LHM: When
I was in high school, I took a creative writing course and fell in love with
the idea of making up stories. It was a wonderful feeling to be in control and
make things happen the way I wanted them to happen. That doesn’t mean I was
writing a good story. I’ve since learned that writing a story is a very
complicated process.
HFP: What
would you claim as your most interesting writing quirk?
LHM: I
don’t know that this is a quirk, but because my husband and I live in a very
tiny house, I don’t have an office. Instead, I’ve taken over the family room
which used to be the breezeway between the laundry room and the garage, so it’s
a tiny room, but large enough for a couple of armchairs and a footstool. I sit
in the chair that faces the row of windows overlooking our patio, which is
beautiful in the spring and summer as I’m an avid gardener. I balance my laptop
in my lap and start writing my stories. My husband bought me a music stand so I
stack my notes and a water bottle on the ledge. The room isn’t heated, but we
did install a gas fireplace so that keeps me warm in the winter. In the summer,
I use a fan to keep cool.
HFP: Where
do the ideas for your books come from? What inspires you to write the books you
do?
LHM: I
love to read romantic suspense which was
the first series I wrote. My father grew up on a ranch near Steamboat Springs,
Colorado, and I’ve always been a fan of horses and the mountains. I wanted to
write about romance, suspense and
cowboys so the Crystal Creek Series was born. I’m an avid reader. I’ll read everything. I’ll
be searching information on some topic and read something else that’s
interesting so I’ll research that item which can lead me to something else. I
tell myself it’s part of the writing process. I also meet people or hear about
an interesting situation and try to incorporate that person or situation into a
story. Of course, by the time the story is complete, the situation or person is
unrecognizable. The person or situation has to fit the story, so changes need
to be made.
HFP: What
was the most surprising to you about getting published for the first time?
LHM: Publishing
my first book was exciting but also surprising at how much work was involved in
promotion and marketing of the book. It’s more than writing the story and
moving on to the next one. It took a lot of studying and trial and error, and
I’m still learning, but one thing I know is that marketing is a big part of
writing and writers need to constantly promote their books. It’s uncomfortable
because most writers aren’t used to self-promotion. It’s a new way of thinking for
us.
HFP: What
advice do you have for aspiring and or newbie authors?
LHM: Have
fun and enjoy it. You’re writing because you enjoy stories. Write the story you
love and tell the best story you can and when
you’ve done everything you can for that book, move on to the next one. Your fans will get to know you when you write
more books. The more you write the better you’ll be at telling stories. It’s
like everything else. It takes a lifetime of practice and you’ll always want to
write a better book with each story you start. You can do it!
HFP: If
you could do one thing differently on your journey to becoming a published
author what would it be?
LHM: I
wish I’d been more disciplined. Writing takes constant focus, but when you’re young, there are so many
distractions. If you can ignore the distractions, you’ll meet your
goal sooner. I couldn’t say no to social invitations. I still can’t, so my
journey has taken longer.
HFP: What
has been your favorite book to write so far and why is it your favorite?
LHM: Probably
the book, as yet untitled, I’m writing now is my favorite. I’ve always been a
fan of fairytales and when those
fairytales can be incorporated into a contemporary romance that makes me smile.
I’ve just started writing this latest book so I’m not sure where this will take
me but I’m excited to see where the story goes and how it will end—happily ever
after, of course!
HFP: What
qualities do you think make a great story that keeps readers coming back for
more?
LHM: For
me, I remember a book by how it makes me feel. If it digs deep into my
emotions, that’s the book I want to read.
Many years ago, I discovered an author who wrote emotion driven stories
and her style made such an impression on me, that to this day I try to write my
stories in that way. I’m not as adept as she was, but I keep trying. It’s something
to work toward.
HFP: How
long does it take you to write one of your books?
