Author Interview: Laurie L. Nave
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JMR-Welcome to theBooks Delight, Laurie. First of all, wow! Beautiful Cover! Tell our readers where you live, what you do for fun andwhat does the perfect day look like?
LN- I live in northwestAlabama and work in Huntsville. I enjoy reading, nature, spoiling my dachshund,singing, and drawing. For me, a perfect day would start when I woke without analarm 😊.I’d get up, putter a bit, have some caffeine, and go to the gym. Afterward, I’dgo home and write with a comfort show in the background (probably Supernatural,Grimm, or Criminal Minds), stopping for lunch that involves tacos and cheesedip. I’d pick up my iPad and draw a bit, talk the dog on a trail walk, andmaybe sneak in a little nap. I’d end having dinner with my husband, watchingsomething nice on Netflix, and climbing into bed.
JMR-What’s yourfavorite historical time period? Why?
LN-When it comes toBritish/European romance, I enjoy the Regency period. By I love readingAmericana set in the WWII era, and I have a special place in my heart andmemory for the 1960s/1970s Judy Blume era.
JMR-Who is yourfavorite historical figure? Why? If you could ask them one question, what wouldit be?
LN- I’d love to knowmore about Martha Washington. What was it like to be a woman and George’s wifeduring the birth of our country? I’d also like to hear the whole John Smith newworld story from Pocahontas’s point of view.
JMR- Great answer. I've love to hear Pocahonta's side of the story!
JMR- You’ve writtenmysteries and children’s books; how did you come to be a writer of historical fiction?
LN- While I was livingin South Alabama (near Mobile), I became interested in the whole Mardi Grashistory, which led me to talking with a few amateur historians about aspects ofpre-Civil War New Orleans. While still in the south, it was more progressive inmany ways than the rest of the region. I also moved back to my home town ofFlorence soon after, and there is a rich history here as well. When my FlorenceMC became involved in a scandal that might embarrass the family, I thoughtsending her to live with a taciturn aunt – a strict, pious woman surrounded bya bit of debauchery - in New Orleans would be interesting.
JMR- Did you visitanyone of the places in your book? Where did you feel closest to yourcharacters?
LN- I have been to NewOrleans several times, and I found maps and articles related to the early-mid1800’s that gave me a better frame of reference. I lived in the Florence areafrom 1969-1994, and I live there again now. I feel closest to Priscilla when I’min downtown Florence wandering among the historic homes.
JMR- Laurie, tell usabout your historical romance book, Where Magnolias Lie.
LN- Priscilla andNicholas have been friends since they were small children. Priscilla watchedher parents’ cold and tumultuous marriage and determined that life would neverbe for her. She had no idea Nicholas was in love with her. A jealous rivalarranges a scandal involving the two lifelong friends, and Priscilla’s fathersends her to live with his very religious and dour sister. Priscilla isheartbroken, but she learns to live within her aunt’s rules…until one day, whenshe gets lost in New Orleans, and the owner of a well know ballroom and brotheltakes her home. She then becomes a prisoner in her aunt’s home.
Nicholas buries hisheartbreak in work, a new town, and the various types of private entertainmentsingle young men could enjoy for a price. When his business takes him to NewOrleans, he decides to visit the famous ballroom, hoping to find intimate companionship.However, the last person he expects to see descending the staircase is hisfirst love, Priscilla.
JMR-What projects doyou have in the pipeline?
LN- I am currentlyworking on two projects. One is A Greater Kin, a literary fiction adoptionstory loosely based on my own and set in North Alabama, Michigan, and Mexico. Iam also revising a YA urban fantasy, Mea Tulpa, that I have previouslypublished on Kindle Vella.
JMR- Tell our readershow to find you on social media and the web:
JMR- What question wereyou hoping I’d ask but didn’t?
LN- Oh my goodness…whatother arts pursuits am I interested in, a little of my adoption story, why mydog is so fabulously cute and spoiled…anything you want except my weight 😊
JMR- Thank you Laurie for dropping by and chatting with us. Readers, I've included a buy link for you to follow to see Laurie's book on Amazon. Be sure to check it out.
