Thursday, October 23, 2014

Laura Jackson Interview


Hi, Laura! Give us a couple sentences describing what you write.
I write YA. The teen years are when many of us figure out who we are, and I believe we can’t find ourselves without finding Jesus.

What is the name of your latest book?
My debut novel is titled Worth the Wait, and it released in January. Book two in the series comes out in January.

What is the theme of your story and how did you come to it? Any real-life inspiration?
For Worth the Wait, Ellie learns that God’s plan is worth the wait. When everything is falling apart, He’s still working, creating something beautiful from a mess.
Worth the Time releases in January, and Lindsey (the mean girl in book one) finds that despite everyone walking away from her, God won’t. He loves her unconditionally.

I took parts of my life and put them into each story.

A sneak peek into what you're working on right now?
I’m working on a new novel about a high school senior who has always lived in her best friend’s shadow. And when things crumble, she has to find out who she is apart from that friend and who she is in Jesus.


Describe your writing space.
Anywhere! I write in my bed a lot…surrounded by pillows.

Do you blog? If so, leave us the address.
Yes, authorlaurajackson.blogspot.com. I love sharing Friday Confessions---just fun things from the week.

Bonus fun questions:
Which is your favorite hot drink to sip while reading? Tea, coffee, hot cocoa, apple cider, wassail or other? 
It’s strange, but I’m really loving kale and banana smoothies right now. You can’t even taste the kale, so you get a nice drink with a veggie kick.



Author bio.
Laura Jackson loves books---reading and writing them. A life-long reader, Laura studied English in college and taught 7th grade language arts before earning her Master's degree and becoming a school librarian. Now, she spends her days sharing great books with kids and her evenings writing books about teenage girls discovering God and His plan for their lives.







Book blurb.

Ellie Lansing has a picture-perfect life with a close-knit family and the perfect boyfriend. But her world is suddenly knocked off center when her drool-worthy boyfriend cheats, and her always-has-it-together mother is diagnosed with cancer. Ellie doesn't get it. She always does the right thing - doesn't God owe her a happy life? Through her heartache, Ellie learns that sometimes what seems like the end is really just the beginning and that what God has for us is always worth the wait.

GIVEAWAY: Laura has agreed to give away a copy of Worth the Wait AND the sequel Worth the Time!!! Rafflecopter giveaway The giveaway will last from today until the 30th! Paperback (or e-book) available for US and e-book for international winners.

12 comments:

  1. I'm hearing more and more about YA novels. I'm happy to see this one doesn't have vampires or kids killing each other (the Hunger Games movie DISTURBED me). ;)

    Cute cover!

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  2. Oh, yes, Courteny, I'm so sick of vampires! On the other hand, I love finding new YA Contemporary Christian authors-- it's my favorite genre. :-) Thanks for doing a giveaway, Miss Jackson!

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  3. Courtney! I've loved pretty much every Christian YA novel I've picked up. I've only read a handful, but they were all extrememly interesting and kept my attention. I reckon that's a must for today's youth.

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  4. Naomi, I hear ya! All the darkness is hard to stomach sometimes. Makes me glad writers like Laura are giving the YA genre something worth reading!!

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  5. BTW, Laura, do you find it a challenge to write for the YA audience, given we've become the "screen" generation? Are there any techniques you use deliberately when writing YA that you might not use in another genre?

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  6. That's a great question, Natalie! I think with the YA, you've got to keep the storyline going--get rid of that excess info that slows down the plot. We cut over 5,000 words during editing to just get to the meat of the story.
    I haven't written anything else to know how I would do it differently. I did try to write a romance once, but it was horrible!

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  7. I think waiting on the right guy to marry. Glad I did lasted so far 37 years.

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  8. Wow! That's so interesting Laura. Cutting is hard, but it sure can take a story from great to amazing!

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  9. Hi, Diana! I, too, am a firm believer in waiting for the right person to marry. It's so encouraging to hear your marriage is still strong! What a blessing! Thanks for coming over!

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  10. I don't read YA fiction, but I'm so glad Laura and others write Christian YA so my grandchildren have something worthwhile to read.

    Excellent interview, Natalie.

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Let's chat!