We have the lovely Janice Lamotte Lavallee here today for this week's author interview!
Have you always had a passion for writing?
Since childhood I have been a storyteller. I am passionate about storytelling, and this has carried through into my writing
Does what you read influence what you write and what are some of your favourite authors/books?
Whatever we read influences us either subconsciously or consciously, and I am no different. A few of my favorite authors are Hemmingway, Updyke, Bellow, Antonia Fraser and Oliver Bernier. The first book I remember reading that left a lasting impression on me was Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. This book planted a seed that girls can be independent thinkers, this at a time when girls or woman for that matter did not have much of a voice.
What are your biggest inspirations?
People I know or have met in life that have overcome insurmountable obstacles without fanfare inspire me. Watching them make a difference big and small to better their lives and the lives of those around them is motivational.
Do you have a technique in how you choose characters and/or locational settings?
No. My characters generally are a composite of someone I know/knew and my imagination. The locations are places I have experienced or dream of experiencing.
Do you listen to music while you are creating your masterpieces?
I like background noise. It could be music, the radio, or even the television.
What do you do to stay motivated and avoid writer’s block?
If I find I need to take a break from writing there is the endless marketing of the book to attend to so I am never far removed from the story.
How has becoming a published author (independent or traditional) changed your perspective on life and is it everything you expected it to be? (If you are not published yet – what changes do you foresee?)
Publishing my first novel and receiving unsolicited feedback from strangers has been an unexpected surprise and validation that the story I needed to write has an audience. More than anything I realize although our lives take different paths we are connected on this journey through similarities giving us common bonds.
What are your biggest challenges as an author?
Hoping I wrote a book others want to read and can relate to. On the very practical side, getting the book to sell.
Do you have any pets?
No.
What hobbies do you have outside of reading and writing?
What hobbies do you have outside of reading and writing?
A few interests are – cooking - riding my bike – swimming – tennis - dancing and travel.
Where is the most exciting/memorable place you have been in the world?
Where is the most exciting/memorable place you have been in the world?
I have been fortunate to travel and have numerous memorable experiences, but one thrill was the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower after years of looking at it in books, and having the opportunity to climb inside The Great Pyramid of Giza.
Tell us about your latest work in progress or most recent published work…
Tell us about your latest work in progress or most recent published work…
My latest work is a sequel to my present book The Peacock Butterfly a story about two New England families from 1940-1990. The sequel takes place from 1992 to 2010. I am in the process of reading the first draft before it goes to my editor, with the intent to be published in the fall of 2014. I never intended to write a sequel, until readers began to ask and express a curiosity of what happened to the characters. Totally unplanned and unexpected a storyline came to mind, and a sequel was born.
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