Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi. It is lovely to be here. I am a creative sort of person. As a teacher, I love to make learning active and engaging for my students. As an author, I capture bits and pieces of my imagination and spill them across pages of paper and files on my computer. As a photographer, I see colors and shapes and beautiful people with lives that have been lived. Stories are so important to us. We learn and grow and become through stories. Classics such as Lord of the Rings and Pride and Prejudice are my favorites to read. I’ve gobbled up all the books I can and now I get to write and publish my own.
I am on my fourth published book. The first book is Flood: A Wife for Shem. The story of creation and the flood is familiar to most of us. This story brings to life what is covered in the first few chapters of the Bible.
My next release is Weighed Down. Avery thinks her weight keeps her from serious relationships. It’ll take the right man and a little Christmas magic to teach her otherwise. This book will have you laughing and crying.
Last summer, my third novel released, Hidden Gems. Kathryn’s sister called for help, but by the time Kathryn arrives, her sister is missing. With the body count rising and jewel thieves in the area, she’ll need all the help she can get from Sargent Franklin.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The newest release is Jewel of Jericho, Rahab’s Story. Strong female characters in the Bible are not easy to find. The ones who are there are bent and broken, just like many of us today. Jewel is the first of the series The Fruit of Her Hands. As we read this remarkable love story, we realize all of us have been called by God. All of us have gifts and talents to be used for His glory.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love to write at night. Problem is, I usually have to be up and at work by seven in the morning. Many days I am dragging myself from bed and using caffeine to help me get started. Strangely, by the end of the day, I’m ready and eager to get back to whatever it is I am working on.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Geek alert! I am a HUGE Tolkien fan. I love the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. I appreciate the Silmarillion for the depth it brings to Tolkien’s Middle Earth Universe. Next would be the Narnia series. I’ve been sneaking into the wardrobe since I was a little girl. A few summers ago I got to stand beside the CS Lewis Wardrobe Statue in Belfast. Crazy excited!
There are some more traditional things on my list, or should we say classical? I love Jane Austin and Louisa May Alcott.
What are you working on now?
My current project is multiple. The Fruit of Her Hands will include a novel about Ruth (spoiler, she marries Rahab’s son, how exciting is that?) and then Esther. I have another romantic suspense called The Maxwell Murders that will be releasing this year. More to come, once I have these three in the bucket.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am finding there isn’t one best anything. The world of publishing and promoting books changes rapidly. I’ve had success with Pinterest, although I’m not really sure how that works. We know Amazon is important, and it takes lots of reviews to get the notice we want. I wish I had someone like Oprah Winfrey in my pocket. She is an amazing woman and people trust her picks.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Reviews matter. Quality writing and good editing matter. Don’t expect overnight success (so if it comes, you can celebrate all the more). Expect to love writing and feel blessed when your story moves the world.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From Tolkien (remember, I said I was a geek): The story-maker proves a successful ‘sub-creator’. He makes a secondary world which your mind can enter. Inside it, what he relates is ‘true’; it accords with the laws of that world. You therefore believe it, while you are, as it were, inside. The moment disbelief arises, the spell is broken; the magic, or rather art, has failed.
What are you reading now?
Textbooks in preparation for the summer and fall semesters. I look forward to summer (even spring break) when I can dive into something a bit more pleasing.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have the heart of a fantasy writer. That will come to life soon, I am certain.
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?
Once again, Tolkien geek. I would want the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Swan Song is another book I love. Then, as in Jill Walsh’s Green Book, I’d have to have a blank book to write the adventure down.
Author Websites and Profiles
Laurie Boulden Website
Laurie Boulden Amazon Profile
Laurie Boulden’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account