Interview with Laura Starr Waxman!

Heyo everyone! It's the last Wednesday of November, which concludes the unofficial takeover of my blog this month! (And if I had thought of about it before just now, I would have hyped this month as such. XD) 
​Today's interview is with Laura Waxman - she's releasing her debut novel, Amelia, in the spring, and I wanted to highlight her and her book on the blog. So, without further ado, the interview!  C: Hello Laura, and welcome to the Southern Story Scribbler! It's so great to have you on the blog today. Let's jump right in with our first question - how did you get started writing, and when did you begin to seriously write? (As in, with the mindset of "this could be published"?
L: I’ve been writing as far back as I can remember. Short stories, poems, I wrote as much as I could! I started writing my first novel in high school but it met its demise due to the failure of floppy discs… I started to write with the hope- dream- intention of being published about four years ago.
C: That's so cool! And what genres do you primarily write in?
L: I write historical fiction and fantasy.
C: Same here! And I know quite a few authors who write in historical fiction and fantasy as well. We kind of touched on this earlier, but was your first ever completed writing project? (And where is it now?)
L: My first completed writing project - aside from short stories and poems that I made into little handmade books as gifts - were poems that were published in two poem books that Noble House Publishing did back in the early 2000s.
C: Oooh, that's cool! So, let's talk more about your upcoming novel. Amelia will be hitting the shelves in the next few months. Could you tell us more about it?
L: I am so excited that Amelia, the first installment in the City of Roses Collection, is coming out soon! It’s a historical fiction, coming of age story set in the early 1900’s in Portland OR. It has faith themes and is clean of any ‘spice’ - if you’ve read Lori Wick books, it’s similar to that, but not so much preaching. 
C: I have read one Lori Wick novel, so I'm a little familiar with her work. Your book sounds amazing, and us readers can't wait to read it. How long did it take to write Amelia? What was your favorite (and least favorite) parts of the process?
L: That’s rather a complicated answer actually. I started writing it as a newlywed - over 11 years ago. But only within the last four years have I buckled down and created a whole story. My favorite part is probably that point in the first draft where you can just sit down and write without too much research or plotting, but that you’re far enough that you’ve got a grasp on where the story is going. 
My least favorite is plotting out the middle of the story. As I’m diving into editing the second book of the City of Roses Collection, I’m running into that situation as well- getting the middle just-so.
C: The middle of books gets me every time. XP For the readers that don't know, Laura is indie publishing her book. Can you tell us about why you chose to go the indie author route, as opposed to querying and the traditional publishing process?
L: I decided that it was too unsure, and would take far longer than I wanted to wait - to go the traditional publishing route. I’d like, one day, to be published under a house that is well known, but I’m really happy with self-publishing. You get to keep control of your book, for one thing!
C: I agree about the timeline thing - I work with a literary agent, and the process takes so long for a book to go from being picked up by an editor to actually coming out in print. 
What’s a piece of writing advice, major or minor, that you’ve always stuck to? (For me, it was, Never start a sentence with the word “and”.)
L: Don’t over explain. 
This is something that will make me put a book down faster than anything else. And, of course, it’s something that is easy to do. Trust that your reader can follow the process of what your character is doing- don’t write every individual step down. It’s a sure-fire way to lose readers.
C: Great advice! I've been guilty of that, although now I struggle to add in descriptions. XD
Do you have any other upcoming projects you're working on that you can tell us about? :D 
L: As I mentioned, I’m working on the second book for the Collection, and then the third that I’ve already got a decent start on! I’m hoping to put them out over the next few years, so keep an eye out!
C: I am definitely looking forward to Amelia and the other books in the City of Roses Collection. 
Thanks so much for doing this interview! It’s been a joy to learn about you and your work.
Amelia's Blurb What does it mean to be a woman of true beauty in a society obsessed with all the wrong things? 
It’s the late 19th century in Portland, Oregon. After having been sent away by her overbearing mother, sixteen-year-old Amelia Lynn Hughes finds herself living in a welcoming home with her adored Aunt Angie. Unbeknownst to Amelia, her aunt harbors a life-altering secret that will soon change everything.
Captivated by the allure of high society, Amelia tries to fit in but finds it unfulfilling. Determined, Amelia pursues her long-held ambition of becoming a journalist and enters into the male-dominated world of newspaper reporting—no easy feat for a young woman who aims to move beyond the societal columns. Complicating matters, two suitors vie for her hand. While one has her heart, the other may hold the keys to her future.
In the end, Amelia must choose the path she truly desires. Is being a journalist worth the sacrifices required? And how exactly should a young woman of substance carry herself in a changing world? 

To learn more about Laura and her work, visit her blog and check out her Instagram!