An Interview with
Lauren Baratz-Logsted
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Introduction:
Funny story about how I met Lauren Baratz-Logsted. Online that is… I had left a comment on a book review blog. Lauren happened to read it and followed the link to my personal book review blog; where I recently gave a less than stunning review of one of her books. She left a comment for me thanking me for reading. Thanking me! Appreciating that I read it and that I wanted to give one of her other books a try. Talk about a class act. I was extremely impressed by her graciousness and sense of humor. As a result of her kindness, I couldn't wait to run down to my local bookstore and find one of her books to read. Any lady with an attitude like that has got to be worth some more of my time and book budget! I've since become an adoring fan. Alright, so maybe it wasn't a funny story and more of an awkward one on my part but I wanted to share what a truly admirable person Lauren is as well as a very talented author! CK2S Kwips and Kritiques appreciates Lauren Baratz-Logsted for joining us for our anniversary celebration! 1. On your website you said that we're probably pronouncing your name wrong. To save anyone the potential awkwardness of getting something as important as your name wrong, can you spell it out for us phonetically? That's so anyone who has the honor of meeting you at a book signing can show off. Thank you for the warm welcome, Terri! You make me sound far nicer than I really am. In terms of my looong name, I'll bet you can handle Lauren and Logsted just fine. Although people always want to shove an 'a' into 'Logsted,' creating 'Logstead,' it's the Baratz part that gives all the trouble. If you think of the Barrett in Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and then make that Barrett plural - Barretts - you'll be right on the money. 2. You've worn several hats in the writing game from book seller to reviewer, editor and now a published author. How has wearing any of those hats helped you in your writing career? It's all helped enormously, all the things you mention plus being a life-long reader. As of this June, I will have been in the book business in one capacity or another for a quarter of a century, so I have pretty much an encyclopedic grasp of the industry and what's been published in that time period. Wearing all those hats has helped me learn the business end of being a writer and it's also helped creatively - when reviewing or editing, you learn a lot about your own work by analyzing what works/doesn't in other people's work. 3. Have you always wanted to be a writer and what motivated you to sit at the keyboard and start living the dream? Since I was 12, I've thought that I might have stories to tell that other people might want to hear, but it wasn't until I was 32 that I left my day job to take a chance on my dream. What finally made me make the leap was the never-ceasing tick of the clock. It occcurred to me that I didn't want to have one more New Year's Eve pass with me making a resolution to write a novel only to fail to meet my promise because of an all-consuming job. 4. You said on your biography that you went unpublished from 1994-2002. How did you keep hope alive during that time, and what was the celebration like when Red Dress Ink offered to buy THE THIN PINK LINE? I hope there was at least chocolate involved! I hate to say it, but there was no immediate celebration. It's not something I'd care to discuss in detail, but the same day I received the offer of a two-book contract, I also received some of the worst news of my life. Thankfully, that situation improved over time...so please don't feel sorry for me! As for how I kept hope alive for nearly eight years, I guess I was just stubborn enough to think that if I kept writing books, hopefully getting better with each book, eventually I'd write one that the publishing industry couldn't say no to. I'd written seven novels when the offer came for THE THIN PINK LINE, which was the sixth I'd written. Does it take talent to get published? I like to think I have some small talent. Does it also take luck? Absolutely. It's lucky to have someone want to publish a book, still luckier to have strangers actually want to read it. But by far the trait I believe would-be authors need to possess is perseverance. Without that, you might take yourself out of the game before others get a chance to see how brilliant you are. 5. You've written several genres, from chick lit to young adult and literary suspense. Are there any other genres you plan to explore and what has been your favorite to write? I know it makes me sound a little nutty, but I love writing it all! And I know it's unusual for a writer to work in so many different genres, but I'm a complex person - as are readers - meaning there are all sorts of facets of life I'm interested in exploring, and some genres are better suited to certain themes than others. In terms of the future, in addition to the genres you mention, I have my first tween book coming out this year, ME, IN BETWEEN, about a 12-year-old girl with gorgeous breasts who's conflicted over her assets; and my first two in a series of books for young readers, THE SISTERS EIGHT, written with my husband and daughter. 