11/12/12

Q&A with LAUREN BARATZ LOGSTED + GIVEAWAY @LaurenBaratzL


PLEASE WELCOME LAUREN TO BOOKHOUNDS




About the Author

(from the author's website)


Lauren grew up in Monroe, CT, where her father owned a drugstore at which her mother was the pharmacist. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where she majored in psychology. She also has what she calls her “half-Masters” in English from Western Connecticut State University (five courses down, another five to go…someday!).

Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.

Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independentbookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.

In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.

Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.

In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.

Lauren’s favorite color is green.

Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.

Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong. 






1. What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?

I don’t remember the exact book I first read by myself, but I can tell you the first solo reading experience I remember, which coincides with when I became a real reader. I come from a family that’s big on reading. My mother, father, older brother – each would go through books like candy. Just to remain competitive, I’d get chapter books from the library too, and then I’d run my eyes from side to side and my finger down the page, so they’d think I was doing what they were doing. I’d often get Nancy Drew books – it just seemed like the thing to do – although a lot of what I read confused me; for example, for a long time, I thought George was a boy and I couldn’t figure out why he had on dresses in the sketch pictures. But then one time, I was sprawled on the couch reading Nancy Drew: The Passage to Larkspur Lane when it occurred to me that I was no longer faking it; rather, I was reading it and it was really good.


2. What are you reading right now?

Eve and Adam, a YA novel by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant – it’s really fun so far; The Keeper of Lost Causes, a gritty Scandinavian mystery by Jussi Alder-Olsen; and for nonfiction, I’m plugging away at The Presidents Club by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy.



3. How does your garden grow?

With no help from me, I’m afraid. My husband buys stuff, either plants or seeds, and then puts it in the ground around the bench I take my writing breaks on. Things grow and then insects start to visit me.

4. What is the last thing you Googled?

English Mastiffs, five minutes ago – research for the sequel to The Bro-Magnet.


5. What makes you cringe?

Big hairy spiders. I once read that the top three fears, in order, are: public speaking, death, and spiders. I’ve done plenty of public speaking – as you can see, ask me a question and it’s tough to shut me up – and I’ve never felt particularly scared of death. But I’m determined to hold on to my screaming fear of big hairy spiders, so don’t send me to a therapist to try to analyze it out of me. Everyone needs to be scared of one thing.


AND.... Lauren has graciously offered one of her books to one lucky reader:





Book Description



November 8, 2011
Emily is sick and tired of being a middle sister. So when she gets an assignment to describe what she'd change about a classic novel, Emily pounces on Little Women. After all, if she can't change things in her own family, maybe she can bring a little justice to the March sisters. (Kill off Beth? Have cute Laurie wind up with Amy instead of Jo? What was Louisa May Alcott thinking?!) But when Emily gets mysteriously transported into the 1860s world of the book, she discovers that righting fictional wrongs won't be easy. And after being immersed in a time and place so different from her own, it may be Emily--not the four March sisters--who undergoes the most surprising change of all.



WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK? 
Complete the below form 
Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with US mailing address   
Void where prohibited.
Contest ends on 11.26.12 Winner will be chosen by Random.org 
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email.
Only one winner per mailing address.  Multiple entries will be deleted. 
This giveaway is sponsored by the author and ONE book is available.

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11 comments:

  1. Shared on Facebook.
    https://www.facebook.com/kyla.whitley.1

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looking forward to reading Lauren's new book. Thank you for sharing ... and of course, the giveaway! :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. thanks for the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tweeted
    https://twitter.com/BeckeyWhite/status/268270597585399809

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  5. Daily entry 11/14. Thanks!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

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  6. 11/16. Thanks!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

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  7. 11/19. Thanks!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

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  8. 11/24. Thanks!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

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  9. 11.25
    Thanks!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

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  10. Daily entry 11/26. Thanks!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete

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