An Interview with Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of over 30 novels!
I’m not going to be reviewing your newest novel, but from your other published novels, is there one that is your own personal favourite?
Thirty+ books into my career, it’s tough to pick one, but today I’ll say it’s The Twin’s Daughter, about a girl in Victorian England who discovers that her gorgeous society mother has an identical twin who was raised in the workhouse. It’s historical suspense and has romance and murder in it, so it’s the closest to being a same-shelf read with Zombie Abbey, the chief differences being that ZA takes place about 40 years later (in 1920), there are zombies rather than murder, and there’s a campy feel about the whole.
Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?
My very first book, Waiting for Dead Men’s Shoes, was reshaped and is available on Kindle.
Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?
The 30+ novels I mentioned above have all come out since 2003, so I percolate differently and I’m never short of inspiration.
I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?
I write in what I call my basement cave. There are no windows in the room but there is a TV.
Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?
I’ve never hired an editor – I actually do some freelance editing for others myself! – but I do have a group of writers who’ve met in my home for about two decades and we read/critique each other. Also, depending on the needs of a particular book, I might reach out to certain people for a read.
I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?
I’m with you: I’m a physical book person all the way. I get my books from libraries and bookstores. My favorite bookstore – the one I worked in for 11 years – no longer exists, I’m afraid. That said, I’m not against ebooks, which my husband reads exclusively now. Really, whatever gets and keeps people excited about reading, I’m all for it.
I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and do you have a favourite author who sticks in your mind from:
I really don’t have a favorite genre. I’ve written in nearly every genre imaginable for nearly every age group imaginable and I’m pretty much an equal-opportunity reader. In terms of age groups:
- childhood?
The Prydain Chronicles, Lloyd Alexander
- adolescence?
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
- young adult?
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald.
- adult?
Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job.
I’m on Twitter and Facebook, and that’s plenty for me. On Facebook, I talk about writing and reading a lot, but I mostly consider that – for me – to be a place for family and friends. I celebrate and commiserate with others there all the time. On Twitter, however, I’m very different. I consider that to be my more public/general space so while I talk reading and writing there too, I also provide a lot more content on things I’m watching and I engage about politics…a lot. 😊 Thanks for having me!
Oh yes! So remember how everyone was devastated by Sirus’ death in Harry Potter? I feel like the death in this novel of someone close to Mare should have triggered more of an emotional reaction from me, but I didn’t even flinch. Even when Mare succeeds at one of her major goals, I felt like it had happened too quickly for me to even appreciate it.
This book was entrancing and meaty and I lost quite a lot of my day to it! This novel had just the right edge to it in terms of creepiness. I found myself drinking it in in small sittings because I had to process what had just happened. It kept me awake thinking about it. It raises questions – do serial killers always act on their urges? Is it something you can treat?
I think I would have actually benefited from reading ‘Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda’ first. I just ignored the fact that this novel was the sequel because it looked awesome, and I really enjoyed 
An Interview with Lisa Brown Roberts, author of Spies, Lies and Allies.
Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?
The Alloy of Law’s first chapter was the best! I could have heard far more about Wax’s old life rather than his new one. It is interesting to return to the same stomping grounds of the original trilogy 300 years later, where technology has actually happened despite, or perhaps because of, the scarcity of magic. This is something rare for a fantasy series, although my beloved 
Wax’s slow romance burns a little brighter in the second novel Shows of Self. This novel moved quickly due to Wax’s insistence on doing everything himself. Kandra tactics and the way Kandra have moved on from the original Mistborn series is explored in depth here, and some very surprising information comes to light. It’s nice to have a ‘God’ who actually responds, even if it is sometimes not in the way you expect…
Although I might flippantly reply to a question of “What is the meaning of life?” with “There isn’t one.” this novel provides a better answer, or at least contemplation of the answer. People often have regrets about what they could have / should have done differently. There are the typical lists of ‘The Top 5 Things People Regret’, but this novel actually offers readers a gentle guide to how to go about improving things now.
The blurb suggests that there will be redemption, but there isn’t really. Sophie ends up being in worse and worse situations until there is no way out for her. But it’s not really Sophie’s fault. She is only 12 when she enters the system, and she doesn’t have a good grasp of right or wrong when she is thrown in the deep end.
I was pretty excited about the missing town! How was this one going to be explained? And of course there was a fantastic explanation! The other parts about the set up of the underground rooms seemed predictable and boring in comparison. Because I knew Jessica could solve any problem, it wasn’t exciting anymore.
This novel is full of action, action, action. The battle scenes and killings almost seem non-stop. Talking might be Em’s preferred way of negotiation but with Olivia on the loose it’s just not possible! Cas gets some airtime, and Galo and Aren finally are forged into full characters with their own thoughts and motivations.