6. Of the books of yours I've read so far, VERTIGO is my favorite. One thing I liked so much about it is that it was timeless. It may have been set in the Victorian age, but I thought it was still relevant to issues today. There were aspects of your protagonist, Emma that I think every wife and mother could relate to. What was your inspiration to write such a wonderfully twisted thriller and how did your husband react when he discovered Emma's solution to her spouse problem? My husband, thankfully, says VERTIGO is the best book I've ever written. So maybe he slept through that troubling little part you allude to? In terms of inspiration, when I sat down to write VERTIGO, I'd been thinking a lot about how often people find themselves trapped by the lives they've created or simply drifted into. But if I had set it in contemporary times, readers would naturally ask, "Why doesn't Emma just leave?" So I trapped Emma not just in her marriage but also in a time period where modern solutions would not be available to her. It's a perfect example of the answer I gave to the previous question: theme dictating genre. 7. It's been said that you're a bit of a controversial writer. ANGEL'S CHOICE about teenage pregnancy, faking a pregnancy in THE THIN PINK LINE, bi-racial adoption in CROSSING THE LINE. Has any of the negative feedback from some of your books affected how or what you write? Not at all. Believe me, I don't court controversy - it's not like I get up in the morning and think, "So, who can I make want to kill me today?" - but I don't shy away from it either. I write about issues I'm interested in exploring. Sometimes, some readers take that exploring too seriously and further assume the author is speaking through her characters. Believe it or not, I've never advocated women faking pregnancies. That said, I've come to the point where I believe that if I write something and it doesn't annoy a certain type of reader, I'm not doing my job. The worst response a book can evoke is a tepid one. So while I'd love to be loved, I'll cheerfully be hated from time to time rather than have readers be indifferent. 8. Pregnancy seems to be a reoccurring theme with several of your books. Is it merely a subject you enjoy writing about, or is it because it's something you have a little first- hand knowledge of? Well, THE THIN PINK LINE came about when after 10 married years thinking I would never get pregnant - poof! - I was pregnant. It was then the thought occurred to me to write a satire about a woman who fakes being pregnant for the whole nine months. In terms of pregnancy being featured in my other books - certainly it's at the center of ANGEL'S CHOICE as well - pregnancy is a subject that informs nearly every woman's life, and that extends to women who can't have kids or choose not to as well. 9. Can you share with us what goes into the mechanics of writing for you? Do you outline everything first or do you write your first and last chapters and then fill it in as you go along? Do you create your characters first and then the plot? Every time I write a new book, it's like I reinvent my own wheel all over again. In the beginning, I never used to outline, but some books have a natural structure - THE THIN PINK LINE; ANGEL'S CHOICE - that lends itself to that practice. Then, too, once a writer is published, subsequent books are sometimes sold on proposal, which is essentially a long outline. In terms of process, I almost always begin with a strong character who immediately has a strong voice (e.g., Jane Taylor, London sociopath) and the glimmerings of a plot (woman fakes pregnancy, THE THIN PINK LINE), and I also know the first line, often the last line too. From there, everything else falls into place. 10. I can tell from the way you write that you love literature. Your love of words is very apparent in your books and it's something that draws me to your work. Did this affection start as a child and what were some of your favorites growing up? I've always loved to read, had two parents who were both great readers. I loved a lot of the usual suspects: Louisa May Alcott, the Brontes, Austen, Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby, John Knowles' A Separate Peace. Oh, and for mysteries I was always more a Trixie Belden girl than a Nancy Drew one. I first studied Shakespeare in high school but didn't fall in love until college; that love has never wavered. 11. What sort of research did you do for HOW NANCY DREW SAVED MY LIFE? Did you read all 56 original Nancy Drew books and "Iceland for Dummies"? I have to say, I learned a few things about Iceland from that book and grew to love Nancy all over again. I'm glad I inspired some Nancy love in you. See? Everything I do isn't controversial! I did not read all 56. I reread the first several as well as old favorites - Password to Larkspur Lane, #10; The Witch Tree Symbol, #33 - and the last, The Thirteenth Pearl, which is how I realized that Nancy manages to remain 18 years old for all 56 books. That girl detective is amazing! Oh, and I did not read Iceland for Dummies. I was actually in Iceland for 48 hours back in the 1990s - guess it made a big impression on me! 12. What authors inspire you today and who are some of your favorites? There are so many I love, in so many different genres, it's hard to play favorites. One of my favorite male authors is Arturo Perez-Reverte - he writes literary suspense so well and draws his female characters with so much life and love in them, he's like no one else. For YA, you can't go wrong with Laurie Halse Anderson. My all-time favorite book by a living author? Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. 