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I’m so happy to have Lauren Linwood, author of Outlaw Muse, in the Blue Rose Writing Room today!
Welcome Lauren!
Do you use a pen name/pseudo name? If so, why. If not, why did you decide to write under your own name?
In this world of social media, I decided a pen name would be my best choice. It affords a layer of privacy between my writing world and the world I inhabit. It also allows me to have a separate author presence on places such as Facebook. I already had a FB page and share with family and friends on it. I wanted Lauren Linwood to have an identity apart from mine. She still posts pictures and cartoons and shares about books she’s read or movies she’s seen, but I have definite boundaries with a pen name.
I totally, understand. That’s why I use a pen name to. So, tell, us, how long have you been writing?
I’ve written about as long as I’ve been able to hold a pencil in my hand. I was always scribbling stories down when I was growing up. I was editor-in-chief of my junior high and high school newspapers. I wrote my first novel in college and promptly retired it to the top shelf of my closet. I’d planned to teach by day and write by night—hah! As a teacher, you know how crazy that notion is. Between lesson planning, calling parents, grading papers, attending meetings—all while trying to raise a family? Next to impossible. Yet I started squirreling away nuggets of time to write. Bit by bit, it added up into one novel, then two. Then it took courage (as well as more time) to seek publication.
What’s one thing you absolutely can’t tolerate during your writing? One thing you can’t write without?
I need quiet. No TV or music in the background. I need to escape to my characters’ world and focus. Outside noise draws me from it. My one necessity is my laptop. I can’t imagine how Jane Austen scribbled everything by hand. And she had no cut & paste feature, either!
I have to have quiet too! What’s one place you absolutely want to visit before you die?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen England, but since I’ve read and enjoyed so many book set in Scotland and Ireland, I’m looking forward to visiting those places someday. Maybe I can tell my husband is a research necessity. You never know—once I see some magnificent castle or look out over the moors, it might actually spark an idea for a new book!
Scotland’s at the top of my list along with Italy.
Why did you choose to write in this genre? Have you ever written any other genre? Do you plan on doing so in the future?
I read in several genres, but my writing heart belongs in romance. I love writing about relationships and knowing that, despite all the conflict I put my characters through, they will be guaranteed their Happily Ever After. That’s also a guarantee to my readers. They know when they pick up a romance that no matter what the obstacles are, that couple will fight through them and do whatever it takes to be together. Love is the most treasured gift, and writing about it is immensely satisfying.
Right now I’m focusing on historical romance, but I’d like to venture into contemporary or romantic suspense at some point. Although I would never abandon historical, I think every author wants to seek a challenge and do something different every now and then.
Is there any genre you won’t read? Write? Can you tell us why?
I don’t read or write erotica. It’s just not my style of storytelling.
What historical figure do you wish you could have met?
I’m a former history teacher, so I’ll cheat a little and have a dinner party where I invite my favorite presidents. Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harry Truman would be my guests. These presidents made some of the biggest decisions in our nation’s history, and they all possessed intelligence and humor. And oh, the stories they could tell. I think we’d have a blast together!
How do you respond to negative reviews?
I don’t respond at all. Not everyone will love my characters as I do, and I believe that readers are entitled to their opinions. Some of them might express those opinions in a negative or hurtful manner, but they have that right and can choose to do so. I simply take the high road and keep on writing.
Great attitude. What’s one new thing you’d like to try?
Even though I danced on drill team, I’m not the most coordinated gal in the room—but for some reason, I’m fascinated by pictures of celebrities doing stand-up paddle surfing. I’d love to go to Maui and give this a shot. If it didn’t work out and I was too clumsy to stay on the board, I’d still be in a beautiful place with crystal-clear water, pristine beaches, and gorgeous sunsets.
What are you most afraid of?
SNAKES! They terrify me. I can’t even go inside the reptile house at the zoo because I know they’re lurking behind the glass. Just the thought of a snake creeps me out. I guess I’m in good company with Indiana Jones!
It’s spiders for me. Bleck! Do you have a favorite quote?
I learned so much from reading Stephen King’s On Writing. One of my favorite quotes from that book is, “The scariest moment is always just before you start.”
That certainly is true for any writer beginning a novel, but it also applies to just about everything we do in life.
As a companion to that, I also like Chinese philosopher Lao-tze’s words of wisdom: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” You can’t think about how long or hard the path is; you simply need to put one foot in front of the other, one step at a time, and you can climb mountains.
Okay, now for the quickie questions: Answer in three words or less. Ready? Go!
Favorite Disney Character? Belle. She’s courageous.
Favorite Fruit? Blueberries
Favorite Hero? Our US soldiers
Favorite Eye Color?Amethyst
Best Vacation Destination?Maui. London. Paris.
Food you can’t stand?Liver. Is. Yucky!
What annoys you? People not listening.
Coffee, tea, or something else? Tea. Or wine!
Nightgown or Jammies?Flannel PJs
Prefer dogs or cats? Gotta love both
A bit about Lauren
Lauren’s novels focus on two of her favorite eras, medieval times and the American Old West. History is the backdrop that places her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire and yearning for one another grows into the deep, tender, treasured gift of love.
Lauren, a native Texan, lives in a Dallas suburb with her family. An avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan, she manages stress by alternating yoga with five mile walks. She is thinking about starting a support group for Pinterest and House Hunters addicts.
The blurb about Outlaw Muse
English playwright Daman Rutledge has come to the American West on business for his brother when he witnesses a woman about to be executed. On impulse he rescues the beautiful stranger and goes on the run with her across the Kansas prairie. Along the way Daman finds the muse he’s been missing and loses his heart to the raven-haired beauty with haunting amber eyes.
As they try to escape the long arm of the law, Daman seeks to prove Serena’s innocence before it’s too late. They find love—and the truth—on a journey that changes their lives.
Enjoy an excerpt from Outlaw Muse
“You’ll need to come with me.”
Serena stared at him in disbelief. “An unchaperoned woman in a man’s company? You must be insane.”
“It’s something the Chinese believe. If you save someone’s life, you are responsible for that person for the rest of your life.” Daman grinned. “I did save that pretty neck of yours.”
She blushed and looked down. A protective wave swept over Daman as he looked at her profile. He began thinking aloud.
“Now how to pull it off? “How about my ward? Yes, the American cousin and poor relation who has lost her parents.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I am twenty-five. A little long in the tooth for being anyone’s ward.”
“Hmm.” Daman thought, constructing the storyline as he spoke. “Still, a cousin could work. Maybe a loving but stern aunt raised you. She died and left you a nice inheritance, but you were taken advantage of by a man who wanted the money and not you.”
Serena gasped in outrage. Daman amended the story he spun.
“No, you look much too smart for that. Let’s say train robbers killed your fiancé. Or wait. A bank robber. Who’s that James character I’ve heard of?”
Daman smiled as the wheels in his mind turned. “Never mind. We can iron out the details later. We’ll make you heartbroken, practically a widow. Robert could have died a week before the wedding.”
“Robert?”
“You know, Robert, your dead fiancé. Now if we—”
Serena interrupted him. “For giving up writing, you have quite a fertile imagination.”
Here’s how you can contact Lauren
Buy links
http://amzn.com/B00FQ0QGZM/
Thanks again, Lauren, for joining me here today.
