Q & A with Lauren Clark
In five sentences, tell us about yourself: I am a mom to two great boys. I live in a historic house (aka The Money Pit) in a wonderful neighborhood in the Deep South. I adore the color pink (I have a pink cell phone case, a pink Kindle cover, etc). I used to be a TV news anchor and once interviewed Eliot Spitzer (client # 9…eww!). I have no sense of direction (It’s terrible. Ask my husband).
Have you always wanted to be a writer? Not always. My parents love to remind me that I wanted to grow up to be an Indian Princess named Tiger Lily!
Do you have a system for writing and editing? If so, what is it? I have to plot first, as my writing meanders all over the place if I don’t! My first-ever manuscript (probably 7 years ago) was a mess to fix!! I learned my lesson then, and now start out with note cards to brainstorm ideas for chapters, later type up a rough outline on my Mac, and then, get to work. The library is one of my favorite places to work, as it’s really quiet, allows coffee (with a lid), and I don’t have the password for the Internet connection!
What kind of research do you do for your books? With Dancing Naked in Dixie, I had visited Eufaula a dozen or more times, so I was very familiar with the setting. Now, however, I live four hours away, so I spent a lot of time on MapQuest and GoogleEarth to make sure my locations were accurate. I also fact-checked with books about the history of Barbour County and, of course, the official “Eufaula Pilgrimage” website.
George Clooney or Ryan Gosling? Ryan Gosling.
Which do you prefer, coffee or tea? Coffee. Flavored coffee, please!!
What are your guilty pleasures? I adore flavored coffee and drink wayyyy too much of it! I am also totally smitten with Downton Abbey. I loved every episode and cannot wait for Season 3!!
What are you reading right now? Divergent (audiobook). It is sooo good that I want to stay in my car and keep listening!
If you could write anywhere, where would it be? Santorini, Greece
What other authors inspire you? Sophie Kinsella, Jodi Picoult, Stephen King (love his book, On Writing)
Do you have any upcoming projects? I am working on story about The Pie Lab, which is an actual restaurant in Greensboro, Alabama. It’s a great little place, has wonderful pies (both dessert pies and quiche-type pies), and provides a place where local folks can get on-the-job training. My protagonist is a young woman who’s vowed never to return to Greensboro (her hometown), but is forced to do so when her husband leaves her for another man.
Additional comments by Lauren: The highest compliment a reader can pay an author is to write a quick review for sites like Amazon, BN.com, and GoodReads. It means the world to me and it’s helpful to see what people liked about the book (or thought could be improved). Also, I love getting email and answer every message!
**Visit Lauren at any of the below links:
Email: laurenclarkbooks@gmail.com.