LET’S WELCOME
L.E. RICO
AUTHOR OF:
Rad-Reader: How did you pick Minnesota to be the location of the Story?
Lauren: My primary career is as a classical music radio DJ and when I was in my late twenties, I had the chance to work for a nationally syndicated service called Classical24—which happened to be based in St. Paul, MN. Even though I’d lived all over the east coast, I knew the Midwest was a whole other world, so I was pretty scared when I got there. But the Minnesotans welcomed me with open arms and helped me weather (pun totally intended) my first winters, buying and maintaining my first house and my ongoing struggle with depression. I had friends almost immediately and was totally enamored of the quirky, cool community around me. The polka mass at the local Catholic church, the obsession with hot-dish, and the state fair—where everything is on a stick and Princess Kay of the Milky Way reigns supreme were some of my favorites. Honestly, had I not met my husband and moved back to New York, I’d probably still be there now!
Rad-Reader: Was it always your intention with this book to do it about a sister and then two brothers?
Lauren: Yes. We first see Jameson in book one, Blame it on the Bet and it’s clear that her marriage to Win is in trouble. Knowing that her book would be next, I was already concocting scenarios for her to find love after divorce and by having someone who’s been away for so long, I was able to use him to reintroduce the readers —who may or may not have read Blame it on the Bet—to the whacky town of Mayhem and its quirky residents. Plus, I knew it would make Win craaaazy! And that’s always a bonus :^)
Rad-Reader: Was it always your idea to have different issues like stroke, adoption, working in foreign countries a part of the story or it just came as the story flowed?
Lauren: It all came as the story unraveled under my fingers. My characters often tell me what their stories are, believe it or not! I start off with a very basic idea of who they are and then the events just kind of unfold.
Rad-Reader: Being adopted, the part of the search brought back memories of mine, was that something you researched or did you know someone who went through that?
Lauren: I have two uncles who were adopted—the youngest of whom is two years younger than me. He and I grew up more like brother and sister and we’re still very, very close today. And, while I didn’t purposely set out to write a story about adoption, it was easy to paint that kind of attitude that we were raised with—family is family is family, blood or not. In the case of my elder uncle, my grandparents had to fight for him when, mid-adoption, a “white” family was interested in taking him (my grandparents are Latino). Those were totally different times—even though it was just in 1961—and it was a battle but they never backed down. So this idea that Big Win and Marjorie would do whatever they had to do to adopt that child and keep him—and his identity—safe wasn’t foreign to me.
Rad-Reader: Was the county fair always part of your original story?
Lauren: Ohhhhhh yeah… I’ve never seen anything like the Minnesota State Fair. The food is all deep-fried and on a stick, the rides are amazing, there are people walking around in bee costumes for the honey judging. And, of course, there’s Princess Kay of the Milky Way and her royal court— the inspiration for my Princess Mary of Midwestern Dairy. They really do make a butter bust of her! How could I NOT include that?! Although, I have to admit that the float catastrophe was all mine.
Rad-Reader: Do you have a process that you come up with when you are choosing names and personalities of your characters?
Lauren:
Rad-Reader: The scene that had Jameson painting one of the guy's toenails – reminded me of something my daughter would do when she was younger. Do you use daily events sometimes as your inspirations?
Lauren:
Rad-Reader: Did you always have big Win getting sick at the beginning in your draft?
Lauren:
Rad-Reader: Was that scene considered the hook to the story?
Lauren:
Rad-Reader: When you began to write this book did you know it was going to be a romance and a mystery?
Lauren:
Rad-Reader: When do you know that the time in the story calls for humor, like the float scene at the fair?
Lauren:
Rad-Reader: Do you use an outline when you write or do you just start writing?
Lauren:
Rad-Reader: Do you get to pick your own boos to write or are you under contract and are told what you need to write?
Lauren:
Rad-Reader: Was there anything special you did for yourself with your first royalty check?
Lauren:
Rad-Reader: If your book was made into a movie who would you have play…
Win Jr.: Alex Pettyfer
Lauren:
Jameson: Rose Leslie
Scott: Theo James
Win Jr. : ... I’m with you on this one, Alex Pettyfer
Win Sr. : ...and this one, too: Treat Williams
Rad-Reader: What song or songs best describes your couple or book as a whole?
Rad-Reader: Where do you do your best writing? Where everything just seems to flow for you?
Lauren:
Rad-Reader: What do you use to do your writing? Pen, Pencil, Computer, Typewriter?
Lauren:
Rad-Reader: What are three things you can’t leave home without?
Lauren:
Rad-Reader: What is your favorite type of food?
Lauren: Breakfast food, no
question! I could eat eggs, waffles and especially French toast any time—day or
night. In fact, I try to work it into my books wherever I can!
Rad-Reader: Char likes French Toast too. Anytime! ; )
Rad-Reader: What is your next project and when is due out?
Lauren:
I’ve also got a couple of
non-Whiskey-related novels in the pipeline!
Rad-Reader: Where can our readers buy your books? Links
Lauren:
Blame
it on the Bet: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074ZLDGZR/
Mischief
and Mayhem:
Solo:
The
Reverie Trilogy
Rhapsody:
Rad-Reader: Where can our readers find you on the Web? Links
Lauren: www.LaurenRico.com
Lauren,
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions as well as time away from your current writing. We know how hard it can be for all our writers. Come back when your next book comes out and let us know. As my wife always says you are now a 1 Rad-Reader Misfit and are welcome to use our Shout-Out: An Author's Place page to let our readers know too.
Twitter:
@TheLaurenRico
Instagram
@LaurenRicoAuthor
Lauren,
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions as well as time away from your current writing. We know how hard it can be for all our writers. Come back when your next book comes out and let us know. As my wife always says you are now a 1 Rad-Reader Misfit and are welcome to use our Shout-Out: An Author's Place page to let our readers know too.
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