I try to promote others’ projects every day as well, and I can testify that if you lift others, you will build a supportive network that will bless you down the road. 

Laurie Lewis – 2 October 2016

The Back Flap

In need of his own redemption, Noah Carter finally confronts his childhood hero, the once-beloved uncle who betrayed him. Instead of vengeance, he offers forgiveness, also granting Uncle John a most curious request—for Noah to work on the ramshackle farm of Agnes Deveraux Keller, a French WWII survivor with dementia.

Despite all Agnes has lost, she still has much to teach Noah. But the pair’s unique friendship is threatened when Tayte, Agnes’s estranged granddaughter, arrives to claim a woman whose circumstances and abilities are far different from those of the grandmother she once knew.

Items hidden in Agnes’s attic raise painful questions about Tayte’s dead parents, steeling Tayte’s determination to save Agnes, even if it requires her to betray the very woman she came to save, and the secret her proud grandmother has guarded for seventy years.

The issue strains the fragile trust between Tayte and Noah, who now realizes Tayte is fighting her own secrets, her own dragons. Weighed down by past guilt and failures, he feels ill-equipped to help either woman, until he remembers Agnes’s lessons about courage and love. In order to save Agnes, the student must now become the teacher, helping Tayte heal—for Agnes’s sake, and for his.

About the Book

What is the book about?

Two emotionally battered young people land on the ramshackle farm of a French WWII survivor with dementia. They believe they’ve come to help Agnes, but life has taught this survivor valuable lessons about love and courage, and she will prove to be the greatest teacher this pair will ever know.

When did you start writing the book?

The initial story idea took shape about four years ago, but it became a very different story after my mother’s diagnosis of dementia.

How long did it take you to write it?

With rewrites and revisions, about three years, but I had a very hard time making the final decision to publish it because the topic is very personal to me and to my family.

Where did you get the idea from?

I had read an article about Nazi-stolen art, and it intrigued me. My mother’s struggle to navigate the world after her diagnosis of dementia, ultimately inspired my decision to change The Dragons of Alsace Farm from a WWII mystery to the family drama it is now.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

My biggest struggle was making certain these complex characters remained endearing while also staying true and accurate to challenges I had given them—abuse, neglect, assault, abandonment, physical disabilities, old age, dementia—and to the growth and triumph I wanted them to experience.

What came easily?

I used my mother’s farm as the model for Agnes’s Alsace Farm, so most of the scenes set there were fairly easy to write because I knew that place so well.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Agnes is a composite character created after many interviews with dementia patients and those who care for them—caregivers, loved ones, doctors, and therapists. A young disabled couple in search of more independence came to live with my mother, on her old farm, after her diagnosis. I watched how the three of them rose above their limitations to lift and serve one another. Although I changed the nature of the challenges facing Noah and Tayte, and made Agnes a composite character, it was Mom and this young couple who ultimately inspired the final book.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I suppose every author’s work influences me on some level. I appreciate their individual voice and style, and I grow as a writer, and as a person, as I read. James Joyce’s early style, his beautiful use of language, is almost musical to me. I love to write passages in that style, but I received a comment from a reader that said my sentences were too long for her. (Smile.) I also enjoy Janet Evanovich’s crisp, witty dialogue, and Nicholas Spark’s ability to create characters readers invest in. I’m all over the place, but I try to bring these types of elements into my books.

Do you have a target reader?

The Dragons of Alsace Farm hits a wide readership. Because dementia affects entire families, it’s really a universal story. Agnes may be the most beloved character from any of my books, and from the comments I’m getting, her story strikes a chord in adults and anyone with a beloved grandparent. The dynamic between Tayte and Noah, and their individual struggles, trend well with younger women. All in all, I’d say we’re hitting women readers from 18 and up.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