13. Mom to mom, how do you keep your daughter busy while you're trying to write? My daughter knows that if she needs me, I am always there for her, and I do try to spend as much time with her as possible when we're both home. But I also think that one of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child is helping that child learn to respect the space others need for things that matter to them; and as an extension of that, I think it's important for parents to model what it looks like to pursue one's own dreams. My daughter knows I have dreams. She has dreams too. We're very respectful of one another...and we have a terrific time. 14. What does your writing space look like? Is it neatly organized with Webster's at your fingertips or are there stacks of "important" files everywhere and post it's decorating your computer monitor? Its okay, you can tell us. We'll keep your secret. It's a mess in here, although I have no Post-Its nor do I know where the Post-It pad is - can you loan me one? Usually, when I finish a book, I try to clean up my office, but the more books I write, the less I feel that imperative. I'd rather create than clean! I do, however, have a bookcase behind me with all my favorite reference books, mostly because it makes me happy to know they're there. Oh, and I also have a small TV to the right of my computer, so I can catch up on "General Hospital" and all my favorite political shows - I'm an out-of-the-closet political geek - while doing grunt work like answering emails or googling myself. 15. Where do you get the spark of inspiration for a new novel and how soon before you start to organize those inspiring thoughts into a book? I get sparks by just keeping my eyes and ears open at all times, or by seeing the extraordinary possibilities in ordinary events. Example: Surprised to find you're pregnant? Instead of writing a book about a woman who's (happily) surprised to learn she's pregnant, why not write a book about a woman who fakes a pregnancy, complications and all? As for how soon I start after getting an idea, that depends on how much work I have on my plate when the idea strikes. Of course, if the idea is compelling enough, and I'm not working to deadline on something else, all else gets pushed aside as the new idea takes over my life. 16. Do you have any advice for aspiring new authors hoping to find their dream publisher? Read everything you can get your hands on. Part of being a good writer is being a good reader. Also, consider paying the $30/year to join Backspace: http://www.bksp.org/. It's a site of @700 writers, including me, at various stages of their writing careers, from just starting to write to a few NYT bestsellers. It's the best place on the Internet to learn the business, get/give support and network with other writers. 17. You have a new "tween" book out this month called ME, INBETWEEN. What can you tell us about it and the reason for writing it? Do I smell a new Judy Blume in the making? Oops, I did describe the plot already above! Twelve-year-old girl with gorgeous breasts is unsure how she feels about her genetic largesse. As for Judy Blume, I don't imagine in my wildest dreams I'd ever be put in the same class with her - she's such an icon! - but I appreciate the thought. 18. You also have a new book coming out from Red Dress Ink this fall called BABY NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF CHOOS. I love-love the title! It sounds like a lot of fun. Can you tell us a little about that book and was it as fun to write as it sounds? It was a ton of fun! I got to tap into my inner obsessive-compulsive, also put my training as a window-washer to good use as well as my love of black jack. BABY NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF CHOOS is about an obsessive-compulsive window-washer who turns to her father's love of black jack to finance her new Choo habit. I'm so glad you love the title. 19. You are quite the busy woman, and have also managed to start a series for young readers with your husband, Greg and your daughter, Jackie, THE SISTERS EIGHT. I already can't wait for my kids to read it! What plans do you have for this series? What was it like to work on this family project? I'm sure your daughter had a lot of insight! It's a projected nine-book series, the first two of which will come out in December as lead titles from Houghton Mifflin. THE SISTERS EIGHT is about octuplets whose parents disappear on New Year's Eve when Mommy goes out to the kitchen for eggnog, Daddy goes to the shed for more firewood...and neither comes back. Now the Eights, as they are known, must endeavor to discover what happened to Mommy and Daddy while keeping the world from realizing that eight little girls are living home alone. We all got the idea together when we were snowbound in Colorado the December before last. In terms of the actual writing, you could say I'm "the pen," but nothing gets sent off to the publisher until everyone has brainstormed, weighed in and weighed in some more. 20. To wrap things up, is there any news you'd like to share with your readers? I think we've covered it all! I have five new books out in 2008, the four we've discussed plus SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE, about a teen whose novelist mother gets crushed to death by a stack of Harry Potter books, after which the teen gets involved in a sort-of mystery centering on an online predator. Oh, and I also hope all your readers are as open-minded as you are, meaning, if you don't love one of my books, try another - I write in so many genres! Finally, I love hearing from readers and am happy to answer any questions that people might have after this, so people should always feel free to email me through the link at . On behalf of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques I'm honored you took the time for this interview. It was such a genuine pleasure getting to know you and your books better and I'm really looking forward to your future releases this year! Best of luck with all your endeavors! Thank you, Terri, for everything! Visit Lauren's website! Read reviews of Lauren's books:
Interviewed by Terri |