Today, I am sharing an author interview with Laurel Blount.
About Laurel Blount
Laurel Blount lives on a small farm in middle Georgia with her husband, their four children, and an assortment of very spoiled animals. She divides her time between farm chores, homeschooling, and writing. She’s busy, but she’s never bored!
Laurel writes inspirational contemporary romance, and A Rancher to Trust is her fourth title for Harlequin’s Love Inspired. She’s the recipient of the Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award for Excellence and has been a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Carol Award, the Holt Medallion, and the New England Reader’s Choice Award. She’s represented by Jessica Alvarez of Bookends Literary Agency.
Whenever she’s not working, you can find Laurel with a cup of tea at her elbow, a cat in her lap, and a good book in her hand.
CONNECT WITH LAUREL: Website | Facebook | Twitter
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My Interview with Laurel Blount
When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
I’ve always loved books, and I can’t remember a time when I didn’t dream of writing one myself! When I was very young, I wrote stories and poems and hid them in a box under my bed. I was in awe of ‘real’ authors. They seemed like such incredible, amazing creatures—I didn’t believe that I could ever actually become one. I’m so thankful that I get to do this—it’s truly a dream come true.
When you are not writing, what other hats do you wear? What do you do for fun?
I’m a homeschooling mom, and we have a little hobby farm, so I stay busy with all sorts of school and farm-related activities. For fun I read, of course! I also love spending time with friends. Writing’s a very solitary activity, so I treasure time spent with the folks I love best. I host a weekly afternoon tea each Monday with some of my very favorite ladies—we laugh and cry together and drink cup after cup of tea. Priceless!
What is your favorite genre to read? What about that genre draws you?
Oooh, tough question! I’m a pretty eclectic reader. I skip from romance, to mystery, to nonfiction to suspense to thriller—and then I start all over again. I love ‘em all. I think what draws me to a book is really the author’s voice—when I read that all important first paragraph and I’m hooked, that’s it for me. I’m going to read everything that person wrote!
What is your favorite holiday? And why?
Christmas!! I love Christmas! My late mom was fabulous at creating magical holidays for her kids—we grew up with caroling parties, beautiful decorations, precious get-togethers with friends, sumptuous feasts and lots and lots of love. She set the bar really high! As a frazzled young mom, I nearly killed myself trying to recreate all that for my own kids—until I realized that really, the one essential of the season is the love—for God and for each other. Once I figured that out, I was free to enjoy Christmas all over again!
What is your favorite thing about summer? And why?
I’d have to say my favorite thing about summer is the more relaxed schedule! I also love the fact that my husband takes over a lot of the cooking—he loves to grill!
What historical figure do you admire and why?
I really pondered this one. There are so many fine people I look up to in history, but do you know who I really admire? The ordinary folks who never made it into the books. I admire all the brave everyday people who lived their lives loving God, helping their neighbors and doing their honest best. Maybe they never got much praise or recognition for their faithfulness, but they shaped history every bit as much—if not more than—the famous figures. As Harry Truman famously said, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
Where did the inspiration for A Rancher to Trust come from?
The story spark for this one was sort of a slow-smoldering ember. This idea for this story first stirred when my then editor at Love Inspired, Giselle Regis, suggested during revisions for A FAMILY FOR THE FARMER that heroine Emily Elliot needed a best friend. So, I created Bailey Quinn, who walked into the barn at Goosefeather Farm and promptly stole the scene. Then, as an aside, Giselle said of the hero’s rebellious brother, “Give Dan some redeeming qualities. You never know. He might make a good hero himself one day!” Thank you, Giselle! He definitely did!
Which character in A Rancher to Trust did you enjoy writing most?
Oh, I’d have to say Bailey Quinn! Bailey’s been a secondary character in all my Pine Valley books, and I loved her more every time she made an appearance. I love her grit, her warm heart, her independent spirit and her loyalty. But the rancher hero, Dan Whitlock, would have to be a close second. There’s just something about a reformed rebel that never fails to capture my heart.
Who did you have in mind as you wrote Shelter in the Storm?
I wrote this for my sweet friends who are so hungry right now for uplifting stories—for reminders that good can and does triumph over evil, that forgiveness is a sign of strength, that love can flourish even in hard times. It’s so easy to be bogged down by the negativity around us. Shelter in the Storm is meant to be a balm for weary hearts—a chance to stand up and cheer when joy breaks through the darkness!
Because I am a former K-12 school librarian I have to ask – what is your favorite children’s book?
This one’s easy! THE VELVETEEN RABBIT is my all-time favorite children’s book. I still treasure my dog-eared childhood copy, and even today I’ll tear up when I read the Skin Horse’s description of what it means to become “real.” Over the years I’ve fallen in love with more books than I can count, but this one remains my absolute favorite.
Every year I was a librarian I organized a Young Authors Day for the kids at our school. What advice would you give to a child who wants to be a writer?
First: Read all you can. Seek out the best authors, the ones that really pull you into their stories—and study how they do that. Second: Write. Write all the time, every day if you can. Third: Believe in yourself. You have stories to tell that are uniquely yours, given to you by God. Tell them with all your heart, and don’t let anyone discourage you!
These interview questions were orginally part of two blog tours. You can read the original posts – A Rancher to Trust and Shelter in the Storm
While Laurel Blount’s books are not necessarily for the K-12 Christian school market, she may have written something that will appeal to your patrons. You can check out her books at the link below.
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