Elle LaPraim has written The Colors Of Qua, The Seamstresses and The Crecian Experience.
1. What
is your name and where do you call home?
My Name is Elle LaPraim and I live in Rainy Portland Or, USA
2. What
is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less
words, what would you say?
My latest short story is called The
Colors of Qua. On the surface, it’s about a girl who believes she is the Grim
Reaper and being punished for the secret she keeps inside. Underneath that
though, it is truly about feeling alone, and how we always tend to punish
ourselves far more than anyone else could.
3. Do you have plans for a new book? Is
this book part of a series?
I have three short stories for sale
now, and I am currently working on a new short story about how much it would
actually suck to be a super hero. After that I will be working on my first
full-length fantasy novel.
4. What or who inspired you to start
writing? And how long have you been writing?
I have been writing since I was old
enough to write and before that I drew my stories in pictures. I have dyslexia,
so I never thought I could ever be a writer. I just wrote in my room and hid my
journals under my bed. It wasn't until I got married a few years a go that
my husband encouraged me to publish my work. I started putting my short stories
on-line in May, and have been overwhelmed by the success they have had. I still
jump up and down every time I make a sale. J That is something I plan to
always do, even if I’m selling thousands of books a day!
5. Do you gift books to readers for book
reviews?
Absolutely! I am so grateful to
anyone who is willing to take time out of their busy lives, to read my work and
review it. I keep all of my reviews in a folder, so I can go back and read them
again anytime I need encouragement.
6. How did you come up with the title
for your book?
Coming up with the title to a story
is harder than actually writing it, sometimes. It’s so much pressure. I feel
like I'm naming a child. This story was particularly hard because although it
is technically about the Grim Reaper, it’s not a horror story, it’s a
thought-provoking fantasy, so I wanted to give it a name that reflected that.
7. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks,
hardcovers or audiobooks?
I prefer e-books, since I have a
Kindle. I have gotten rid of most of my paperback books, but I miss them terribly.
I love listening to audio books when I go for long walks. I just downloaded The
Hunger Game and I can’t wait to get started. I know, I know it’s crazy that I
have not read it yet. I might be the only person left who hasn't.
8. Are you a self-published / Indie
author?
I am a self-published author. What I
love about being self-published is that I not only have control over every
aspect of my story, but I also get a chance to have a relationship with my
readers. People read my stories and then they know they can email me and let me
know what they think. I love answering questions about my stories and
encouraging younger writers with their work. I try to have the kind of
relationship with my readers, that I wish I could have with some of the authors
I love. So far, Stephanie Meyers and I are not coffee buddies, but a girl can
dream.
9. Have you ever read a book more than
once? And if so what was it?
I have not read an entire book twice
because there are so many great books out there that I still need to read! That
said, there is a chapter in Ann Brashares Book My Name is Memory, which I have
read over and over. It is a beautiful little chapter about a homing pigeon. I
read it every time I need a little inspiration.
10. What book are you reading at the
moment? And in what format?
I am reading the Clash of The Kinds
by George R.R Martin. It is the second book in the Fire and Ice series. I am
reading it on the Kindle. I love the Kindle because I am a really slow reader
and with the Kindle you never know how far you are, so you can’t get
discouraged and quit. Both the books in the series have been about 850 pages. I
never would have started the series if I had known that, but I am glad I did.
11. Do you have any advice for other
writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to
writing?
My best advice for writers is just to
go for it. I have always been self-conscious about my writing. I was absolutely
terrified to fail as a writer, so I never tried. Then I got to a place in my
life where I decided I would rather fail than not try. So I guess in a way, I
set out to fail, and the greatest thing happened, I didn't!
The best advice I have been given is
to write the truth. Whatever the truth of the story might be. I keep that quote
written on the wall above my computer. I think this is so important. Sometimes
I want to cut something out because I am worried of what people will think of
me or what I write. Then I remember as the writer, it is my job to tell my
character's stories the way they tell them to me. It’s not my job to alter
them. People know truth when they see it, truth is what hits you in your soul
and makes the book become a part of you. That’s my job!
12. Where
can your readers follow you?
Facebook
page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elle-LaPraim/198116060233524
Goodreads
author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4820724.Elle_Lapraim
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/elle_says_this
Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!
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