Did you always dream of being a writer?
I’d love to be able to say yes, but it would be stretching the truth a little! I’ve always loved to write, and my poor parents (hey Dad!) had to read my tragic stories when I was a kid. I’d write in my school homework diary, on a “word processor” called Fine Writer, anywhere! But I also had big career aspirations of being a vet-artist-actress-songwriter-doctor-designer-chef, so there’s that.
Your debut novel Run Away will be published in a few days (May 5), what is it about?
Oh stop it, I’m going to pass out! I actually filmed a vlog about this here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zp-6X5OyYA], and this is the official RUN AWAY blurb:
Drenched in blood and sitting in the sweltering interview room of a Thai police station, Kayla Finch knows that Sam, the love of her life, is dead. It doesn't matter that there's no body. All that blood can only mean one thing.
It isn't the first time Kayla's had blood on her hands. After finding her brother dead by his own hand, she tried to outrun her grief by escaping to Thailand. Heart-broken, the last thing she expected was to find love on the smoggy streets of Bangkok. But everyone Kayla loves seems to wind up dead.
Returning home to England, Kayla is left with a barely-functioning family, a string of gruesome nightmares and the niggling feeling that nothing is as it seems. And as she confronts her brother's suicide, she starts to suspect that something is very wrong.
Three months. Two tragedies. One connection: there's more to both cases than anyone is willing to admit. And Kayla’s determined to uncover the truth…no matter what the cost.
What was your inspiration for it?
I’d heard about this awesome emerging genre called New Adult, which sounded perfect to me because I’m 24, and love reading about other people my age. Okay, a bit younger, but in my head I’m still a student, okay? But all the NA I could find was sexy contemporary romance, and while that’s great, I struggled to find anything else, like suspense or fantasy. So I started dreaming up gap year locations – Thailand and Cambodia – and imagining all the sick ways I could make the trip go wrong. *evil grin*
Can you tell us more about the main character(s)?
Kayla is twenty-years-old and has had a pretty rough time. Her younger brother committed suicide, and she found his body, so she escapes her grief on this gap year scheme, falls in love... then he disappears too. So she’s understandably grieving, but feels like there’s something more sinister going on. And as she digs her teeth into the investigation, we see more of her personality begin to shine through: she’s fiesty, sarcastic and determined to defy her super rich parents.
We also have Sam, Kayla’s ludicrously tall and clumsy missing love interest; Dave, a lovable Indian with ALS; Russia, a Russian (obviously) girl with a pretty face and a big heart; and Bling, a mildly irritating tagalong who meddles in relationships. Because the story is told alternating between past (in Thailand) and present (in Northumberland), you get to see this group of misfits experience wild adventures and suffer massive heartache – and at the same time, Kayla’s trying to figure out what it all means.
What do you like most about writing?
I love all of it and none of it! Kidding. I love all of it. I love finally working out an annoying plot hole, or writing a really sparkling dialogue scene that captures your characters perfectly, or coming up with new ways to tell an old story. Anyone who’s read my work will also know I love playing with location and setting in my stories – some of which I’ve never been to, so it’s incredibly fun to research. It’s like travelling from my couch. (Yes, I know how tragic that sounds.)
Are you working on something at the moment?
Yes, I’m working on a few different things! Firstly I’m writing a proposal for my next New Adult romance, which is set on a press trip to Serbia with hapless magazine interns. And I’m also plotting and planning a four-book YA fantasy series I’ve been dreaming up for over a year – I can’t wait to finally be able to put pen to paper on that one.
Where and when do you write your stories?
Anywhere! No, really, anywhere. I’ve written on public transport, in hairdressers, in a park, in bed... but I mostly write either in my cute little office or on my sofa. Very few things can distract me when I’m in the flow. And I like to have the TV on in the background, which is controversial, but silence actually throws me off more than anything!
What do you do and enjoy when you’re not writing?
