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Laura Pauling-Interview with the Author

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Laura Pauling-Interview with the Author

The Reading Cafe would like to introduce YA author Laura Pauling.

Short bio:

Laura Pauling writes about spies, murder and mystery. A Spy Like Me, her YA debut novel is available now. Her short story, The Almost Assassin, appeared in the In His Eyes Anthology and is free on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Long bio:

Laura Pauling writes about spies, murder and mystery for all ages where the real and the incredible combine for heart stopping and often hilarious adventures. Her YA debut, A Spy Like Me, released in April of 2012.

She lives her cover of suburban mom/author perfectly, from the minivan to the home-baked snickerdoodles, while hiding her secret missions and covert operations from the real world. And her kids wonder what she does all day while they’re at school; or why on Monday mornings she’s a bit grumpy. Living the life of a secret agent isn’t easy, but someone has to do it. But shh – don’t expose the truth to her friends and family.

This may or may not be what she really looks like.


And she may or may not actually bake cookies.

You decide.

TRC:  Hi Laura and welcome to The Reading Cafe. Please tell us something about yourself?

 

Laura:  I write about spies, murder and mystery while living the cover of suburban mom/author perfectly, from the minivan to the home-baked snickerdoodles. I hide my secret missions and covert operations from the real world. But shh don’t tell anyone.

 

 

TRC:  You are a member of the INDELIBLES indie author site. Would you please tell us how you became involved with this group of YA authors?

 

Laura:  I feel so blessed to have stumbled upon the Indelibles. We are there for each other, whether tweeting or blogging announcements, sharing good and bad news, answering questions and becoming friends! I was already blogging/writing friends with Susan Kaye Quinn and Addison Moore. When they learned I’d decided to self publish, they nominated me for the group.

 

TRC:  What do you find the most challenging about writing? About indie publication?

 

Laura:  Information abounds in the blogosphere: from craft tips to social media tips. I’ve read some terrific books on the craft of writing. I have the head knowledge, so my biggest challenge is applying that to my writing. I work on this every time I sit down to write. Writing is a journey and I will always be growing.

 

Indie publishing opened up a flood of creativity for me. So my biggest challenge is finding the time! I love this spy series but I have other mysteries I’d like to rewrite. I have new ideas, simmering in the background, begging to be told. So it’s hard to be patient when there are five different stories I want to be writing!

 

 

TRC:  Many authors bounce ideas and information between friends and family. With whom do you bounce your ideas?

 

Laura:  I don’t often share ideas with anyone until they are fully formed. At first, the idea is too fragile and often transforms over the course of writing the first draft. But when that’s done and I’ve already spotted and fixed the major plot holes, then I start sharing with readers and writing friends.

TRC:  A SPY LIKE ME (April 2012) is your debut novel. Would you please tell us about the premise?

To Order
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook
KOBO
Smashwords

 

Laura:  Sure, I’d love to. After dodging bullets on a first date, Savvy must sneak, deceive and spy to save her family and friends and figure out if Malcolm is one of the bad guys before she completely falls for him.

 

TRC:  How much background research was involved with this novel?

 

Laura:  A lot. I’ve never been to Paris, France. I read other books set in Paris to see how others authors handled setting description. I read blogs. I researched foods, way of life, weather…etc. I spent time on the Louvre website, looking at the floor plan and pictures. I used Google to zoom in on the streets of Paris. I loved the Youtube videos tourists put up – that really helped with details.

 

 

TRC:  How many books do you have planned for the series?

 

Laura:  Right now, I’m hoping for three novels. Depending on how sales go, I’ll write more. I also have five short stories to come out in the next six months based on the Savvy’s mother. We learn her story, history and understand the present danger. I also have the seedlings for a spinoff of a future generation of spies. I’m not sure if that spin off will be novels or novellas.

TRC:  Will Savvy and Malcolm continue to be the principle characters?

 

Laura:  Savvy and Malcolm will be the primary characters in the first three books. Maybe more? There could possibly be companion novellas and short stories based on the other characters.

TRC:  Will you tell us something about what you have planned for your next novel in the series?

 

Laura:  I’ll just say that Savvy feels the backlash from her experiences in Paris. The second story is set in Athens, Greece, and Savvy continues to make the necessary decisions to keep her family together even though her actions seem contradictory.

 

TRC:  What are you currently working on?

 

 Laura:  Book two of course! J Plus I’m editing the short stories.

 

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

 

Laura:  Thank you so much for having me. There are so many fantastic books out there that I truly appreciate the time and effort in your reading and reviewing A Spy Like Me.

 

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – Pizza. I’m a pizza-aholic.

Favorite Dessert – Easy. Chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven.

Favorite Movie – True Lies. The balance of humor, spy action, underlying themes of family, and over the top plotting perfectly reflects what I love to read and write!

Favorite TV Show – Castle. I love the wit, the creative storylines, the acting…and Nathan. They have some great writers behind that show.

Favorite Song – I honestly don’t have one.

