Interview Lynda LaPorte

by

Megan Hart

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Lynda: I am a woman who has worn many hats. I love to read and have read 100-200 books a year for most of my life. You know that Sinatra song? "I've been a puppet, a poet, a pawn and a king!" - that's me. I’ve been in chemical and biological research science, a real estate agent & broker, talent agent & photographer, children’s book writer and illustrator, musician, lyricist and homemaker. I live in the middle of the U.S. in St. Louis, Missouri with my husband, son and extended family of siblings, nieces and nephews who are in and out of my house daily.

2. How long have you been writing?

Lynda: As a young student I wrote intricate and detailed stories. By the time I was nine or ten I was losing myself in the wonder of fiction. I’ve been writing real books on real paper for five years. Before that I wrote a number of paperless novels in my head! I taught myself to use a computer because I was too dyslexic to type correctly and wasted piles of paper and white out. Most of those five years were spent on writing kid books which are exceedingly fun and not nearly as demanding as adult fiction.

3. How long do you usually spend on a book, from research to typing "the end?" How many times do you rewrite? Can you offer some hints about how to overcome writers’ block?

Lynda: I wrote Edge of Paradise in three months from beginning to end. I drew my research, for this book from personal experience so the time I spent was putting the words on paper. It was one of those effortless experiences that will probably never happen again. The words flowed. I rewrote Edge of Paradise at least four times until I forced myself to stop and got the nerve to send it out.

Lucky for me Edge threw no blocks. My second suspense in progress, Evil Eye, throws blocks at me on a regular basis. Any time I have a block, I go over the problem in my head and then I sleep on it and pull my subconscious into resolving the block. Always keep paper and pen handy! I even carry a tape recorder for my kid book’s music when music or lyrics hit me in the car.

4. Do you have any writing rituals (certain music, certain times of day, etc.) that you do?

Lynda: I am not a morning person so I usually sit down at the computer after lunch and might write off and on for six or eight hours--around kids, snacks, meals, plumbing, painting, wall papering, landscaping, etc. I do find the natural sounds of ocean, wind and water a good backdrop for writing.

5. Edge of Paradise is set on a gorgeous tropical island complete with sand, sun, water, and gorgeous men. Is it based on your own life experiences, and if so, can you tell us how to get there? :)

Lynda: I am solar powered, so all my life my idea of a perfect vacation spot has been beautiful beaches and sparkling water. I am lucky enough to find my way to beaches two or three times a year and hope to retire there someday. As for the hunks in my novels, I have a vivid imagination, what can I say? And of course the best way to get there is read the book!

6. What's your favorite type of hero and heroine to write about?

Lynda: I like real people with real problems that can heal and grow with the story. I like heroines that can be strong and soft at the same time and heroes that need saving.

7. If you could spend an hour with any author in history, dead or alive, who would it be, and why?

Lynda: Now that is a tough one. There are more than fifty authors that I read everything they write or have written. My house overflows with books. Frank Yerby had the first major impact on my reading... Frank Slaughter... Kathleen Woodwiss... Mary Stewart... but the most memorable author for me would have to be M.M. Kaye who wrote Far Pavilions. I would love to talk to her about that epic love story. I pull it out and reread it every few years.

8. Has anything influenced you particularly as a writer?

Lynda: Probably just the fact that I read too much! If that, is possible. I’ve read an extensive and varied list of books, from Romance to Mysteries, Adventures to Science Fiction, Suspense to Thrillers.

9. How many books did you write and complete before selling your first novel?

Lynda: One. Edge of Paradise. I have written dozens of kids musical e-books but since I haven’t published them they don’t count. : )

10. If you had to be stranded on your own tropical island paradise, list the top three items you would take, and why.

Lynda: My e-book reader with as many books as possible loaded in it for obvious reasons. A good man, again obvious. And a hat--go figure!