LHM: Because
I work on several books at once it’s hard to say how long it takes to write
one. I write a draft and clean it up as best I can and then send it to the editor. While she’s editing it, I
start writing another book. When the editor returns the draft for my previous book
to me, I feel like crawling into the corner because I have so many changes to
make, but eventually I work through them and send that draft to the copyeditor.
While the copyeditor has the story I return to the previous book. When the
copyeditor returns the manuscript to me, I’m not quite as bruised and make the
changes and send that draft to the proofreader. In the meantime I’m working
with the cover designer and setting up marketing. If I recently published a
book, I promote that book as well I’m not good with downtime so I try and do something every day that involves my
writing. It may take me a year to six months from start to finish in completing
a book depending on how complicated the plot is and how long the story is.
HFP: Okay,
this is the fun question, if you could only choose one, would you choose coffee
or chocolate and why?
LHM: No
doubt about it, I’d choose the chocolate. In fact I’m eating chocolate as I answer
these questions.
Cheers
and have a wonderful holiday!
You too Laura, thank you so much for being on In the Hot Seat! :-)
Bio:
If you wanted to know a little more about me, this is the place. I’m always curious to know a little more about the authors who write the books I love. I’m constantly flipping to Wikipedia for information on anyone even slightly well known. No, I’m not listed in Wikipedia, but for anyone who wants to know why I wanted to write, and why I write what I write, then read further. If this summary doesn’t answer your questions, then feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. I’ll do my best to answer them.
I started out in San Diego, California, and though I’ve lived several places, I’ll always consider myself a Californian. More than anything, I miss the ocean, miss its lulling rhythm, watching the waves crash against the sand, and hearing the seagulls call to one another. Though I consider California home, I’m happy to be living in Colorado, an outdoor mecca for cyclists, runners, skiers, and those who just want to go for a walk and enjoy Colorado’s abundant sunshine.
I met my husband, the true hero of my life, while living in Colorado, so this is a place that holds a special spot in my heart.
Even as a child I loved to daydream. My parents were beside themselves when my teachers told them I daydreamed in class instead of paying attention. I tried to concentrate on lessons, but knights in shining armor whisking me away always held more interest than comma usage, which I should’ve paid attention to now that I’m a writer, and why a+2b = y(x)3. I have no use for that.
In high school, I took a creative writing class and knew that I had found my destiny. I wrote short stories and plays and children’s books and everything in between. I found a class where I wanted to pay attention, and I found a class where daydreaming was allowed and encouraged, and where I had time to write my daydreams. I would have pursued this as my career, but my parents had other ideas. They were too familiar with the starving artist, and were concerned a career in writing wouldn’t provide for me as would a more serious career. I’m sure they were right, but my heart wouldn’t let me settle into career that though it would’ve provided, it brought me no satisfaction. My interests lay in the arts. I had studied ballet and piano, again fields that provided a living with great difficulty.
After graduating high school, my parents gave me a choice: get a job or go to college. I wasn’t that enthralled with working so I chose college. That should have set me on a path to a career, but it failed. Even after college I still couldn’t forget my love for writing.
Writing was a muse, a siren, who wouldn’t set me free. Finally, I gave in. No matter what, I had to write. Even if I couldn’t earn a living at writing, I had to write. So write I did. Though I still needed to work, I fit writing into every moment I could find. When I learned about indie publishing, I was in heaven. I could write whatever I wanted and publish whenever I wanted, which also means as soon as my book was finished, it was online waiting for buyers. I’m enjoying my life as a writer. This is something I’ll be able to do when I’m old and gray, which isn’t that far away.
I hope this answers some of your questions about me. If you have anymore, please feel free to drop me a line and I’ll do the best I can to answer them. If you’re a writer, too, then I’m sure you can identify with what I’ve written here. Writers have to write. It’s as important to us as air and food.
I hope you enjoyed my introduction. As time goes by, I’ll be adding other stories about myself so stay tuned.
Thank you for stopping by!
Author Links:
Website: https://laurahaleymcneil.com
Newsletter: https://laurahaleymcneil.com/newsletter/
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