letter (in my mind or typed) just before I delve into my current work. It relaxes my mind and heart so I can concentrate.

How long does it take you to write a novel?
It depends on the novel…how much research I have to do, personal time limitations, and to be honest, a lot depends on the characters. On average, I’d say 3 – 7 months.

How much time per week do you spend writing?
I can happily say I’m a full-time writer. However, I also have a life, farm, animals, blah, blah. But I probably spend at least 5 hours a day writing, sometimes more, and less on weekends.

When and where do you write the most?
It used to be my mornings were my most productive, but now it’s anytime. I write in my head a lot, so I don’t necessarily have to be sitting in front of my computer. Sometimes I have to wait for a scene to unfold in my head like a movie before I’m ready to write it down. I love writing outside. I have two sets of chairs in different locations in the yard. Both are under trees and give me the solace and view I need to sink into my writing. I’ve also written while sitting on the hay bales in the barn.

How would you describe yourself?
I skipped this question three times while answering the other questions. I don’t know the real answer. Probably the best word would be an introvert.

How much of yourself is in your characters?
I think every writer puts themselves into their characters in one way or another. I may develop characters who are very similar to who I am today, or I might develop a character based on who I want to be.

What do you find the most challenging part of writing?
I’m a pantser through and through…and therein lies the challenge. I never know how my books are going to end until the characters tell me.

What are you reading right now?
Three Among the Wolves by Helen Thayer.

What do you think makes a good romance novel?
As with any book, writing that pulls you in so deep, you can actually mentally experience what the characters feel, see, hear, sense. In my opinion, a really good book is one I have a hard time finding a spot where I want to put it down for the moment.

What advice would you give new authors?
Believe in yourself and talk to other authors. Many of us believe in paying it forward and are more than happy to help.

What are you working on right now?
The sequel to A Kiss Before Dawn.

What future writing projects can we look forward to?
I have a kind of a historical/romance/something/something fiction in mind for my next one. I’m really excited about it because it will encompass a couple different genres. The hard part will be classifying it into one. I have a few more in the que which require some personal research before I can embark upon those journeys.

 Thank you for your interesting answers. It was great having you here.

Astrid Ohletz
Publisher