Laurie J. Edwards on Summer Storms

Emma: Today, I am featuring an interview with author Laurie J. Edwards on her latest release in the Summer Lovin’ anthology, Summer Storms, available from The Wild Rose Press.

Blurb:

Sixteen-year-old Paige nearly drowns as she rescues a Pomeranian trapped in floodwaters that sweep through her town. Chase, the hottie who saves her, wants to help her and her mother, but Paige won’t accept charity. And can she risk him unmasking the family secret she’s kept hidden?

Welcome, Laurie!

Laurie: Hi, Emma! Thanks so much for having me.

Emma: Did you start writing stories for your children?

Laurie: Actually, I started writing because of my children. They were driving me crazy, so I started writing to save my sanity.

Emma: You’ve also published a biography on Rhianna. What kind of research did that involve?

Laurie: Whew! That took a lot of digging and persistence to get the info as well as multiple unsuccessful requests trying to get her publicist to respond to questions, but in the end, I got what I needed. Then I spent a lot of time sorting out facts from fiction. After people are famous, many "friends" claim to have insider knowledge. Some make things up for attention; others air grievances or tear down the celebrity out of jealousy. I hope I got at the truth, but it's tough to know for sure. Whenever I write nonfiction, I try to find fans and detractors to give me a balanced view. But in the end, we're all human and tend to put our own spin on things. Deciding what to include & what to leave out is always hard too.

Emma: I’m amazed at your perseverance and the number of articles you have published. I think you could inspire numerous aspiring writers. Why don’t you tell them about your road to being published.

Laurie: I was super lucky and sold the first article I sent out to Highlights. I didn't realize then that getting published was a long, hard road paved with many rejection slips. I had to slog through that (and still do sometimes) to get where I am now--a full-time writer who actually makes money and supports myself & my family. Now, more often than not, publishers contact me rather than the other way around, but most of them offer nonfiction work. That pays the bills, but I still have a dream that I can do this with my fiction writing. I guess we'll see…

As for rejections, all I can say is keep working at your craft and learning from others, continue to write, find a supportive critique group, and network like crazy. Most of the writing jobs I have now came about through my writing contacts.

Emma: I won’t keep you much longer. Do you have any works in progress you’d like to share?

Laurie: I have a YA loosely based on 1050 in Eastern Europe that's part of the Winter Hare trilogy; it's a fantasy, and I'm working on revising it. It's actually the second book in the trilogy, but I wrote it first. Now I'm going back and writing the prequel. I'd like to finish all 3 before I send any of them out, in case things happen in one that affect the other books. I'm also working on 2 adult inspirational romances: Her Weight in Gold and Angel Unawares, both are roughed out and partially written. It's just finding the time to actually DO it. I have so much writing to do (day jobs) that I don't have time to write (my own stuff)--if that makes sense. Kind of an odd excuse that writing keeps me from writing, but it's true. I have several intense deadlines this month, one for a very high profile client, so I don't have any wiggle room. Once I've met those deadlines, though, I hope to find time for the books of my heart.

Emma: Good luck! Thank you for your time, Laurie, and good luck on your future books!

Laurie: Thanks! And thanks ever so much for having me, Emma. Best of luck with the baby. I'm sure you're counting the days 'til Oct.

I'm offering an e-copy of my book Summer Lovin' to one of your readers who comments on this blog, so I'll check back on Sunday night to draw a name.

And I'd love to have readers visit me at: Laurie J. Edwards, The Wild Rose Press , The Susquehanna Writers, MySpace, Twitter (@LaurieJEdwards), and Facebook as Laurie J. Edwards.

Here's a blurb from Summer Lovin':

Paige jumped when someone touched her shoulder.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I wanted to see if you were okay.”

Pushing herself upright with her good arm, Paige found herself face to face with her rescuer. He looked even better now than in her vague memories. And he smelled marvelous, freshly showered, with a tangy aftershave that made her insides flip-flop. Or was that because of his devastating smile? Or the way his eyes crinkled at the corners? Or the way his… Stop it, Paige! He’s only being friendly. Say something so he doesn’t think you’re a complete idiot.

“Um, you’re the one who saved me, aren’t you?” Scintillating conversation, Paige.

Red crept up his neck and colored his cheeks. “Yeah. I’m glad we were there. Dad’s with the Coast Guard. I was helping after the bridge collapsed. I saw you hanging onto that picnic table headed for those rocks. Couldn’t get there in time to stop the crash, but I pulled you out when you went under.”

“You jumped in after me?”

His face flushed even redder. “Um, yeah.”

“But you could have been killed!”

“That’s what Dad said.” He grinned. “But I’m glad I did. Good to see you didn’t suffer any major damage.”

She lifted her cast. “A broken arm and stitches.” And losing everything she owned. Yeah, sure, no major damage.

He nodded. “Well, after you’ve pulled dead bodies out of the river, broken arms and stitches seem minor. Those will heal.”

His callous dismissal of her feelings angered her. But she also felt ashamed. Her losses didn’t compare to people who’d lost family members, but her heart hurt all the same.

He laid a hand on her sleeve, and a shiver ran through her. “I didn’t mean you hadn’t suffered. I’m sure it hurts to lose all your stuff. Not to mention having that to deal with…” He motioned toward her arm and forehead. “It’s just that—” He squeezed his eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath. “I…Never mind. It’s too awful to talk about. I’ve helped Dad before, but—” He shook his head, then opened his eyes. Traces of moisture clung to his lashes.

Instinctively, she laid a hand over his. “I’m sorry.”

He flipped his hand over and clung to hers. “Yeah, me too. I didn’t mean to dump on you.” He gave a hollow laugh. “When I was little, I used to complain about Dad being gone so much. Then he’d come home and brood. I never understood how draining his job is. Or how hard it is to go on after you’ve…” He swallowed hard. “I’d never touched a…Well, anyway, I’m glad you’re okay. I was afraid when I first pulled you out that I was too late. He gently touched just below the bandage. “You look great, by the way.”

Compared to a corpse, maybe.

He still hadn’t let go of her hand. Maybe he’d forgotten he was holding it. She must stink. Two days and her only bath had been in that cesspool of floating filth. She hadn’t gotten up enough courage to face the communal showers. And she’d been too woozy to brush her teeth this morning at the hospital. She edged away from him a bit.

His eyes filled with concern. “Did I hurt you? I didn’t mean to.”

She shook her head, which started a thumping in her brain that matched the one he’d started in her pulse.