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Our current featured author is Lara Bernhardt!
Lara recently released her first novel "The Wantland Files" through the Amazon Scout program. I had the chance to meet Lara in person about a year ago & she is an absolutely lovely lady, inside & out! I'm thrilled to be able to work with her to help get her new book out to readers everywhere!
Lara recently took a little time to sit down with us & answer a few questions... Hope you'll take a moment & check her interview out!
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Author Q & A Questions
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Why did you decide to start writing?
I can’t remember a time I didn’t write. I’ve read voraciously for as long as I can remember. Going to the library was the biggest treat as a child and I always left with a stack of books. I told my younger siblings bedtime stories I made up and I started writing my own stories in elementary school. Why? Because I love it! I love to escape into a good book and always wanted to provide the same thing for others.
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Do you think authors can succeed in multiple genres or should they stick with a single genre?
I read almost any genre - if it’s a good book, I’ll read it! Traditional publishers want authors to stay firmly in one genre. I think if you write a good book, it will be a success. I hope that proves to be true because I don’t want to be constrained to one. I love what I’m writing now but have lots of other ideas too.
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What do you feel is the biggest reward to you with writing?
My biggest reward is hearing people tell me how much they enjoyed my book.
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Who are some of your favorite authors & why?
Jojo Moyes, Katherine Center, Jodi Picoult - these authors write beautiful women’s fiction, moving stories that grip me emotionally with protagonists I enjoy spending time with. Dean Koontz - read everything of his I could get my hands on as a teen - loved his intriguing stories with sci-fi elements. Douglas Adams - not only hysterical but brilliant - stories take you on a wild ride with even wilder characters and keep you laughing - they’re timeless as well, considering my 16-year-old son just read them at my recommendation and loved them. He was a visionary - imagined computers and devices half a century before they existed. Ann Rice, JR Ward - vampire stories before the genre exploded that captivated me years ago.
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What are the biggest hurdles to overcome as an author?
Finding time to write is my biggest hurdle. Now that my first book is published, the biggest hurdle is marketing.
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Is there any advice that you can offer for new writers?
Take the time to seek out writing instruction prior to hammering out that first novel. Writing is a craft like any other art. You’ll be less frustrated with the process and far more satisfied with the completed project if you learn the craft first.
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Tell us a few random personal things about yourself personal & professional!
I love Asian food - noodles, rice, sushi. I love to cook. Some of my favorite movies are Poltergeist and Ghostbusters. The X-Files remains one of my favorite series ever. I have 5 biological children and 3 stepchildren (4 boys and 4 girls so extreme Brady Bunch). My favorite place to write is in a hot bath with a mug of hot green tea.
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Join Lara at her Facebook Fan Page: *CLICK HERE*
The Wantland Files by Lara: *AMAZON LINK*
