Author Spotlight: Laura Elliot, "Fragile Lies"


Laura Elliot has written a variety of novels and with the release of Fragile Lies, she was gracious enough to answer a few questions so that we can get to know her better. I hope you guys enjoy the interview as much as I did!

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A Q&A with Laura Elliot

1. What inspired you to write Fragile Lies?

When I worked as a journalist I was commissioned to do a feature on homelessness.  One night I interviewed some homeless people in a bleak, industrialised area in Dublin docklands. When I was returning to my car, which I’d parked in an empty car park,  I noticed two cars that hadn't been there originally.  I could see that one car was unoccupied and two people were together in the second one. It was obvious the couple were having  a secret liaison in this isolated setting.  
   
Some years later, when I was searching for an idea for my next novel, I was driving along the coast one night. I could see the lights of the industrialised zone twinkling in the distance. I thought about the shadows between the lights and the idea of combining the two elements of that night–a homeless man and a secretive couple–came to me in a flash. 

2. Fragile Lies was released under a different title a few years ago. What made you decide to re-release it and are there any differences between the two books?

Fragile Lies was originally released in Ireland under the title Deceptions. The new book is exactly the same as the original – all that’s different is the cover and title. The decision to change the title was taken by the publishing team at Bookouture, who believe  the title Fragile Lies is a more appropriate title. 

3. If Fragile Lies were to be made into a movie, who would you want  to play Michael and Lorraine?

Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway

4. Who is your literary hero/heroine and why? 

Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. It’s a story I read about twenty years ago but have never forgotten. Through Offred eyes we see how tenuous liberty, equally and freedom can become when cataclysmic events change the world – and how easily those changes can take place once the right circumstances are in place. I loved how Offred found ways to adapt to her role in this new world and how she struggled constantly to triumph over almost impossible odds to find her freedom. 

5. If you could spend 24 hours doing absolutely anything you wanted, what would your day look like?

I  rise early with no commitments and no excuse to moan into my pillow or slam off the alarm. I  wander out into the sunshine to admire my garden. (Such a day has to be beautiful.)  I run a relaxing bath, enjoy a leisurely breakfast with time to listen properly to the radio and text in all my comments on the issues being discussed. 
   
I attend a morning art class (something I’ve always wanted to do but never seem to find time) and discover that it’s not always necessary to draw a cat with two circles and two triangles. After class I visit the boutique that’s usually too expensive to enter and buy the size 8 dress in the window. As this is my perfect day, the dress miraculously fits me.
    
Lunch with my family–who, also miraculously, are free at the same time.  After a long, leisurely lunch in a fantastic restaurant overlooking the sea it’s time to visit the leisure centre where I indulge in the sauna, steam room, hot tub and anything else that doesn’t require effort, including a full body message and a facial. Time to relax at home before I slip into my new slinky size 8 dress and head for the theatre with my husband. We stop along the way for a meal prepared by Jamie Oliver. Afterwards, we go to a late night  party where all my friends, those near and far, are gathered together under one roof. At last I’ve time to catch up on all their lives. I leave the party as dawn rises and drive with my husband to the Broadmeadow Estuary. We watch the sun rise over the estuary, as we used to do when we were young enough to cope with all-night parties and not feel wrecked the following day. When the sun has risen we drive home - and what we do for the remaining twenty-four hours is no one’s business but our own….

6. What advice would you give aspiring writers? 

Before even trying to get a publisher, put the time into becoming the best writer you can be. This means writing regularly, learning techniques of self-assessment and editing, reading broadly and being willing to learn from your mistakes. 

Be disciplined. It’s easy to make excuses but important that you find space for yourself amidst the clutter of your life. There’ll never be a perfect time for you to begin your writing career (unless you’re one of the very fortunate) so you need to establish a routine. Even if it’s only three hours on a Saturday morning stick to it.        
   
Once you’re focused, it’s amazing what can be achieved in a short space of time. Don’t waste your creative energy discussing the idea for your novel  with family and friends. Instead,  set to work and jot it down. I always find it useful to roughly handwrite my initial idea. Keep writing, no matter how clichéd it seems. There’ll be plenty of time to work on your style later. 

Once that draft is down the real work on the computer begins. A lot of what has been written in that initial rush will have to go. What stays will need to be explored and developed, characters will acquire flesh and personalities, dialogue will become informative yet natural.  And there will be many redrafts before you are satisfied that it’s ready for a publisher. 

Be brave, be confident and believe in your ability to become an accomplished writer. But, also, be aware that that accomplishment is hard earned through constant rewriting and striving to improve.

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Thank you again to Laura Elliot for the interview and to Bookouture for helping me out!

Please make sure you check out Fragile Lies on any of the following online book retailers: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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