Alright y'all, I met Lauren Asher when some of our mutual Indie author friends suggested her books to me. I have downloaded both Throttle and Collided to my Kindle, but have been in a reading slump thanks to COVID and my recent family emergency. I still took the shot in the dark that she would agree to this interview, and was so excited that she agreed! I wanted to get to know her brain a little more before I dove into the books. So let's dive in shall we?
Q: What is your name and where do you live?
A: Hi, my name is Lauren Asher and I’m from Florida!
Q: Are you an Indie Author or do you work with a publishing company?
A: I am currently a self-published Indie Author.
Q: What genre(s) do you write?
A: I write Contemporary Romances that focus on sports. I’m currently focused on an F1 sports world I’ve built, but I am thinking of expanding to other subgenres of romance.
Q: What made you want to become a writer in the first place?
A: I’ve always been a voracious reader. I would bargain with my grandma to attend mass on Sundays if I could go to either Barnes and Noble or the library after. So, one day (many years after Sunday masses with my grandma), I had a story pop up in my head, and I said “You know what? I’m going to try and write a book.” While that story will never see the light of day, it set me off on this journey that I am forever grateful for.
Q: Do you work a regular job in between books?
A: Yes! Writing my side hobby/sanity project.
Q: How many books have you published?
A: I have hit publish on two books (Throttled and Collided) with a plan to release Wrecked this September. (I have the first two books downloaded on my Kindle, but we all know that my TBR is never ending lol.)
Q: How many books do you have in the works right now?
A: I have two books in the works and one is wreaking havoc in my head. I want to complete my first series before moving onto my next project, but I’m excited!
Q: What was your hardest scene to write so far?
A: I think any scene where I have to break my characters is hard. I feel for them and I hate hurting them that way. Sometimes I worry if I took things too far, but I try my best to fix the relationship once they’re ready.
Q: How many books do you have that are not being currently worked on, but are half-written or complete but unpublished?
A: Just Wrecked that will be published in September. I try to keep one book ahead of schedule, with a dream to be way more organized and faster as I continue to grow my craft. Now that Wrecked is finalized and going through proofreading, I will be moving onto the next book.
Q: Do you have a series developing?
A: I plan on releasing my final Dirty Air series book by January 2021. As for another series, I have two in my head that have yet to be put on paper. They basically play themselves like movies inside of my head.
Q: Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
A: I’ve fallen into the habit of writing interconnected standalones. As a reader, these are my favorite kinds of series, so I wrote the same style. While each book can stand on its own, I feel there is a different kind of enjoyment if you read all of them in the suggested order. I’ve been asked about a side character in Collided (my second book) having his own story, and I might have to consider it, which would turn my one series into its own world (which I’m not exactly against LOL).
Q: What is your next book that is set to be published and when is the release day?
A: My next book, Wrecked, is the third book in my Dirty Air series following Formula 1’s elite racers. Jax’s story (British bad boy with lots of tattoos and a dirty mouth) is set to release on September 30th!
Q: How long did it take you to write it?
A: I wish I took better logging notes of my process to answer this. After Jax’s story, I plan on calculating how long it takes me to write a book. For the whole process, from writing the first word to revisions and beta feedback, his story took me about eight months. I wasn’t exclusively working on his story, so it took me longer to balance Throttled and Collided revisions at the same time. I’ve basically written all three books within one year.
Q: What did you do when your characters stop talking (writer’s block) to you during the process?
A: Characters are stubborn, I get that. I’ve done a couple of things. Sometimes I binge a bunch of fantasy books (not my writing genre but I love them) or a completely different sub-genre (I’m a fan of alien nomad romances *fangirls over Zoey Draven). Doing this helps me hit the refresh button on my brain. I’m not much of a plotter yet, so I tend to go where the story takes me. Before COVID-19, I plotted a lot while driving to work, so I’ve had to find new ways to think about my characters.
Q: What routine do you have when you sit down to write a book?
A: *Yells “silence on set!” to my entire family. HAHA no I wish. I tend to put on headphones, block out the world, and type out some words. I can spend some weekends cranking out 20,000 words and then not write another word for a week. I like to listen to a song I’m obsessed with on repeat if I feel like it fits my character and the mood (death bed by powfu was my latest obsession, clocking in over 200 listens while writing Wrecked). My sleep schedule takes a turn for the worst when I’m really in the zone. The evening hours are when my house is silent and no one tries to talk to me. I will say some of my best witty comments and jokes happen in the 9pm to 2 am time slot.
