The Divining Wand

By her own admission, Lauren Baratz-Logsted is everywhere. Out here on the Internet you can find her blogging on a weekly basis at her RedRoom blog, Myspace, Amazon and twice a month at Teen Fiction Café. In addition there are her daily comments on Facebook as well as her tweets on Twitter about writing, reading and recognition of other authors. All these public appearances may make one wonder how does Lauren write…because write she does (in several genres for all age groups) with her latest, highly acclaimed YA novel, Crazy Beautiful to be officially released this Monday, September 7, 2009. To honor Crazy Beautiful a full presentation/review will be posted here — along with a Book Giveaway -– this coming Monday but today is the day to discover Lauren and why, how, when, where she masters her passion.

When did your passion for reading and writing begin?

Lauren: “Given the family I was born into, I had little choice but to become a reader. My parents’ idea of a good time was to lie on the couch during the daytime, or in bed late at night, reading books. I also had a brother, two years older, who was a big reader. So I dove right in, although I must confess, a large part of my reading back then was defensive reading since I suspected I’d find myself kicked to the curb if I didn’t keep up.

“As for writing, I suppose that’s been a lifelong love as well, although if I had to pinpoint a moment that triggered the idea that I might write things people wanted to read, that would be when I was twelve years old and an English teacher singled my paper out for special attention.”

You write and/or contribute to four or five blogs on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis, Twitter and comment on Facebook, what’s the key to your time management?

Lauren: “I keep a datebook in which I write down what needs to be accomplished each day, including goals for any books I happen to be writing, blog assignments – even things like this interview! Then I simply don’t go to sleep at night until every item has been ticked off the list. In terms of Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites where I regularly participate, such as Backspace for writers and BookBalloon for readers, I swing by all those places first thing in the morning – kind of like other people have their morning coffee – and then revisit during the day as work allows.”

Describing yourself as a “voracious reader,” you average 250 books a year — both good and bad. How do you choose what to read?

Lauren: “I walk into the bookstore or library and just start grabbing stuff! I’m only partly joking about that. Just like I write in several genres and for different age groups, I read eclectically as well. OK, I’m looking at my latest eight-book haul: three YA novels, three adult mystery/suspense novels, one adult comedic novel, one literary novel. All written by women. But next week I could go out and come back with a stack of books all written by men and there might be mountain-climbing books in there. Oh, and I do buy books by all my friends who are writers which is getting to be rather expensive. I think I may need to start being less social. Maybe it’s time to alienate a few people.”

What do you consider the most rewarding aspect of your professional career?

Lauren: “There’s so much I love about what I do, but if you’re holding a gun to my head and making me pick just one, it’d be the actual writing: creating something that entertains me or makes me feel proud even before the rest of the world has seen it and weighed in.”

You’ve proclaimed that your inspiration comes from daughter Jackie, would you elaborate just a bit?

Lauren: “Well, if it weren’t for Jackie, I wouldn’t even have my career as a writer! Back in spring 1999, I’d been married for ten years and we were sure I’d never get pregnant. Then one day – poof! – I was pregnant. While home sick the first few months, the thought occurred to me: “‘What if I write a comedic novel about a slightly sociopathic woman who fakes being pregnant for nine months?’” I sat down and began to write what would later become my first published novel, The Thin Pink Line. Jackie has also been a huge inspiration in terms of The Sisters, the series of books for young readers that I created with Jackie and my novelist husband Greg Logsted.”

And how would describe your life in only 8 words?

Lauren: “I am the luckiest person in the world.”

Indeed Lauren must feel that way by living out her passion.