Author LaQuette Shares Their Story

About the Author
A native of Brooklyn, New York, LaQuette spends her time catering to her three distinct personalities: Wife, Mother, and Healthcare Provider. Writing: her escape from the everyday, has always been a friend and comforter. She loves writing and devouring romance novels. Although she possesses a Masters degree in English Lit, she’d forego Shakespeare any day to read something hot, lusty, and romantic.

What inspires you to write romance books?
I’ve spent many years in formal the formal study of literature. Although I love all literature, nothing touches me the way a love story does. I believe in fairytales and happily-ever-afters.

I personally believe that love is the most inspiring and motivating force in the world. Who wouldn’t want to read and write about something that powerful?

I know there are literary snobs in the world that don’t consider romantic literature “real,” literature. However, if that were true, why is romantic/erotic literature so commercially successful? Apparently, someone’s reading it, even if it’s in a locked closet.

When I finally realized that I wanted to write, what I wanted to write was never a question. I knew that when I finally put my words out there, they would craft the kinds of love stories I love to read: heart-wrenching, passionate, hopeful.

Tell us about how you write:
Usually with my mp3 player in my ears. I love hard thumping, base-driven tunes. I listen to a great deal of R&B and Hip-Hop. I especially love 90’s New Jack Swing. When I have a scene that is filled with one particular emotion, I tend to look for music that kind of mirrors that. So if it’s a love scene, I pick out something that makes me feel sensual, a “get me in the mood” track if you will. R. Kelly is at the top of that list. That man can write/sing a song that makes you want to get naked quickly.

I usually write at night when my husband and children are in bed sleeping. I love it when the house is completely quiet and nothing and no one else requires my attention except the characters in my head.

I’m not much of an outliner. I do have a general idea of some of the major plot points I want to occur in a story, everything else is usually finding a way to weave those points together in a believable, yet interesting way. I do keep notes while I’m writing, usually about character development so that I can keep different character traits and facts straight and continuous throughout the writing. I love MS Quick Notes, the software allows you to link notes to a specific document. So, if I’m writing a novel and link notes to it, when I open those notes, they sit on the screen side by side with the novel I’m writing. Love it, makes my writing organization so much easier.

Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I absolutely talk to my characters, and yes, they even talk to me. How else can I flesh out or represent the different character traits? If they don’t each have a specific voice, they would all sound the same.

What advice would you give other writers?
Stay true to you. No matter how silly you think your story, write what it is that you want to write. Conformity is boring. I wrote what I was told to write in college and graduate school. Now, I’m writing what I want to write, and I’m not particularly concerned if scholars don’t consider my writing actual literature. At the end of the day, if I’m happy with a story, and I feel I’ve put the best product together that I can, I’m happy with myself. Never let someone tell you what you should write. Yes, constructive criticism that can help you better your writing style and you product should always be welcomed and embraced. However, never let someone change the essence of your story, so that it is no longer your story.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I chose to self-publish. There were two reasons for this decision. One, I didn’t really know how to break into the literary world. I knew I wanted to write, I knew I did have a skill. I knew I had spent six years between college and grad school studying writing so, I knew this was something I could do. I just didn’t know if I would get the chance to do it following the traditional route. Two, I wanted to maintain the integrity of my work. I didn’t want to write based on what a publisher, editor, or agent wanted me to write. I didn’t want to write based on what was “hot” at the moment. I wanted to write the stories that arose from within. After weighing those things, I decided that self-publishing was the best route for me at this time.

I’m still really new at this, so I don’t really think I’m in a position yet to offer advice, but if I had to I would say, make certain you have as much information as possible before you move forward. If you’re going to self-publish, don’t take shortcuts. Make sure you copyright your work, get your ISBN’s, ultimately, protect your work before you put even one word you’ve written out into the world.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think with this new path of self-publishing, the publishing industry is becoming less absolute, less insular. People no longer have to wait for someone else to recognize their talent, if they are really driven, they can produce their own work, their own way.

What genres do you write:: Romance, Erotic Romance

What formats are your books in: Both eBook and Print

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Author Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site

Your Social Media Links
http://www.goodreads.com/LaQuette
http://www.facebook.com/LaQuetteTheAuthor
http://twitter.com/LaQuetteLikes