Today I am speaking with Laura Hamby.

Hi Laura!

Welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews and thanks for taking the time from your busy schedule to speak with us today. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Laura for answering these questions for Fallen Angels. The readers would love to hear something about Laura. Let me begin by asking about your story Haunted. I have had the opportunity to read it and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you, Linda. That's the biggest compliment I think an author can get.

Why don’t we begin with Laura telling us something about her new release, Haunted, which is in the book, Out of the Shadows from By Grace Publishing. How long did it take you to write this wonderful story, Haunted?

I think from start to finish (story conception to the final revisions before I submitted it) didn't take very long for me to write--a few weeks at the most.

Can you tell us what your motivation was behind Haunted?

Honestly, my initial motivator was seeing the cover for Out of the Shadows in the upcoming novels page at By Grace Publishing. I loved the cover, so I started wondering what kind of spooky story I could write for the anthology. My mind went immediately to ghosts, and that's where I started.

I loved the characters’ names in the book. Where did you come up with them?

Thank you, Linda. I loved Remy's and Alisanne's names too. I knew I was going to set the story in New Orleans and that the main characters were going to be of French descent. I've found a really neat website for names that I consulted--all I did was read the names until one "clicked."

I really enjoyed the setting in New Orleans? What made you decide on New Orleans?

I chose New Orleans because of its reputation for being one of the most haunted cities in the United States. I'd already decided Haunted was going to have a ghostly theme, and New Orleans seemed the logical choice.

How long have you been writing?

Oh, gosh, I've been writing since.... 5th or 6th grade. I decided I wanted to be a published writer 3-4 years ago.

And what is your favorite genre?

My favorite genre...romance, of course, historical and contemporary. I also enjoy reading science fiction and fantasy. I'm very fond of Star Trek novels and Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Rider of Pern series.

Do you have a certain schedule when you’re writing? Or does your schedule conflict with your writing?

My kids are in school full day--all three of them, for the first time this year. I do my blogging and editor duties while they're at school, and also try to carve out at least an hour of that time for writing during the day. I also write at night, after everyone has gone to bed.

What is a day in the life of Laura Hamby like?

Early mornings are hectic what with getting the kids off to school, but once I get home from driving them to school, I jump into my emails and the "business" end of writing for the morning. Hopefully, by lunchtime, I've finished with that, and I write for a couple hours before I have to go pick them up. Then it's homework and making dinner, and racing through the on a cleaning whirlwind. Things settle down and get quiet again after everyone has gone off to bed, and then it's back to writing or researching or editing.

Have you ever written a screenplay or considered writing one?

No, not really. I'm not sure I'd know where to begin writing one.

Has a publisher or editor ever asked you to change your title?

No, I haven't had to change a title. Sukie's Dance was thus named when I submitted it to the By Grace Brides and Bouquets contest, and Haunted titled itself.

Do you currently have anything else coming out soon or anything in the planning stages that you would like to share?

I have a full length novel called It's All Greek to Me coming out in January 2006 from Moonlit Romance. (Moonlit is a sister company to By Grace Publishing.) I also have a second chances themed novel coming out with By Grace in May, 2006--untitled as of yet. Shara Jones, Meg Allison and I have written a continuity series called Pops' Girls: Blue Plate Special. My novel, Learning to Trust, is the first in the series, and will be published in April, 2006 by Moonlit Romance.

Do you get along well with your publisher and editors?

I get along well with my publisher, yes, and I've worked with two different editors at By Grace, and both of those experiences were fine.

Is there anything that you would care to add?

I'm very pleased to have been included in the Out of the Shadows anthology along with Shara Jones and Sheila Holloway. They are both very talented authors.

How can your readers contact you? Do you have a website?

My website is http://laurahamby.bravehost.com and there is button anyone can click on there, to send me an email. I also have a blog: http://laurahamby.braveblog.com. I have a tagboard there, and I post almost every day there, and readers are more than welcome to respond to my blog posts.

Do you have a link where anyone can buy your books that you would like to share with us?

My books are available at By Grace Publishing's website, Fictionwise (http://fictionwise.com/eBooks/ByGracePublishingeBooks.htm), and at Lulu and Cafe Press.

Thank you so much Laura for sharing time with us today. I had fun and hope you did, too. Anyone interested in reading more about Laura and her books, please visit her website or her publishers website to read more of her great books. It has been a pleasure talking with you, Laura, and I wish you the best in your writing career. Pick up a copy of Laura’s latest, Out of the Shadows, today, where you will find Haunted. You won’t be disappointed. Those interested can find it on www.bygracepublishing.com

Interviewed by: Linda