I got my hands on a copy of Wild Bond and knew I had to have Laurie Ford as my next indie author interview. Skeptical at first, because anything referred to as ‘fantasy’ to me is usually a ‘no, thank you.’ After hearing what Wild Bond was about though, I decided to give it a try.
Dragons? Ok.
A little romance? Sure, why not.
A rakishly, manly MC? Um, okay, okay! I’ll read it!
Let me tell you, this book did not disappoint. I had to know this author’s creative process.
I reached out and Laurie (pronounced Larr-ee, not Lore-ee) was kind enough to let me pry. I asked her how she began writing.
“I’ve always had a big imagination and started writing stories when I was young. When I entered a Reflections contest in elementary school and won, I realized it might be something I was good at.”
Laurie entertained herself by writing stories, a lot of them heavy on the fanfiction, possibly inspired by Bruce Coville, one of her favorite authors. Fantasy and then romance are her preferred genres to read (Sarah J Maas, Kristen Ashley, and Jeaniene Frost are some favs) so that carried over into what she likes to write. This passion continued in high school and on to college where she earned her first degree in Creative Writing.
I asked Laurie to walk me through her writing process:
“I always need lots of light and I like to listen to soundtracks while I write. It can't have words or I get distracted. I also can't write at a desk. I prefer to sit on the couch with my lap desk.”
-and to tell me where she gets the inspiration for her next story:
“I get inspiration from reading other books or watching movies that spark my imagination or from random snippets of conversation that give me an idea. Basically all over, from life in general. I have a note in my phone where I constantly keep track of random things/ideas that come to me.”
The spark that ignited the hefty, fast-paced Wild Bond happened while watching the movie How To Train Your Dragon.
“I had the thought that I had read a lot of dragon shifter romances but that there weren't a lot of romance books that involved dragon riders. (This was way before the whole Fourth Wing craze was even a thing.) Then I had the thought that it would be interesting if most dragon riders in this world were part of the powerful nobility but my main character wasn't. In fact, what if she was a thief . . . and it just snowballed from there.”
Book 2, Wild Heat, is slated for a fall 2024 release. Keep up with new releases by following Laurie Ford (see link below)
Planning a long drive soon or like to be read to while doing your chores? The audiobook of Wild Bond premiers on June 4. (click link below)
I’m always on the lookout for an indie author to support. Is there a genre you’d like me to promote? Send me a message and I’ll find that author. Are you an indie author? Let’s chat!
Thank you for visiting my website!
M
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