Author Interview: Jeremy Laszlo

Please welcome to Feed My Need, Jeremy Laszlo!

Author Bio

First and foremost I am a father and a husband. I work full time as a civilian employed by the US army, and have also been known as a welder, electrician, carpenter, roofer, writer, painter, CNC machinist, and amongst many other things a romantic. I also belong to the eternal fraternal brotherhood of the United States Marine Corps, having served 8 years that showed me a much broader perspective of the world at large serving in Opperation Iraqi Freedom, Opperation Enduring Freedom, The war on Terrorism, and the humanitarian effort in Liberia.

I currently live in southern Louisiana with my wife and children, though I grew up in Michigan, graduating high school in Mason MI. I also spent time living in North Carolina, Florida, and California during my time in the United States Marine Corps. I have always dreamed of publishing my work, and seeing it on a bookshelf in a store, however with the huge shift to digital media I finally realized that the dream was in my own hands. I tell my children that they can live their dreams, and I believe in leading by example.
 
I enjoy writing across several different genres from poetry, to children's stories, to full epic fantasies. Creating new characters for my readers to connect with, new worlds for them to immerse themselves in, and new ideas to wrap their minds around is an amazing if not humbling experience. I hope that all my readers can take something away from each of my books, and enjoy reading them just as much as I have enjoyed putting them in print.







Author Interview

When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing stories around six or seven years old, and still have many examples of my work from those years. Generally speaking they were very short stories, however even at such a young age I would dare to bet that my stories were a bit more elaborate than most. I think for me the reason I began writing was the complete freedom over creation that comes with writing. The world you are creating is literally at your fingertips, and it will grow however you chose, and the story will develop at your whim.


What was the hardest part of writing your book? What is the easiest?

Editing is by far the hardest part of the writing process for me. Though I do have others look over my work before publication, I try to find my own mistakes through several passes over the manuscript, prior to sending it out to the editors. As it turns out, I am just too familiar with the world I created and the stories about that world that I have written. It is as if I have blinders on while reading a work I have just finished. Though my eyes may see one thing (a mistake) my brain reads right over it the correct way as if the mistake does not exist. Hence I use several other people to edit my work.

The easiest part for me is the actual writing. I write very fast as I generally have the whole story already worked out in my head, and it is just a matter of typing it out.


What music do you listen to while you write?

To be completely honest, none. I prefer absolute silence when I write. It is easier for me to keep up my pace if I am alone with the characters in my head. I type quite fast, though my mind works much much faster than I can type. So in order for me to not lose my train of thought I need silence to write.


What inspires you?
I am inspired by so many things I don't know where to begin. Life, I guess, is my biggest inspiration. People, books, movies, my friends, and family all inspire me. Life is both what you make of it, and what you take from it. It can either be inspiring or frightening, though I choose to be inspired.


Do you have any hidden talents?

I suppose I may have a few talents my readers might not know about, as most readers think of an author as a guy sitting at a desk all day typing on an antique type writer. For those who may be interested however, I have a very diverse background in hands on trades. I can build a house from the ground up, wire it, and do the plumbing as well. I weld, play guitar, draw, and enjoy cooking too. Above and beyond that I generally believe everything is worth trying at least once, you never know what you might enjoy or have a natural talent for.



What are your current projects?

There are quite a few actually. I am currently working on getting the first three books of The Blood & Brotherhood Saga in print, and have just finished designing the paperback edition cover art for all three books. Also I am writing the fourth book in the saga, and working with a collection of other fantasy authors on a collaboration novel. The next few months are pretty well booked as far as my free time goes.

What book are you reading now?
Just this morning I purchased a couple of short stories by Gary Vanucci, and plan to read them throughout the week, if you haven't heard of Gary or read any of his work you should definitely check it out.


Quick: Vampires or Shapeshifter? Why?

Vampires duh. From an entirely physical standpoint, a sexy vampire is sexy. A sexy shapeshifter may look sexy right now, but who really knows what you are looking at....Creepy!



Do you have any advice for other writers?

Absolutely! The most important thing a writer can do is keep writing and keep learning. Improve your craft at every available juncture. Take criticism at face value and learn from what you can. Read often, and write some more. Support your fellow writers, as they are not your competition, they are your peers.



Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

First, I would just like to thank them for allowing me to follow this path. What good is a writer without readers? Secondly, I would also like to thank them for all their kind words and support. As a means to give something back to my readers I have some great giveaways going on this month. On my website here http://www.wix.com/jeremylaszlo/author I am giving away a kindle ereader, as well as amazon gift cards to my readers. Also on the Blood&Brotherhood Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/bloodandbrotherhood anyone can enter to win a $20 amazon gift card just for liking the page, and get a second entry for sharing a specific post that is on the wall.


Thank you Larissa for allowing me to visit your blog and connect with you and your readers. I look forward to talking to you again soon.


Thank you Jeremy for taking the time to stop by and answer a few questions!