Lori Soard Author Bio:
I’ve been writing since 1991. I write both fiction and nonfiction, creating copy for businesess, designing websites and creating social media marketing for small businesses as my day job.
I’m married to my high school sweetheart. We live in southern Indiana in a tiny town of about 3,000 people. We have gorgeous hilled knobs to our west and a river to our south. I love rural, small-town living. I’m a born and bred Hoosier and love everything about living in the geologically diverse state of Indiana.
My husband and I have two grown daughters and two granddaughters. We have a houseful of pets, but dote on our two miniature dachshunds, Daisy Mae and Dolly Pawton. Guess which country music singer I’m a huge fan of?
I love to get to know my readers and chat with them.
What inspires you to write?
The entire world is a story. I find inspiration in the strangest things. I once had a novel come to me in a dream, fully plotted and ready to write. That's rare–typically I have a seed of an idea like a young lady about to lose the family farm and her father to Alzheimer's and then I flesh it out from there.
Tell us about your writing process.
I am typically a plotter, although some stories flow out quickly and don't have time for planning. I do create character sketches with details such as hair color, eye color, favorite phrases and extended friends and family. These come in handle when you're writing a series so you can go back and check details.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I daydream about my characters the entire time I'm writing a book. I think about them throughout the day. I wonder how they'd respond to different events. I run through different scene scenarios for them. When it's finally time to sit down and write, I have some ideas fleshed out that I can run with.
Who are your favorite authors?
I'm a Christian fiction author, but I have to admit I love a good thriller or mystery. I have to skip over some of the language, but Dean Koontz can pull me into a story and keep me there with his excellent writing. I also like anything by Nicholas Sparks, even when he kills off my favorite characters. I try to read some of the bestsellers, authors within my genre and tons of nonfiction. I am currently listening to audio of Mindset, which delves into how we limit ourselves with our thinking.
What genres do you write?
Christian Romance | Sweet Romance | Romantic Suspense | Nonfiction
How did you choose the genre(s) you write?
I started reading romances when I was nine years old. One of my favorite aunts let me read one of her Harlequins and I fell in love with being in love. I couldn't get enough of those little books. She would bring me giant paper grocery bags filled to the brim with them and I'd devour them in a week or two. If I wasn't sleeping, I was reading, and I didn't sleep much as a kid.
The teacher would tell the kids they could chat and have some free time and I'd quickly pull out a book and read it. I have to laugh at my younger self looking back on it, but I also think I used my time pretty wisely. In high school, I discovered Shakespeare and Jane Austen. Tragedy and romance. What a combination. It was kind of inevitable I'd write romances.
Nonfiction is something that found me. I took journalism in college. Once you get a taste of being published and having that byline, you want it again. I've published thousands of articles and even more as work-for-hire. I've written a few nonfiction books, too.
What three things are on your writing desk at any given moment?
Notepad for sketching out notes and making checklists
Cell phone, which is usually on Pandora to set the mood
Sticky notes because I use them for plotting and many other things to keep track of my stories
What hobbies do you have when you need a break from writing?
I love to read, garden, cook and spend time with family. I have a group of foodie friends. We will go and try new restaurants. I've tried various things such as paint pouring, learning to draw and learning to code. Some things stick and others fade. I am also a CASA volunteer.
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print
Website(s)
Home Page Link
Follow On Amazon
Link to Author Page on BookBub
Author’s Social Media Links
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube
Instagram
All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
