Introducing Andrea Laurence

Today I'm joined by fellow Harlequin Desire Author Andrea Laurence. I met Andrea at the RWA convention in New York City in 2011. I can honestly say she was the very first person to treat me like a rock star. And that, sadly, it only lasted for about three minutes before we figured out that we were very much alike. So, welcome to the Authorial Moms blog, Andrea! Tell us a little about yourself.

The awesome Andrea Laurence

Thanks for inviting me over. Where to start... Well, first I'll admit I'm not a mom. To humans at least. My house is overrun with animals – 3 dogs, two cats and a boyfriend who makes a bigger mess than the other five. I live in Alabama, where I work by day for an Army contractor and work by night as an author of seductive romance for Harlequin Desire. What else? I like to bake. I'm always on a diet. And I love shoes. That about covers it.

What do you write? How many books have you written/published? How old are they?

My tagline is "Seductive Romance... With a Twist." The genre may vary from contemporary to paranormal to suspense, but you'll always get a sensual romance and a little bit of quirkiness, usually from my untraditional characters or plots. My first book with Desire comes out April 3^rd and it's called WHAT LIES BENEATH. The second book, MORE THAN HE EXPECTED, will be out in July of this year. I'm very excited to share these stories with everyone.

Tell me about a typical day.

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I get up at 4:30. No joke. My boyfriend does 12-hour shift work, so I get up and make his breakfast, care for the animals, pack his lunch, then fall back in bed until about 6:30. From there, it's a mad dash to work, where I spend my day as a process improvement analyst for a software program. I roll back into my driveway about 5 that evening, make dinner, and collapse into my writing chair with my laptop. The rest of my evening is spent sitting there either writing, revising, promoting, or talking to someone about any of those things. Then I get up and I do it again.

When did you start writing? What was your journey to publication like?

I remember writing my first "book" in second grade. While other kids wrote about a dog, I wrote a family melodrama. In 10^th grade, my short story turned into a mini-Intrigue with a sadistic serial killer and a psychic heroine. In college, I wrote my first real book, a YA about fairies that will hide under the bed forever. I got serious in 2004. I joined RWA, got involved in my local chapter and things took off from there. Uh... well, not so much. It took me eight years to sell after that, but I wrote 10 more books, learned a lot about writing and the business, and made great connections with industry people. I was on 'the edge' of selling for quite a long time. I almost quit at least twice. But my friends encouraged me to keep at it and eventually, I found the right project with the right editor at the right time.

Tell us about your pets. How many? What kinds? How cute are they?

First, the cats...I have a grouchy Maine Coon runt named Jell-o and a Blue Russian named Knight (pronounced Kuh-nigg-itt.  It's a Monty Python thing.) I've had them both twelve years, so the girls are getting old. Then I have a beagle/chow mutt named Licorice, who's 7 and a bulldog named Buddy. He's 6. My most recent and aggravating addition is a giant Siberian Husky named Shadow. He's beautiful, really. He has huge, ice blue eyes. And he sheds like you would not believe. He's three and such a big puppy.  If you ever find a typo in one of my books, it's because he put his head on the keyboard.

Becoming an author means having a public persona. How do you combine your regular life with the demands of a public life?

On a day to day private basis, it really just blurs together. I stop writing to make dinner, put a load of clothes in the dryer, etc. In terms of a public life as a "writer, "I sort of treat my writer self as an alter ego, a la Bruce Wayne and Batman. I wear different clothes, different shoes, do my hair differently... There's a line between the two parts of my identity. I'm an introvert, so creating this other person helps me come out of my shell.

Most Moms I know have a limited amount of free time. Give me a few reasons why they should dedicate some of that time to your characters. What’s in it for us?

Books are an escape, whether they're mine or someone else's. It’s a chance to lose yourself in the feelings of new love, get wrapped up in the glamour of high society life, and experience a happily ever after every time they pick up a book. I promise my heroes will never leave their socks on the floor or dishes in the sink. I think a woman needs that, especially a busy mom.

Let’s have a little fun with fill-in-the-blanks. “The floor of my kitchen is so ___ you can ___ it.”

The floor of my kitchen is so well-guarded by a hungry bulldog, you can drop something and never know it. Seriously. He's swallowed it before you can stop him and probably has forgotten he even ate anything. He's on a constant mission to obtain food. Poor little guy was a scrawny stray when we found him and he's made up for it ever since.

In what way have you turned into your mother? How are you coping with it?

Wow... that's one I try not to think too much about, but honestly, I am very much my mother. I sing all the time. Some real songs. Some silly things. I have an answer for everything even if I don't really know the answer. People also come to me for advice a lot. I wish I could cook like my mother. Unfortunately, I didn't get that gene passed on to me.

What’s up next for you?

As always, I'm a busy girl. I'm going to be at the Romantic Times Conference this April, so if you're in the Chicago area, you can come see me. My next book, MORE THAN HE EXPECTED, will be out in July and I will be at the RWA Nationals Conference in Anaheim. In 2013, I'm kicking off a new series based around four foster brothers with a dark secret. The first book will be out in January.  

Where can we find you and your books online?

My website is www.andrealaurence.com.  You can find me on my blog, The Writing Playground, Facebook and Twitter, too. My books are available most anywhere fine books are sold, but even after their release month, you can get them on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Thanks, Andrea! Readers, do you have a question for Andrea? I, for one, can't wait to find out about that family of foster brothers!