Q: Do you write it all out in long sittings or short ones (sprints)?
A: Long sittings! I feel like if I do short sprints, I lose the feel of the characters and their emotions. One of my longest sittings was over 10,000 words in one day!
Q: Do you get exhausted or energized during writing sessions?
A: A bit of both. I am energized while writing usually, and I tend to be more exhausted when I have to self-edit or revise my work. When I have an idea of a scene in my head, my fingers fly over the keys because I can’t wait to write it out. But revisions are a nightmare for me.
Q: Where do you get your ideas for your books?
A: My Dirty Air series came from an idea I had while watching Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” series that follows a few Formula 1 teams around the world. The characters and storylines all come from my head at random moments. I will say I’m always thinking of the next book and characters, which makes the interconnected standalone aspect that much more fun!
Q: Is there another author you look up to or strive to be as successful as?
A: I have a lot that I can’t all name here! I look up to authors like Kristy Marie, Alley Ciz, Jenna Hartley, R.S. Grey, Jay McLean, and L.J. Shen. As a reader-turned-author, my respect for all authors has increased ten-fold.
Q: Are you a reader yourself?
A: Absolutely! My favorite genres are fantasy and romance, with my favorites being those that combine the two. My favorite tropes are enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, and fated mates. I love romance subgenres like sports romances, mafia, paranormal, and sci-fi.
Q: If so, are you a beta or ARC reader for anyone else? (You don’t have to name for who if you do not wish to.)
A: I’ve been fortunate to receive some ARCs from authors I look up to, which honestly such an amazing experience. I have beta read in the past, but I have such little time now that I probably wouldn’t be able to do it again for a while.
Q: Do you like to read the same genre(s) you write?
A: Yes! I pretty much only read romance!
Q: Do you have a favorite book or a book that stands out the most?
A: Oof, just one? One that stands out to me that I’ve read at least three times is A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. That is one of my favorite books of all time. As far as in my genre, I love Vicious by L.J. Shen and Bastiano Romano by Parker S. Huntington.
Q: Have you ever cried, laughed, or had a real emotional response to a book?
A: Have I ever! I’ve sobbed like a baby during some books (Broken Knight, I’m talking about you). As far as laughing, yes! R.S. Grey is my go-to Need to LOL author.
Q: What kind of social media do you have?
A: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest (which is probably my favorite).
Q: Do you like to connect with your readers using your chosen platforms?
A: I love connecting with any readers who like my work. It really makes my day when people message me about my books or create an edit in honor of my characters. I love each one individually and cherish them. One of my favorite places to connect is my Facebook group because I can talk more one-on-one with everyone.
Q: Do you have any author friends that have helped you with your writing process or just been there for support?
A: Alley Ciz, Kristy Marie, and Jenna Hartley are some of the many who have touched my author career in different ways! They are all awesome and really supportive in this industry.
Q: What was the best money ever spent as a writer?
A: I could name a few things, but to start: Editing! That is a top priority and my editor has been a saving grace. She catches details I missed even though I read my book probably ten times by the time she gets it.
Q: How does your family feel about your writing?
A: Only a select few know I’m a writer. They are supportive and proud when I reach a new accomplishment. I tend to be a more private person, so I keep this passion project to myself, for now. (Hence the headshot y'all! I respect the need to be a private person.)
Q: Is there anything about you that your readers don’t know that you would like them to know?
A: I would like them to know how much their comments, excitement, and reviews matter to me. They are extremely kind and encourage me to continue this daunting process.
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/laurenasherauthor/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3130810956935683/user/100044471544145
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/lasherauthor?lang=en
Pintrest:
https://cz.pinterest.com/laurenasherauthor/?amp_client_id=CLIENT_ID(_)&mweb_unauth_id=%7B%7Bdefault.session%7D%7D
Alright y'all, there you have it! That was our glimpse inside the brilliant mind that has brought us Throttled and Collided. I still plan on reading both books ASAP, but we all know what it is like to have a never ending TBR. I am super grateful that Lauren Asher agreed to do this interview, and that our mutual friends suggested her to me! Be sure to check out her social media pages and her books!!
Ann C. Purvis, chose to publish her first novel under her birth name, Elizabeth Collums; this is her true roots and where she has drawn from many of the experiences she wrote about. She lives in Denham Springs, Louisiana and enjoys DIY projects. She has two daughters, a step daughter, son-in-law, two amazing granddaughters, and her dog Daisy.
Fire Dancer: A Novel of the Concord
