Laura M. Baird – Interview and Giveaway

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Laura M. Baird. Leave a comment or ask the author a question for a chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card.

Laura began writing poetry in the 4th grade and enjoyed it. Over time, it morphed into short stories. However, it wasn’t until her mother introduced her to the romance genre, with Nora Roberts leading the way, that she found her true love of reading and wanted to emulate the authors she admired.

“I wanted to be able to pen stories about ‘real’ people, evoke emotions that would make readers feel as if they were living the life of the heroes and heroines,” she explained. “My very first novel was inspired by a dental patient of mine. Over time, I drew from my life experiences and encounters to bring depth to the stories.”

She began writing romance in 1995. She would work on her story, set it aside, and then work on it some more. When she began raising her sons, writing took a back seat. Then she returned to college to become a dental hygienist. She picked writing back up in 2005 and dabbled with it off and on.

“It wasn’t until 10 years later when I told myself I was going to seriously pursue becoming an author. I attended my first writer’s conference in 2016 and it provided the kick I needed! I researched publishers taking open submissions, polished my stories, and began submitting. My first acceptance came in March of 2017 (the day after I turned 50!) and my debut novel was published in August of 2017. I’ve seen a lot of posts, interviews, and articles about it never being too late to do what you love, and it’s so true!”

She recently completed a short story, a time-travel, fantasy romance about an older woman who rediscovers a family heirloom that unlocks her repressed power. She’s taken back to 1633 Scotland where she fulfills a clan legend, bringing peace between man and dragons. She’s also working on a Billionaire Love story, an opposites-attract romance, and the third book in her Shifter Clans series about a wolf shifter and fox shifter who are drawn together to shut down operatives of rogue labs experimenting on human/shifter DNA manipulation.

She finds that having several stories going at once helps a lot with writer’s block, because if something isn’t flowing in one story, she has another one to work on.

“This year has been the roughest for me,” she told me. “The ideas are swirling, but I just haven’t seemed to be able to get them down and be satisfied with what comes out. Even with several on-going projects, when not much is flowing, I’ll catch up on my reading! I’ll also work on promotion or help other authors with their work and/or promotion. Sometimes taking a step away and returning to my stories with a fresh mind or attitude helps.”

“What comes first,” I asked, “the plot or characters?”

“It varies with each story. Sometimes an incident will occur that sparks a story, a plot, and I’ll imagine what kind of characters would be in that situation. Other times a character comes to mind, and I’ll wonder what kind of situation could this person find themselves in. While attending my first writer’s conference, I watched a cover model photographer working and a story instantly popped into my mind, centering around two characters: the photographer’s assistant and the hot cover model she secretly crushed on. As I developed their personalities, the storyline began to take shape. From that story, secondary characters developed a life of their own and more stories emerged.”

Laura told me that the hardest part of writing for her is staying disciplined and making the best use of her time. She works three days a week as a dental hygienist and reserves her weekend to spending time with her husband, so she has to be strict to squeeze in her writing time.

“I can get caught up in promo and social media, so I need to tell myself to set that aside and just write. The world won’t come to an end if I miss responding to someone’s tweet!”
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When she’s not working, writing, or spending time with her husband, she loves to read.

“I read while on my treadmill and elliptical, or into the evening when I can’t focus on writing,” she said. “Hubby and I enjoy college football. And we recently had our first grandchild come into the world, so I expect to be spending time loving on him!”

“What did you want to be when you grew up?”

“I had so many dreams about what I wanted to be, to do when I grew up, from teacher to nurse to a photographer for National Geographic, to the next “Jacques” Cousteau. Oh, and I also wanted to become a helicopter pilot for life flight or search and rescue. I went on to do a variety of careers, but none as listed above. After high school, I tried a semester at college, but had no idea what to pursue and didn’t want to waste my parents’ money. So, I joined the Army and went into electronics repair. After that I became a dental assistant, then a hygienist, then a writer. Through writing, I can live out all the adventures I’d always dreamed of!”

These days, Laura is passionate about helping military and veterans (she and her husband both served in the Army).

“Everyone usually wants to praise a service member, thanking them for their service, but so much more is needed,” she told me. “It seems ludicrous with our country’s wealth and resources, many struggle, whether it’s moving on with other employment after time in service, getting medical aid, or NOT becoming homeless. With my military romance, The Soldier’s Final Mission, I’m donating all sales to the organization, Soldiers’ Angels. It’s a charity that benefits deployed military, their families, and veterans. It’s a small drop in the bucket, but every bit helps. It also allows me to make people who might not otherwise know of their services, aware of the organization.”

When Special Forces Soldier, Bob meets Becca at his cousin’s weekend party, they share one night of explosive passion. But when Bob’s called away on mission after mission, he wants Becca to have a life instead of waiting on him, and tells her to move on. Shocked and hurt, she does, moving to San Diego to eventually marry and have a son, only to divorce shortly after.

Six years later, when a mission incident nearly ends Bob’s life, he reflects on what could have been, never having forgotten the woman who loved him. Bob realizes he’ll do whatever it takes to have Becca back in his life—if she can see past his scars.

About the Author: Wife, mother, U. S. Army veteran, dental hygienist, and published romance author. An avid reader as well, I write what I love to read – heart-warming to body-blushing romance with contemporary issues, relatable characters, humor, and suspense. I have plenty of life experiences to draw from for my writing, not only with my careers, but locations as well. I grew up in Florida, spent time in several states, including Georgia (where I met hubby in the service) and settled for a time in Idaho. We now reside in the Pacific Northwest. When not writing or reading, hubby and I enjoy college football and drag racing, along with projects around the home and property. I love engaging with readers and authors, so find me on social media!

Buy the book at Evernight Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smaswords, or iBooks.