Dark or Milk Chocolate – Milk chocolate. Dark is too bitter.

 

TRC:  Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. It is always a pleasure to meet the real person behind the author. We wish you all the best.

 

Laura:  Thank you!!!!!

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/jsmoP
Email: laura@laurapauling.com
Blog: http://www.laurapauling.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/laurapauling
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13372106-a-spy-like-me
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-Pauling/308338192559237
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/101571386103546921436/posts

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A SPY LIKE ME (YA) by Laura Pauling-a review

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A SPY LIKE ME (YA) by Laura Pauling

Tagline:

Stripping your date down to his underwear has never been so dangerous.

One sentence:

After dodging bullets on a first date, Savvy must decide how far she’ll go to stay alive and protect the ones she loves.

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Savvy Bent expects magic on her first date with Malcolm – in Paris! Except over a picnic of sparkling cider and strawberry tarts, a sniper shoots at them. That’s only the beginning. From the top of the Eiffel Tower to the depths of the catacombs, Savvy must sneak, deceive, and spy to save her family and friends and figure out whether Malcolm is one of the bad guys before she completely falls for him. Or he tries to snuff her out.

A SPY LIKE ME (YA) by Laura Pauling-a review by Carmen P.

I was first introduced to A Spy Like Me by reading the short story, Almost Assassin, in an anthology called In Your Eyes. Malcolm, an awkward 17 year old is trying to earn his rightful spot in the family business of…espionage. Under an assignment of simple recon, Malcolm is captivated by the equally youthful, Savvy Bent, his unwitting mark. While observing her daily routine, and finding her seemingly innocent of heinous activities, Malcolm receives an order to terminate Savvy. Distressed, but knowing this could and would propel him into his father’s good graces, Malcolm follows his instincts and trusts his heart instead: He asks Savvy out on a date!

Unlike the short story, A Spy Like Me unfolds under the perspective of Savvy. She has been living, unhappily, for the last 6 months in Paris, France with her father. Mom has been out of the picture for a year now, but those circumstances are complicated and slowly revealed throughout the story.

Against the backdrop of the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower, Malcolm and Savvy are enjoying “date night”. There is an undeniable attraction and their banter is age-appropriately flirtatious. In a playful attempt at getting Malcolm to explain what he likes about her, Savvy manages to strip Malcolm of his pants and ties his hands behind his back, leaving him in a precarious position. Fully intending to relieve him of his embarrassment and capture that first real kiss, it was a spontaneous idea after all, a shot rings out! Malcolm has been shot. Trying to keep the attention of the assailant on himself, survival spy skills at its finest, Malcolm convinces Savvy to escape to the Eiffel Tower and reconvene in half an hour’s time. Not to be outdone, Savvy, utilizes her own expertise and runs away in that recommended zigzag manner that forever endears herself to me. Who does that? Malcolm never surfaces.

Fretting all night and worried that Malcolm has bled to death, Savvy is floored to see Malcolm stroll in during her work day at Spy Games…HER family’s business. These two are obviously meant for each other, right? Two peas in pod and all that fateful kismet stuff? If it was that easy, this book would have been conventional and dull. A Spy Like Me is far from it!

Savvy is relieved to find Malcolm hale and hearty, but his lack of details surrounding the debacle of “date night” unnerves her and sets the motion for twists and turns galore! While trying to figure out who could have made an attempt at Malcolm’s life, Savvy’s friend, Aimee, goes missing. Ok, she leaves a note of a sudden interest in backpacking across Eastern Europe, but Savvy, being savvy, certainly doesn’t believe that. One break-in later, spy skills again, who would go backpacking without hiking boots? A clue it is! Aimee’s disappearance forces Malcolm and Savvy to work together, but they can’t seem to find a moment’s peace to enjoy a teen romance.

This is where it gets a little troubling. While involved in all things spy, this knowledge goes unspoken between Malcolm and Savvy. Who’s really the savvier? **I couldn’t resist!** Enter Savvy’s estranged mom who makes an appearance in the middle of Spy Games and plunges Savvy into an unknown world of would-be assassins. No fair. It’s always scandalous when Mom leaves the happy home. These two need to talk. Throw in an ancient society who believes in preserving the sanctity of life versus a counter group who means to do away with corruption altogether. I found myself questioning the order or purpose of those events, but you can see to their relevance for yourself. And why do shots keep ringing out whenever Malcolm joins Savvy in her searches? Could some of those bullets be meant for Savvy instead?

There is a lot to unravel, but the journey is fun and all questions are answered. With one exception: We’re cheated out of a HEA. Malcolm isn’t given enough time to woo Savvy in the midst of varied states of unrest. How can I label Malcolm swoon-worthy if I barely got a glimpse into his romantic side? More, please! Ms. Pauling thrills you with insight for her next book and if Malcolm’s final scene is any indication, I was left very hopeful for a reunion between these two!!! Put Mom and Savvy’s reunion on the backburner for now….

LINKS:

Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook
KOBO

Reviewed by Carmen P.

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