I’m a huge foodie, so anything that involves cooking, baking or eating is a winner. I also like to run, cycle, play tennis, drink gin, read, sketch, paint, play video games, binge-watch Netflix and sometimes, very occasionally, go out into the real world and see other human beings.
Which stories influenced you most when you were a child?
Before Harry Potter came along and changed my life, Enid Blyton was my hero. I started on The Faraway Tree stories (I must have read that bumper book at least twelve times), then graduated to the Famous Five and Secret Seven books, all of which my mum had kept from her childhood. I got really mad when I found out last month she’d thrown them all away! Okay, I’m still mad.
Who is your favourite author and why?
I know it’s incredibly unoriginal, but to say anyone else would be inauthentic. JK Rowling. I love her with all my heart.
If you were shipwrecked on a desert island what three books would you want with you?
You’re so cruel! To Kill A Mockingbird, The Help and 1984. I think. Maybe. Probably not. I CAN’T DO THIS.
If you could change something about your life, what would you change?
I would conjure up a cleaner/housekeeper/superhuman who’d do all my chores for me. I hate housework. Actually, I don’t, but I can always think of something I’d rather be doing (and usually I’ll just do that instead).
Imagine on Run Away would be turned into a movie. Tell us about your dream cast.
*fans self with nearest book* Oh wow. What a question. I’m going to be completely absurdly outrageous, because hey, you said DREAM cast! I’d like Felicity Jones for Kayla, Sam Claflin for Sam, Margot Robbie for Russia, Aziz Ansari for Dave, Constance Wu for Bling.
What tips would you give aspiring authors?
Don’t get trapped in a negative mindset. If you constantly tell yourself, “This is going to suck, there’s no point, I’ll never get anywhere with it, I might as well not bother,” you’ve lost before you’ve even started.
Coffee or tea?
Can I say both? I’m a peppermint mocha fiend but couldn’t live without tea. So, both. I refuse to choose. *crosses arms defiantly*
Paperback or e-reader?
Paperback, always. Although I do adore my e-reader (and even reading on the Kindle app on my phone) – what did I do without it? I honestly read so much more since I bought my super cheap Kindle.
Mountains or the sea?
The sea. I grew up a mile from the (admittedly very cold) beach in Northumberland – it’s truly my happy place.
Summer or winter?
Neither – I like spring and autumn! I’m not great with extreme temperatures. I get very whiny.
Sweet or salty?
SWEET. Oh my god, sweet. Give me all the baked goods. Are you sweet? Can I eat you?
About the author:
Laura Salters is a YA/NA suspense author (represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media Inc) from the northernmost town in England. Her debut novel, RUN AWAY, will be published by HarperCollins (Witness Impulse) on 05/05/15. When she isn't writing, reading or thinking about writing or reading, she's a music lover (and terrible singer), pet cuddler, beach-goer, runner (*cough* jogger), passionate foodie, caffeine addict, tennis player, lipstick wearer, Harry Potter fangirl (yes, still), housework dodger and relentless chatterbox.
About the book:
"Ignorance is bliss…until there's blood involved."
Drenched in blood and sitting in the sweltering interview room of a Thai police station, Kayla Finch knows that Sam, the love of her life, is dead. It doesn't matter that there's no body. All that blood can mean only one thing.
It isn't the first time Kayla's had blood on her hands. After finding her brother dead by his own hand, she tried to outrun her grief by escaping to Thailand. Heartbroken, the last thing she expected was to find love on the smoggy streets of Bangkok. But everyone Kayla loves seems to wind up dead.
Returning home to England, Kayla is left with a barely-functioning family, a string of gruesome nightmares, and the niggling feeling that nothing is as it seems. And as she confronts her brother's suicide, she starts to suspect that something is very wrong.
Three months. Two tragedies. One connection: there's more to both cases than anyone is willing to admit. And Kayla's determined to uncover the truth…no matter what the cost.
Preorder links
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