Exclusive Interview with

Laura John

When did you start writing?

In February of 2019

What makes writing your passion?

It's my escape and my therapy. It helps me get through the rough days. It brings joy to my life. When people tell me that they loved my writing it reminds me why I do this for a living.

How long have you been writing?

3 years

What was the feeling when you published your first book?

I was terrified, but also excited. When I got my first review and they told me how much they loved my book I thought my heart was going to explode.

What’s the story behind your choice of characters?

My characters always have a little bit of me in them. In a whole I want to write characters that people can see themselves in. I love when people tell me how much they related to my characters.

What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?

Figuring out marketing... lol

How do you get over the “writer’s block”?

I usually just read back a few chapters, and re-immerse myself in the characters. when I'm back in their headspace I can usually over come the dreaded writers block.

We all know the writer’s path is never easy, what makes you keep going? What advice would you give to new authors?

What keeps me going is the readers. When someone tells me that they related to my characters, or that my book touched them in a way it makes me so happy. My advice for new authors is to ignore the bad reviews and to just write what they are passionate about. The readers can feel that passion and will also relate to it.

If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?

Oh that's a tough one. I would say don't be so hard on yourself. Life is a journey and there will be ups and downs. But the rain doesn't last forever and the sun will shine again.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?

I do... I know lots of authors don't but I love to read the reviews. Typically I just ignore the bad ones. I know my books won't be for everyone and everyone is entitled to their opinions.

What is the feeling when you get a good review?

I feel like my heart is going to explode it makes me so happy.

Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?

all the time... but I'll never tell which ones... I like to keep you guessing... lol

Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?

All of my characters have a little bit of me in them, but I probably am most comparable to Tia, from Secret Smiles, the first book I ever wrote.

What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?

I totally agree with that statement. Book covers are so important and I learned that lesson the hard way. The first 4 books in the Love In Sienna Series have old covers that were not for the market I was targeting, and sales showed. Once I changed covers people started really buying my books.

Do you connect with your readers? Do you mind having a chat with them or you prefer to express yourself through your writing?

I love connecting with my readers. When people reach out to me it sends me over the moon with excitement. I would chat all day with my readers, and I often go live on Tiktok to connect more with people.

How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?

It makes me so happy. There isn't a better feeling.

Who is your favorite author? Why?

Oh I can't answer that question because there are too many amazing authors out there.

What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?

My dream is to make writing a liveable career. I would love to better support my family and give my kids the things I dreamed of as a kid.

Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?

I actually did already... Fighting Attraction when it was first published was a rushed book. I didn't get to give it the love and attention I wanted to. So I pulled the book and made it even stronger. There is a lot of added content that wasn't in the original book.

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