Life is chaotic right now, and has been for so long that I think chaos is my new lifestyle, so my earlier get-up-and-write-all-day-style no longer works for me. I write best in blocks of time that begin early in the morning. I generally take a story problem to bed at night and fall asleep working out scenarios. I often awake with the answer I need, so I head to my office and write in the early morning, break for a few hours while outlining the next section or doing some marketing, return to the keyboard and so on. I generally try to grab three writing blocks a day. Unless I’m writing on a streak of pure inspiration, I become unproductive and less creative by sitting at a keyboard for long stretches. But I also have ADHD. LOL.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I use different outlining techniques for different projects. My historical fiction is laid out in a spreadsheet with historical notes inserted between a few sentences describing the various scenes. My women’s fiction is usually quick notes of chapters or scenes, but I flesh them out in my mind when I’m driving or engaged in something like gardening. My current WIP is the soundtrack in my head.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

First confession: I’m not a great editor. Like many authors, I go blind to my own work. Second confession: Most colleagues cringe when I tell them I edit as I go. In addition to ADHD, I must also be obsessive compulsive on some level because I can’t leave a section unless it’s fairly clean.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I do. I actually hired three on “Dragons.” Because the storyline was so personal, I needed someone to pull me back from the cliff during the writing process, and fortunately, one of my friends/critique partners, (who is also an award-winning author, editor, and publisher) cheered me on to end, and cleaned up my messy manuscript. I then hired my good friend, (former tough editor when I was under contract to my first publisher) to drive the hard cuts needed to make “Dragons” ready for the current market. We hired a third editor to get a fresh pair of eyes on the new version and then the old one to make sure we didn’t cut anything a first-time reader would miss.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I love writing to music, especially for certain scenes. When I wrote my “Free Men and Dreamers” series, I cranked up “The Last of the Mohicans” soundtrack. Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban got me through The Dragons of Alsace Farm. I’m working on a romance novel for Gelato Books’ “Destination Billionaires Romance Series,” and I’m now listening to a lot of Alex and Sierra, and Adele.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I made a few attempts to query The Dragons of Alsace Farm to agents, but I had been out of the market for four long years dealing with other responsibilities, and I decided that I needed a faster route back into the market. I decided that a well-written Indie book was my best option.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

It was a process. I had great experiences with my two traditional publishers, and I’m enjoying the support from Gelato Books on my upcoming romance novel (due out in March 2017), but I like the control Indie Publishing allows me. I can release what I want, at the pace I want, and I control the risk/reward. I’ve been extremely blessed to have the great support of wonderful critique partners, and the resources and support of extremely talented Indie Pub groups who are helping me learn the ins and outs of this digital market.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

I tortured . . . LOL . . . hired a wonderful, patient professional graphics designer, Cindy Canizales, to create the cover. It’s a story in and if itself.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

The world went digital on me when I was on sabbatical, so I started out trying old techniques that didn’t work well in this new market, so in effect, I started winging it, but I’m getting a plan. I sat back and listened to authors with more marketing experience, and then followed their example. I spend an hour or two on marketing every day, and I contact anyone who will listen to me. I try to promote others’ projects every day as well, and I can testify that if you lift others, you will build a supportive network that will bless you down the road.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Produce excellent work. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking Indie means mediocrity. Write about a topic or storyline you really love or want to learn about, then be prepared to invest a lot of time and some money into it. Join a challenging critique group and find reputable support online. Then ask questions and learn so you can improve your skills and adapt to an ever-changing market. Overall, strive to maintain a balanced life. A happy life will be your best strength and resource. Always give your best to real people.

About You

Where did you grow up?

In Carroll County, Maryland, between Baltimore and Washington.

Where do you live now?

We raised our family here and still reside in the same house fifteen miles from where I grew up.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m a craft-challenged wife, mother and grandmother with some life experience under my belt. Some joyful. Some painful. All valuable. I’m also LDS, a woman of faith, and I hope that all those characteristics combine to make me the author of rich, meaningful stories. I’d like readers to pick up one of my books knowing they are getting a smart, clean read that will inspire and lift them.

End of Interview:

For more from Laurie, visit her website or her blog, follow her on Twitter or like her page on Facebook.

Get your copy of The Dragons of Alsace Farm from Amazon US or Amazon UK.