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Exclusive Interview with

Larada Horner-Miller

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When did you start writing?

When I was teaching writing to middle school students is when I really got into serious writing. I had penned a historical fiction before that, but it was in the studying of writing and preparing for my students and writing with them, I realized I was a writer!

Larada Horner-Miller
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What makes writing your passion?

I have feelings, thoughts, emotions that have to be expressed and when I see them on paper or the computer screen, something explodes inside of me—passion for the expressed written word.

Larada Horner-Miller
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How long have you been writing?

I wrote a historical fiction in the late 80s when I was going to Colorado State University, so that's almost forty years.

After retiring in 2013, I got truly serious about it and have published six books and three cookbooks since then.

Larada Horner-Miller
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What was the feeling when you published your first book?

I felt humbled when I saw my words on the printed page. I breathed a sigh of relief that it was done because it took me twenty years to finally get it out of the drawer and out to the world. I also felt a deep sadness, because my mom passed away a year before I published it.

Larada Horner-Miller
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What’s the story behind your choice of characters?

I have only written one fiction book, and I chose Maria and a Mexican immigrant family to tell their story of prejudice and injustice in the 30s in Colorado.

Larada Horner-Miller
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What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?

I don't like not selling more books. I know my books are great, but it's so time-consuming to do all the marketing required to sell books.

Larada Horner-Miller
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How do you get over the “writer’s block”?

I have never had a problem with "writer's block." In fact, I have five books in the queue—three poetry books, a how to write a biography and a fiction, so there's just not enough time.

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

I keep writing because that's how I interact with my changing world. I have to express it!

Don't wait like I did for 20-30 years to publish. Admit deeply you're a writer then give it all you have to make it happen.

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

Larada Horner-Miller
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Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?

Yes, I do read my book reviews and I haven't had any bad ones yet. I know they're coming. I did get a one-star rating and I wonder about that because if they had written a review, I could have understood it.

Larada Horner-Miller
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What is the feeling when you get a good review?

Larada Horner-Miller
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Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?

My fiction in waiting is a compilation of my real life experiences.

Larada Horner-Miller
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Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?

Larada Horner-Miller
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What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?

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

Larada Horner-Miller
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How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?

Larada Horner-Miller
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Who is your favorite author? Why?

Larada Horner-Miller
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What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?

Larada Horner-Miller
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Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?

Larada Horner-Miller
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If you could switch places with any author – who would that be?

Larada Horner-Miller
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What would you say to the “trolls” on the internet? We all know them – people who like to write awful reviews to books they’ve never read or didn’t like that much, just to annoy the author.

Larada Horner-Miller
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What would you say to your readers?

Larada Horner-Miller
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Share a bit about yourself – where do you live, are you married, do you have kids?

I live in the east mountains above Albuquerque, NM, nestled in the piñon and juniper trees. I am married to Lin, the love of my life. He has a gorgeous garden that occupies his time and is his creative expression.

I have a 19 year old cat, Jesse, who is diabetic and aging right before my eyes.

I co-own a ranch in southeastern Colorado with my brother and love to visit there as often as possible.

Larada Horner-Miller
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What is your day job if you have one?

Larada Horner-Miller
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What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?

I love to knit—learned how at age 10 in 4-H. I've made everything imaginable and am working on a baby afghan right now.

Lin and I square and round dance and love to travel.

Larada Horner-Miller
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Did you have a happy childhood?

Larada Horner-Miller
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Is there a particular experience that made you start writing?

Larada Horner-Miller
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Do you have unpublished books? What are they about?

Larada Horner-Miller
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What do you think should be improved in the education of our children? What do we lack?

I think education needs to emphasize reading and writing. Because of the crazy focus on test results, writing has gone by the wayside, along with social studies and history. We desperately need those topics to keep us humans human.

Larada Horner-Miller
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If you were allowed 3 wishes – what would they be?

Larada Horner-Miller
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What is your favorite music?

Larada Horner-Miller
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Share a secret with us 🙂

Larada Horner-Miller
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