stephanie laurens

Stephanie Laurens: Careers Are Not Built On A Single Book

Phil Treagus-Evans

Stephanie Laurens’ reading list

5 books mentioned in this interview

  1. Miss Seeton Sings · Heron Carvic
  2. Noddy
  3. The Secret Seven
  4. These Old Shades · Georgette Heyer
  5. A Famine of Horses · P.F. Chisholm

Rank these books in a tier list

Stephanie Laurens is a New York Times bestselling author, whose romance novels have been read all around the world. Stephanie Laurens’ career began as a way of escaping her job in the world of science, with her writing initially being just a hobby. However, her hobby quickly evolved into a full-time job when her first novel was published. Stephanie Laurens’ novels are set in the time period of the British Regency, and the locations vary from Scotland to India. Stephanie has published a whopping fifty works of historical romance, 29 of which were New York Times bestsellers. So, to say she is a prolific author would be an understatement. Stephanie Laurens’ work has been recognised with numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA Award for Best Romance Novella in 2008. Please enjoy my interview with Stephanie Laurens…

When someone asks you ‘what do you do for a living?’ – How do you respond?

If it’s official, I say I’m a novelist. If it’s in conversation, I say I write novels, and if I’m then asked what sort, I say romance novels, historical romance.

What are you reading at the moment?

I am currently reading Miss Seeton Sings by Heron Carvic. The series is a hoot.

When you think about your childhood, what book comes to mind?

I think of Enid Blyton’s books – from Noddy to The Secret Seven. I think I read them all.

Can you remember the first story you ever wrote?

Only vaguely. I was seven years old, but I believe it had something to do with clouds.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I was always torn between the literary side and the scientific-mathematics side. The scientific side won for a while, but the literary side triumphed in the end.

What do you think your school aged self would think of the present day you?

I don’t think my school age self could even comprehend what I do now. The world presented much fewer possibilities back then.

If you could wrap up a single book and gift it to yourself as you left education – which book would it be?

I would gift myself a first-edition These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer.

Does your reading have routine? Is there a particular time or place that you like to read?

Yes – I always, without fail, read in bed before I fall asleep, most often for about an hour.

Which book has had the biggest impact on your career so far?

No single book, but a series of books – those of Georgette Heyer.

What two pieces of advice would you give a young aspiring writer?

  1. Sit down and just write the book and get it in front of the audience – meaning indie-publish it – and meanwhile write the next. And the next and the next. And then the next. Careers are not built on a single book.

  2. Don’t expect to get anywhere until you have more than 6 and possibly as many as 10 novels out there.

Bonus answer: And please don’t expect anyone to hold your hand or “take care of you.” If you want to make a living as a writer, you learn the ropes and you work at it.

Do you have any books that you strongly associate with someone important in your life?

I associate my collection of Heyer novels with my mother, who first shared the books with me.

I rarely recommend books to people other than author friends, mainly because individual people have individual tastes, and then it’s for professional reasons.

Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?

For recreation, I read only genre fiction. I use non-fiction for reference or how-to.

Do you think reading is important?

I believe reading to be immensely important. The more you read, the better you will live.

What’s the best book you’ve read in the last 6 months?

The best book I’ve read in the last 6 months is A Famine of Horses by P.F. Chisholm.

Do you prefer real books or digital books?

I believe e-books and downloadable audio-books (also digital) are as real as printed editions. I infinitely prefer e-books. I avoid print books, I feel they are harder to read-as in physically holding-plus there’s the issue of storage.

Name a book that you feel every human should have to read by law.

None – you can’t force people to open their minds.

What is the book that you feel has had the single biggest impact on your life?

These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer because it was the first romance novel I read.

Are there any books you haven’t mentioned that you feel would make your reading list?

There are dozens at least. Far too many to list.

What books or subject matter do you plan on reading in the next year?

I read primarily for entertainment, and so only read certain types of genre fiction, and I read more than 100 books a year. Waiting to be read (in my Kindle app), I have historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, paranormal mysteries, paranormal romances, a few paranormal suspense, romantic suspense, contemporary romances, and historical romances. And I’ve probably missed a few, but you get the idea.

If you were to write an autobiography – what would it be called?

I would hope I would be able to title it: A Life Well Lived.

If you’d like to learn more about Stephanie Laurens, you can find her on her website and Facebook.

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