Topic: Author Interview
Liana Laverentz The Person
1. What three words to you think describe you as a human being?
Kind, caring, and compassionate.
2. How do you think others would describe you?
My faith-sharing group once described me as honest, loyal, and dedicated to self-improvement.
3. Please tell us what you are most passionate about outside of writing.
Outside of writing, I am most passionate about motherhood. Being a mother is by far the hardest job there is, one you're on duty for 24/7, 365 days a year, and yet, in many circles, the least respected.
4. Do you have any pets? If so, introduce us to them.
I have three cats, and each has a totally different personality. I could spend hours just watching them interact, with me, with my son, or with each other. Our oldest is the calm, collected, even-tempered, "Watcher." Guardian of the gate. Loves to be petted, hates to be held. Next comes our "Bitch Goddess," alternately needy (to me) and evil (toward the other two cats-she's very possessive of me). And the baby is-our perpetual kitten. Seriously sweet and cuddly, yet totally independent, despite the fact that she is slow. Every day is a new day for her-she has seizures and suffers from short term memory loss. But she's curious as can be. When you hear things tip over or go clunk in the night, you can count on it being her.
5. What is your most precious memory?
I have too many precious memories to choose even one. Most of them involve my son, or my pets, or my best friend Louis, who also happens to be the inspiration for the heroes in my books. In that I have truly been blessed.
6. What is your most embarrassing memory?
I find that most of my moments of embarrassment were in my own mind, and nobody else even noticed, so that would be hard to say as well. But they run along the lines of biting into a cherry tomato on a first date and squirting said date. Nothing really embarrassing has happened to me, that I can recall. Maybe it has and I've blocked it out J.
Liana Laverentz the Writer
7. If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing with your life?
If I weren't a writer, I would have no life at all, because I'm one of those people who can't NOT write, but in college I wanted to work in the field of languages and international relations. Something involving travel and Europe. I wanted to do year of study in Germany. But then I fell in love and my life went in a different direction.
8. Can you describe the time you realized you were indeed a "real" writer?
That would have to be sometime this year, with all the success I've had with Thin Ice. But the defining moment, I would say, was when I sold an article to a magazine for writers.
9. What is going on with your writing these days?
I am working on a new romantic suspense story, Justice is a Lady, and revising my first novel, a murder mystery romance titled Ashton's Secret, for re-release by the Wild Rose Press in 2008.
10. What are your future goals for your writing?
To write the best stories I possibly can.
11. Can you describe a typical writing day for you?
There is no typical day of any sort for me. That's what happens when you're a single parent with three pets and two day jobs, one of which involves subbing for the school district, so you never know when they might call. The phone rings at 6:00 a.m. and I'm off. But my ideal writing day would be to wake up, write until I get hungry, get something to eat, maybe take a nap, or work until I decide to take a nap, wake up, write until I get hungry, eat, maybe take a nap, or work until I decide to take a nap, wake up, write until I get hungry...you get the picture. It wouldn't matter to me what time of day or night it was. You can't do that with a home and family to take care of and a day job or two to go to. But every now and then a weekend comes along where I am mostly alone, and that is how I spend it. Writing, sleeping and eating.
12. Why do you write.
Because I can't NOT write. I have tried. It wasn't pretty.
13. What writer most inspires you?
Suspense author Eileen Dreyer, who also writes romances as Kathleen Korbel. Why? I think she writes awesome books. She has an obvious love for the written word and knows how to use it. I do most of my pleasure reading at night, before bed. When I read her books, it's like looking forward to checking in with old friends at the end of the day. She makes her characters that real for you. And you can tell she does her research. But she weaves it into the story so skillfully you don't even realize you're learning something as you read. That there's more going on than just the story, here. It's a story written on several levels, and you can read it at any level you choose and still be satisfied at the end of the book.
14. How do you define your writing?
I write about real people facing real issues, and try to make my characters as compelling as possible. The stories may have a dark side to them, but they're also stories of love, hope and forgiveness. I've found a recurring theme in my books is that one character has a family that he or she generally doesn't get along with or appreciate and the other has none and longs for one. Sometimes openly, sometimes only subconsciously. In Jake's Return, however, neither of them had a family to speak of, and had to create one of their own.
15. In one sentence-what do you want people to say about your writing in fifty years?
Liana Laverentz wrote a damn good book.
Liana Laverentz the Details
16. Can you tell us where to find more information on you?
Go to www.lianalaverentz.com
17. Is there a place where readers can reach you?
18. Can you list all your book titles so people can look for them?
Thin Ice (NJRW Golden Leaf Winner and EPPIE Finalist)
ISBN 1-60154-016-7
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=350
Jake's Return (available in print January 16)
ISBN 1-60154-124-4
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=541
19. For new readers-what can they expect when they read your books?
Well, from the reviews, which you can find on my MySpace for now (http://www.myspace.com-authorlianalaverentz/), what appears to come through the most are the comments "a roller coaster ride of emotions" and "you won't want to put the book down." I can't tell you how many people have come up to me and said, "I am so mad at you. I spent all weekend reading your book and didn't get anything else done." Which, to me, is a good thing J.
In Conclusion
20. What would you like our readers to know about you and your writing?
My writing is as important to me as breathing. I just want to write books that people will read and remember. I have books on my keeper shelf that I read over twenty years ago. I can still look at them and remember what made them a keeper. That's what I want for my books-for them to end up on your keeper shelf. To me, there is no higher compliment.
