An Interview with Lori Soard

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Man of Means
Lori Soard
Hard Shell Word Factory
ISBN: 1-58200-805-1

Author Bio: Lori Soard has a degree in English and is currently completing her Ph.D. in creative writing. Past President of From The Heart, RWA Chapter (1997-1999), founder of Published Authors' Circle (PAC) and Chairperson of World Romance Writers (WRW). She is staff writer for Writer's Corner and speaker on topics related to writing and literacy.

Interview:

Could you tell us about yourself -- where you were born and brought up, where you went to school, your family, where you presently live, your pets, etc.?

I was born and raised on the East side of Indianapolis. I lived in the same house on over an acre until I married and left home. My education is very eclectic. I've gone to public schools and private schools. I even spent over six years in Catholic school. This is where I received the best education as well as a firm foundation in Christianity. I always seemed to have wonderful English teachers and maybe that is part of why I love the written word so much.

I have one of the best families in the world. I know that everyone feels that way but my mom and dad are truly wonderful. They have always encouraged me, reined me in when I needed it and been there for me. I think growing up as the only child in a house makes you want to meet your parents expectations and set your goals higher than you might otherwise.

I've lived in a little town east of Indy for about 11 years now. I am once again in a house on over an acre that slopes down to trees and a little creek in back. I can see all this from my office window and it's very relaxing and comforting. I feel right at home here and we've only lived in this house for about a month. It's definitely our dream home.

As far as pets, I always have a zoo. I blame it on my two children but I love animals and if I hadn't become a writer, I would probably have become a veterinarian. I have a Golden Retriever and a Miniature Dachshund. I also have two cats and will soon have three because I'm getting my daughter a Siamese for her birthday. Shhhh! It's a surprise. We have a hamster and two fish. Luckily we have room for them all to roam Animals fill a space nothing else can. They love you no matter what. They don't care what your hair looks like or if you snort when you laugh really hard. It's very difficult to get on an animal's nerves because you talked too much and they'll never interrupt you in the middle of a story.

What writing(s) are you best known for? Could you please tell us about them?

I have a fan list and most of them seem to read my romance novels. The one I've received the most comments on is MAN OF MEANS. It's available right now through Hard Shell Word Factory or via my website at www.lorisoard.com. I think you can order from Amazon.com too.

I had to laugh about a year ago. I was visiting family in West Virginia and one of my young cousins (I have thousands of them) had a friend who recognized my name because he'd read an article in one of the educational magazines. He was so excited. He wanted an autograph. He thought I was really famous. It was fun. Now I know how intoxicating fame is and why so many go after it LOL However, I don't think it would be fun in large doses.

I have an offer going on for my fans at the moment, where they can get a free copy of my latest release, FOOLS FALL IN LOVE. They just need to send an email to freebook@wordmuseum.com for details.

What is the goal of your writing?

My goal is always to tell the best story I can. I want to entertain the reader and bring the characters to life. These characters live in my head and if I can make them live in the reader's I've done my job. I want the reader to set the book down, sigh, and come away with a warm, satisfied feeling. You'll probably never see an unhappy or ambiguous ending in one of my books. I like everything to come out well at the end of the story. I think we get enough reality in real life. Why bother to read it?

How did you become a writer?

I've always written. Before I could write, I would make up stories as part of my play. My mother remembers me telling her little, short tales when I was just two-years-old. However, I didn't always plan to BE a writer. I went to school and got the typical education degree. I majored in English and planned to write in the summers--just for fun. It wasn't until I quit work to stay home with my children that I started spending more time learning the craft--translate, I was bored out of my mind. It was like a light bulb going off when I realized that people were making money writing. Wow! I could do what I loved and make money? From that point on, sheer determination has driven me. Sometimes I make a decent salary and sometimes not. In the end, it all balances out and I LOVE getting up and going to work everyday. How many people can say that?

Did you learn from other writers? Which ones? Do you attend workshops and seminars?

