Author Interview with Laura Thomas

Today I have the honor of interviewing Laura Thomas, author of multiple books including the Christian Romantic Suspense series, “Flight to Freedom”.

ABOUT LAURA

Laura is married to Lyndon, her high school sweetheart, and has three fantastic young adult children—Charlotte (28), Jameson (23), and Jacob (21), a cheeky English bulldog named Lily, and the newest addition—a French bulldog named Lulu. Laura was born and raised in the south of England, then spent her teens and early twenties in Wales, before embarking on an intrepid adventure—immigrating to Canada. She now lives in Kelowna, a beautiful gem in British Columbia, where her authoring dreams have become a reality.

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You can find Laura’s books here.

Connect with Laura:

Website: https://laurathomasauthor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauracthomas/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraThomasAuthor

INTERVIEW

Every writer has a message(s) they want to impart to their readers. What is/are yours?

My tagline is “heartwarming encouragement for your soul” and I try to write everything—my novels, children’s stories, devotionals, and articles—through that hope-filled lens

What is your go-to space for writing?

Technically, I can write anywhere as I use my laptop, but the bulk of my writing is done in my pretty home office where I have a lovely big monitor and am surrounded by books (and usually bulldogs!)

Do you have a WIP? If so, could you give us a teaser?

Yes, I do. I finished the first draft of my latest Christian romantic suspense novel in the fall and am currently in the painful revision process… my time has been somewhat disturbed by the addition of a sweet French bulldog puppy! The working title is Captured in Frame and I can tell you that it’s set in an idyllic village nestled in the English countryside, and it involves a Canadian photographer, a dashing surgeon, guilt and grief, and the ugly underbelly of the art world. “Postcards, photographs, works of art—something about Bramble Cottage is worth killing for… but will Georgia uncover the dangerous truth in time?” How’s that for a teaser?

What is your favorite genre to read?

That’s a tough one to answer as I enjoy most genres other than fantasy and horror… but I particularly love WWII era historical fiction and contemporary Christian fiction—with a soft spot for romantic suspense.

Where would be your favorite place to live?

I actually love where I live! We emigrated from the UK to Canada 26 years ago and I think British Columbia is fantastic. In saying that, if I had the offer of sampling everyday life on a Caribbean Island or Hawaii, I would not decline!

What place(s) have you not been that you would like to visit?

My husband and I love to travel but there are a few places still on my bucket list—including Italy and New York.

Tell us a bit about your typical (if there is such a thing as typical) day.

Can I tell you about a typical day BEFORE I got the new puppy? Because I’m planning on circling back to it eventually…Weekdays begin at 6:30 am with coffee, time in my Bible, journaling, and working out. My mornings tend to be a mix of social media, marketing, errands, housework, photography, emailing, and anything else that might distract me from “proper” writing. For me, the best time to write is in the afternoon. I’ve done everything else and can give my full attention to writing or revising a novel/ story/ article/ blog post. My goal is to finish before my husband writing or revising a novel/ story/ article/ blog post.

Do you focus on one project at a time or do you have multiple projects going simultaneously?

I prefer to have one main project to work on at a time but that is rarely the case. Even when I’m working on one novel, there are multiple children’s books in the making as well as devotions and articles being written. As a multi-genre author, I have had days where I’m an octopus in the morning, being kidnapped as a wealthy woman or dealing with my teen angst in the afternoon, and closing the day with a reflection on God’s grace. It’s never boring…

If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

I was an absolute bookworm as a child but definitely had a dry reading life in my teens and early twenties. I would love to have spent more time reading during those years, perhaps embracing more classics and delving into some different genres. I also wish I had written everything down when my kids were young as I know I have great chunks of missing memories I could draw from! But on the bright side, I think I have made up for the lack of both reading and writing in recent years.

On average, how long does it take you to write the first draft of a book?

I definitely work better under pressure and often it depends on what else is happening in my life but I can write the first draft of a novel in 3-6 months.

How do you get inspiration to write?

I find inspiration through observing, listening, reading, traveling, and doing life. My now-grown kids and my faith have been great sources of inspiration through the years. And honestly, sometimes I simply need to sit and start writing to be inspired!