An Interview With Author Laura Josephsen

Yesterday was the launch of Laura Josephsen's book, RESISTANCE, and today I've got her over here to answer a few questions :-)


1. What is your favourite time of day to write?
At night; I'm such a night owl.

2. Do you have any weird little writing rituals? (eg. the curtains must be open in just the right place, and a container of green M&M’s must be within reaching distance of your computer)
Nope! I write while doing all sorts of things—in between homeschooling, sitting at my daughter's dance class, stuff like that, so it's kind of wherever, whenever I can. I do like to have coffee while writing, if I can manage it.

3. What's a completely random fact about you that most people don't know?
I have weird fingers. They bend slightly backwards. It grosses some people out.

Rachel: Okay, that IS random!

4. Do you remember when you first decided you were going to one day be a published author? 
I really didn't have a "one day I'm going to be a published author" moment. I had someone tell me I should look into publishing Awakenings, the first in a series Faith King and I are writing. (And a publisher did sign it and publish it.) Publishing had always seemed like a distant, far-off dream until it wasn't so distant and far-off, and then I was (and still am) trying to figure out how to navigate the publishing side of things.

5. Are there any songs you’d like to mention that inspired/influenced/are connected in any way to RESISTANCE or its characters? 
Oh, where do I start? I usually end up with playlists for each book…sometimes songs that I just happened to be listening to at the time, or sometimes songs I hear and go, "That is perfect for X character!" I think my biggest song for Rising Book 1: Resistance was "Roadside" by Rise Against. The words fit my character Mairwyn perfectly.

6. What was your favourite book as a child? 
Can I count the Chronicles of Narnia as one book. ;) If I'd had to pick one as a child, The Silver Chair or The Magician's Nephew was probably my favorite. As I got older, The Horse and His Boy was my fave…but my mom read those to me at bedtime, and then I read them myself so many times as a child.

Rachel: Yes, you have permission to count them as one! I understand, because I loved them all too!

7. If you were stuck in an elevator and had the choice of any writer, living or dead, to be stuck with, who would it be and why? 
This will go with my last answer. C.S. Lewis, because I think it would have been really insightful and amazing to have a conversation with him.

Rachel: He certainly has written some incredible stuff that I'm sure has changed MANY people's lives.

8. Out of all the characters you’ve ever created, tell us about the one you’d most like to meet in real life.
Ever created? Ack, this is hard. Hmmm. I'd probably say Sephie (real name Persephone) from Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld (Also Known as High School). That was my oddball book—I typically write speculative fiction, but it was contemporary. I just love her voice and her snark and the way she views the world.

Rachel: Ah, I know Sephie :-) Your 'oddball' book was entertaining!

9. Have you ever based an entire character on a real person you know, and would you tell that person? 
I haven't ever based an entire character on a real person. I don't know if I'd be able to even if I wanted to—my characters take on lives of their own and often become unexpected things anyway.

10. Lastly (and most importantly): cake or ice cream?
Cake! But not chocolate cake; I actually don't care for it much (unless it's chocolate cheesecake).

Rachel: Yay, cake! Me too! My fave is carrot cake though. (And you're insane for not liking chocolate cake!)

Thanks, Laura, for some awesome answers!

An excerpt from Resistance (Rising, Book 1)

By the time an infant's cries pierced the air, the sun was rising and Alphonse was ready to fall over—whether from exhaustion or relief that it had ended, he wasn't sure.

"Alphonse!" his mother called. "Alphonse, I need that knife!"

Alphonse dragged himself to his feet and ran into the house. He located the sterilized knife and took it to the bedroom door. When he knocked tentatively, his mother said, "You can come in. Meet our new neighbor."

Yes, because he wanted to see Nella for the first time in two years after he'd spent half the night listening to her labor pains. "I'd really prefer to stay out here."

The door opened and Alphonse's mother held out her hand for the knife. She looked exhausted, but there was both amusement and happiness on her face. "Very well. Thank you for staying close. You can—"

"Mrs. Redding?" Nella sounded equally exhausted and there was a sudden fear in her tone that made Alphonse's mother turn quickly, the knife in her hand pointed down.

This was the worst thing that she could have done, for it gave Alphonse a wide view of the bedroom and the bloodied cloths and sheets. He got a glimpse of Nella on the bed, holding a baby whose umbilical cord had not yet been cut. Coupled with the sweat and blood smell wafting from the room, Alphonse's nausea and dizziness overwhelmed him and his vision went black. The next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes from the floor, his glasses pressed uncomfortably against his face.

"Alphonse, are you all right?" his mother asked.

"I'm…unnnghh…" Alphonse scooted backwards out of the bedroom. He must have only been out for a second or two, because the conversation within the bedroom continued as though he had not just fainted like a coward at the sight of blood.

Blood…

Alphonse pressed his face to his knees and decided maybe he should wait a moment before trying to stand up again. Though his mother might not know it yet, her chances of ever having a grandchild had just dropped to zero percent.

"What are these?" Nella asked. "These bumps on her back…is something wrong with her? Is my baby all right?"

There was a heavy silence, in which Alphonse imagined his mother to be examining the newborn. "Oh," his mother breathed. "Oh, Nella…these aren't bumps."

"Then what are they?" Bryce spoke this time, and he had more dread in his voice than fear, as though he already knew the answer and was afraid to say it.

His mother's reply was so quiet Alphonse almost didn't hear it. "They're wing buds."

~  ~  ~

Laura Josephsen lives with her family in Tennessee. She is a co-author of the Restoration series and the author of Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld (Also Known as High School). She likes music, reading, socks, rainy days, chocolate, coffee, and sci-fi and fantasy tales.

Author Links

Blog | Twitter | Goodreads

Resistance (Rising, Book 1) Links

Amazon (ebook) (paperback) | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Goodreads