Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written three novels and three screenplays. My novel, THE GIRL FROM LONG GUYLAND, is currently for sale on Amazon. It has ranked #1 in Suspense and Women’s Contemporary Fiction during Amazon promotional days. and has over 100,000 downloads.
My screenplays have all been optioned by Hollywood producers and have garnered finalist and semi-finalist wins in the Austin Heart of Film, Southwest Writers, TV Writer, Chesterfield and Writer’s Digest contests. I am currently working on a new novel based on my screenplay, THE M&M BOYS.
Originally from New York, I moved out west to attend college. As an English major, I studied under esteemed authors Rudolfo Anaya and the late Tony Hillerman as well as attended the prestigious Iowa Writers Worksop. I now divide my time between Austin, TX and Taos, NM.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest completed novel is THE GIRL FROM LONG GUYLAND.
MEMOIR MEETS THRILLER: Set against a 1969 psychedelic love-in backdrop, THE GIRL FROM LONG GUYLAND is shared through the eyes of Laila Levin when decades later, an unsolved murder pulls her reluctantly into her past. A dramatic collision of then and now – entwining family, marriage, profession and ethics.
I’m at an age when I’ve begun reflecting on different periods of my life and examining what I’ve learned from them. For me, the late sixties was an aberration from the rest of my relatively conservative lifestyle. I wasn’t near as naïve or crazy as Laila, but I was a quintessential hippie, feminist, and anti-war protestor. Evidently, the novel has struck a cord with other baby boomers thinking about the same things.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write at weird hours and they vary. Sometimes I work at night and continue through sunrise. Other times, I write in the late morning after I’ve exercised. Bottom line, I try and write every day to stay in the rhythm of the project.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
GONE GIRL – Gillian Flynn
THE SECRET HISTORY Donna Tart
THE PRINCE OF TIDES – Pat Conroy
SHE COMES UNDONE – Wally Lamb
COMPROMISING POSITIONS – Susan Isaacs
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a historical novel based on my screenplay THE M&M BOYS:
In the summer of 1961, Marshall Elliot, a young little league player’s joy of making the All-Star team evaporates when his father, too busy with a girlfriend, misses his triumphant opening game, and his mother spirals into a bed-ridden depression.
Then his life suddenly changes when Yankee superstars Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle move next door as they battle to break Babe Ruth’s home run record. The three unlikely friends find solace in each other’s triumphs, frustrations, celebrations and disappointments.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
AMAZON works the best for me.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Study the craft. Take a creative writing novel class. Read books on the craft of writing. Talent and a good story are only part of writing a successful novel. You need to hone your skills and pay your dues. Some book recommendations include:
John Gardner – The Art of Fiction
The Anatomy of a Story – John Truby
Techniques of the Selling Writer – Dwight Swain
A Writer’s Journey – Chris Vogler
Join a quality critique group. Hire a professional proof reader.
Don’t write with your “mother” on your shoulder.
Don’t be afraid to use events from your own life but remember that fiction is different from real life.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Quoting from my first creative novel writing professor, the award-winning author, Rudulfo Anaya, “A writer writes.”
What are you reading now?
And the Mountains Echoed by Khalad Hosseini
What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to continue writing and indie-publishing novels until I can’t.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I read it at least five times and saw the move many more.
Author Websites and Profiles
Lara Reznik Website
Lara Reznik Amazon Profile
Lara Reznik’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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