Interview With Author Lauri Cruver Cherian
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a retired English as a Second Language teacher who has worked with immigrant populations for over three decades. I have published two books of poetry, Poems of the Point, a tribute to growing up on the beach in the Pacific Northwest and Brave as Thistles, a celebration of this wonderful messy life. I was inspired to study armadillos and write Four Anxious Armadillos, a children’s chapter book after a nine-banded armadillo invaded my yard in Texas. Did you know that there are 21 species of armadillos? My book focuses on four species: the pink fairy, screaming hairy, three-banded and nine-banded. It’s a great read aloud book for the whole family with lots of opportunity to pick up some Spanish expressions, fun armadillo facts, and anxiety breathing techniques. My most recent book, Come On In, Don’t Get Lonesome”, a historical fiction family saga set in the City of Destiny, Tacoma, Washington in 1910 where a boarding house is a living symbol of hope, kindness, and community.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book, Come On In, Don’t Get Lonesome”, was inspired two of my grandmother’s poems and a newspaper article she wrote about living in Tacoma, Washington in 1910. Her parents were proprietors of a boarding house where each of the boarders, usually new immigrants, were welcomed with, “Come On In, Don’t Get Lonesome!” Come On In, Don’t Get Lonesome is a nostalgic and heartfelt work, an intimate portrayal of family, immigration, and belonging that captures the warmth of early 20th-century Tacoma and Gig Harbor, Washington. It weaves ancestral history with fictional charm and the enduring human desire for connection and home. The Old Alpha boarding house on Tacoma Avenue South becomes a living symbol of hope, kindness, and community, where every “come on in” opens the door to another story of perseverance and love.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The muse often hits the same time my head hits the pillow. I spend much of the night at my desk writing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I enjoy reading Ken Follett, Kristin Hannah, Frank McCourt and Bill Bryson for their story telling ability. My latest book, Come On In, Don’t Get Lonesome, is impacted by my early reading about little girls. I can sense the influence of Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, and Laura Ingalls Wilder in my family saga.
What are you working on now?
I am busy selling and marketing my four books. I hope to work on a sequel to Four Anxious Armadillos.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I rely on social media, Goodreads, word of mouth, book signings, readings, and book clubs to promote my books.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write when the muse hits. Don’t be too critical, just write. Keep everything and revisit it later.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t stop writing. Writing is good for your soul.
What are you reading now?
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and The Women by Kristin Hannah
What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue to write a column for my local newspaper, blogs and post them on my author’s website, write a sequel to Four Anxious Armadillos, and write poetry.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, a collection of poetry, anything by Kristin Hannah or Ken Follett, and a guide to surviving on a desert island.
Author Websites and Profiles
Lauri Cruver Cherian Amazon Profile
Lauri Cruver Cherian’s Social Media Links
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