Angie: How long have you been writing and when did you decide to indie publish? What was the biggest hurdle in going it alone?
Laramie: I have been seriously writing for about 10 years. It wasn’t until late 2010 that self-publishing came onto my radar and it wasn’t until 2012 that I figured out just what I was supposed to be doing.
The biggest hurdle is being motivated. I love to write, but I don’t necessarily think I’m good at the other aspects of everything. Such as the marketing and the interactions with readers. I’m getting better, but that’s been one of my biggest hurdles too. Staying motivated and learning to devote the proper time to each part of the process.
Angie: You’ve published three books in the Heaven Hill series. Can you explain the idea behind the books? Where did the inspiration come from?
Laramie: I actually started plotting the Heaven Hill series in probably early 2010. I had a lot going on in my life at the time. I was a huge fan of Sons of Anarchy – I loved everything about the lifestyle they portrayed on the show. At the same time, I was facing foreclosure on my home (everything worked out), but I took every bit of sadness, fear, shame...you name it and it went into that story. The female character is facing foreclosure, she’s laid off from her job. For me, it was a way of taking all the worries and fears I had and putting them somewhere. A motorcycle club just happened to be it!
Angie: Meant to Be was the first book in the series. Can you give us the basics behind the H/h?
Laramie: Meant To Be is about William “Liam” Walker Jr. and Denise Cunningham. He is the reluctant Vice President of the Heaven Hill MC and she is a single mother of 13-year-old twins. Denise is facing the most depressing time in her life and is willing to do anything it takes to make things better for her family – even if that is illegal means. Liam sees something in her that makes him want to protect her, even when he has to use her.
Angie: In August 2013, you published Out of Darkness. What is the back story of the H/h?
Laramie: Out of Darkness is about fan favorite Tyler Blackfoot and
Heaven Hill enemy #1 Meredith Rager. Tyler and Meredith had a flirtation in
Meant to Be and then something tragic happened to her. Angie: You released Losing Control in the fall. How does the H/h differ from the other couples?
Laramie: Jagger and Bianca “B” are not nearly as serious as the rest of them. They are younger and, I think, more fun. Jagger plays guitar and sings rocking country tunes at the strip club that Bianca’s a waitress at. Whereas the first two had dire circumstances, this one deals with Bianca’s stalker and Jagger overcoming what happened in his childhood. While that could be serious subject matter, these two are much lighter.
Angie: You're preparing to release the next book in the Heaven Hill series on March 6th. Can you tell us about Worth the Battle?
Laramie: It's about discharged Army Vet Layne O'Conner and Hollywood starlet Jessica Shea. He invited her to a military ball off YouTube and she said yes...they've been friends ever since. He's battling PTSD and she's battling the Hollywood machine and trying to be who she really is, which is an erotic romance writer. They are way different than any other characters I've ever written and I can't wait to see how it goes!Angie: Do you plan to write more in the series? If so, how many books do you envision?
Laramie: There will be a total of 8 novels and 2 novellas in the Heaven Hill series.
Angie: What drew you to romance as a genre? Do you plan to branch out to other genres as your career progresses?
Laramie: I love to read romance..it’s my favorite! I don’t know if I could write anything else. My brain loves the HEA.
Angie: How do you come up with the names for your characters?
Laramie: A lot of times they truly name themselves, other times I will go through the popular baby names and something will jump out at me.
Angie: Chicken or the egg question. Do you create a character and build around him/her? Or do you imagine a concept and create characters which fit the idea?
Laramie: I always have the story idea first and then the characters reveal themselves to me.
Angie: How do you avoid writing a Mary Sue or Marty Stu when most writers can’t help falling desperately in love with their creations?
Laramie: There are parts of me in every female character I write, but they are also the type of women that I would love to be. I give each one of them something about myself that I wish I was!
Angie: Do you use anything to inspire you while you’re writing? Music, visual aids, etc? Also have you found ideas come to you more freely in particular places or at certain times of the day?
Laramie: Music is a huge inspiration to me. My new series came to me when my Spotify was on shuffle and “Unholy Confessions” by Avenged Sevenfold came on right before “Sparks Fly” by Taylor Swift. Don’t ask me what happened, but a story idea popped into my head and would NOT leave me alone until I wrote it!
Angie: When an idea hits you, do you start writing immediately or plot it out first?
Laramie: I used to be a plotter, but my characters always had other ideas. I stopped plotting and I find writing like that more fun. Granted, sometimes, I have to fix things, but I like not being put into a box.
Angie: When you read less than fawning reviews, how do you know when to use the critique to improve your future writing and when do you chalk up the criticism as different strokes for different folks?
Laramie: If it’s a review that says they completely hated it, then I figure that they probably weren’t my target audience and say different strokes for different folks. Anything else, I take into account and try to improve that in my next stories.
Angie: I’ve read criticism from particular bloggers (Fangs for the Fantasy being one) about the lack of people of color and different sexual orientations in fiction. Do you take this lack of diversity into consideration when creating plots and characters?
Angie: I can see where that would be a criticism and I personally got criticized for using a Native American character and then some people thought that the man on my cover did not fit the look of what they deemed he should be. It’s tricky and I hope in my other series’ I can bring even more diversity.
Angie: Do word counts mean anything to you? Do you find your books top out at around the same lengths?
Laramie: Word counts aren’t that important to me. I do set a goal, just so I can keep track and I try to stay at that goal, but if the story is done before the word count…then it’s done. Yes, my books tend to be between 60,000 & 80,000 words.
Angie: How big a deal is writer’s block for you and what do you do to shake it off?
Laramie: It’s not a huge deal for me, but when I do get it, I make sure I get out of my house and go somewhere else to write. I tend to do Panera and Barnes and Noble more often than not. Sometimes I’ll even go to the park.
Angie: What books did you enjoy most in 2013?
Laramie: Take Me On – Cherrie Lynn, The Shine On Series – Allison Jewell, Bully – Penelope Douglas, The Marriage Diaries – Erika Wilde.
Angie: What trends do you hope die in 2014? Are there any you hope take off?
Laramie: I think there’s room for everybody. Differences in trends are what make this business so unique. I will say, though, that I HATE a cliffhanger!
Angie: What are you plans for 2014 as an indie writer?
Laramie: I’ll be attending a couple of signings this year and I’ll be releasing a new series – called the Rockin’ Country series – as well as 2 more Heaven Hill books. I have 2 more series in the works and I always hope to quit my day job…lol!
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