I have been very fortunate with the mentors I've had along the way. There are so many authors that have helped me, I could never name them all.

However, two really stick out in my mind. Charlotte Maclay has always supported and encouraged me to hang in there and keep trying--she still does.

She is more than happy to answer any question I've ever had for her. And when I start thinking I'll never reach my writing goals, she cheers me on. Fern Michaels has passed on her wisdom as well and has helped me see my writing in a new light. She's critiqued my work when I couldn't quite figure out what was missing. She is a brilliant writer, as you know if you've ever read her work. Not only that, she is a wonderful person. She doesn't advertise it but she does many good works and donates time and money to causes she believes in. I think more than just being a good writer, she models the type of person I'd like to be.

I still attend workshops, classes and conferences. I don't think we should ever stop learning. When you stop learning you become stagnant. We can always grow more as writers and as people. I just finished my dissertation for my Ph.D. but I'm already planning to go back and take some journalism courses I missed as an undergrad.

What themes do you pursue in your writing? What are your concerns?

Of course the biggest theme is that love conquers all. I've touched on dealing with Alzheimer's, diabetes, raising children, custody issues, fear of commitment, and dealing with death. Typically, whatever cause interests me at the moment, I will weave into my work. As writers, the most important part of our job is to leave our stamp on the world. Is it preaching at the reader? Maybe. I prefer to see it as offering my unique outlook--my individual perspective--I can offer something that no one else can and that is the way Lori Soard looks at the world. I have very firm beliefs about certain things and those come through in my writing--I'm not sure how you could help that unless you were writing a nonfiction article. In fiction, your characters hold a piece or two of YOU, so it's a lot harder to separate.

My concerns at the moment are literacy and breast cancer. I am weaving both issues into my current book but they won't overwhelm the story.

What are you working on now? Do you have an agent?

I am currently completing revisions on a romance and working on a single title, romantic suspense. I do not have an agent at this time. My first agent left a bad taste in my mouth and I promised myself I would only get an agent when I can have the ONE I want. If I can't have her, then I will represent myself. As you can probably tell, I'm not shy, so I haven't had many doors closed by not having an agent. I may change my mind if a few get slammed in my face. My philosophy is that I'll jump off that bridge when I come to it.

Do you have any other thoughts that you'd like to pass on?

If you have a desire--a passion--whether it is writing or something else, don't let anyone talk you out of it. If we could all follow our dreams, we wouldn't all be successful but we'd be happier for it. It's better to try and fail than to never try and wonder what could have been.

Read an extract from Man of Means:

Prologue

The ancient trunk had been passed down in the Mayker family for as long as Madge could remember. The inscription on the lid etched there by some primitive Mayker, the books lovingly placed within, the wooden vessel passed from one daughter to the next for guardianship.

Brushing dust off the letters, Madge read them aloud, "Those Who Read These Tomes Will Find The Miracle of Love." She let the words settle into the still air, their magic soothing her.

Madge lifted the lid, rusty hinges creaking into the silence of the damp attic. She reached inside and pulled loose a dusty volume, noticing the blue veins covering the back of her hands and the slight tremble. Soon her time in this world would be gone. She sighed. Who would she pass the trunk to? She had no daughters of her own, having never been married.

She traced the slightly raised title on a navy blue book jacket, and smiled. She remembered the first person she'd given the magic of this particular book. They'd found true love despite the advice found in it.

Remembering snippets of people who had flitted in and out of her life over the years, she held each book tenderly before replacing it in the shadowy interior. When she came to the last book, her heart thudded with a dull ache. Her nephew had read this one. He was gone now, as were so many people she had loved.

But he had left three daughters. A feeling of peace washed over her, like gentle waves lapping at a sandy beach. Yes, she would leave the trunk to one of his daughters, the oldest daughter, as had been the tradition from the beginning. She supposed that not having daughters of her own, it would be acceptable to make her niece the keeper of the miracle.

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