Dear Author: Letters from a Bookish Fangirl | Interview with the author!

Today I am SOOOOO THRILLED to have Laura on my blog! <3

Laura is one of the sweetest humans and her kind heart filled the pages of one of the most precious books for writers. "Dear Author" is an inspiring book filled with uplifting messages to authors! With encouragement at every walk of an author's journey, and fun illustrations, this book is perfect for ANY writer!

Without further ado, let's dive into the interview, shall we?! <3

 
Can you tell us about the book?
 
Hi Aleigha! I am soooooo excited to be chatting with you today! *massive squeals* *coughs* Sorry! Did I mention I was excited? ;) 
 
I would love to share about Dear Author: Letters from a Bookish Fangirl!
 
Dear Author is fifteen letters with six illustrations (yes, six because I’m a big fan of books needing more illustrations these days) that are specifically written to indie authors. I wrote about all the emotions a fangirl like myself feels when reading their books and what I would love to say to authors personally as they labor over their works-in-progress.
 

What inspired you to write this book? 
 
Earlier this year, it became blatantly apparent I was struggling deeply with postpartum depression after my third child was born due to a lot of stress. In order to focus on my mental health, I felt like I needed to stop book blogging as well as pull back from a few other commitments I had.
 
To say it broke my heart is an understatement. I am extremely passionate about supporting authors and was scared I would be unable to blog for a time. Because of that, I decided to write a letter to my author friends, pouring out my heart of why I cared so much for them and their stories (and wanted them to keep writing). It was sort of a moment of me asking, “If I could say only one thing, what would it be?”.
 
However, after that first letter, I didn’t stop. I was deeply moved by what I had written and continued sharing all of what was in my heart. It helped me handle the days when I felt lonely and missed being active online.
 

What do you hope readers will come away with after reading “Dear Author?”
 
When I was brainstorming messages I wanted or could include in the front of Dear Author with my signature (which is still SUPER surreal by the way), I knew I wanted to convey something that could sum up my book in one sentence. 
 
It turned out to be two (LOL), but it was this: “Keep dreaming! Keep writing!”
 
I would definitely say that is what I hope readers will come away with when finishing Dear Author. I want them to be encouraged to keep dreaming about their stories and writing them down because there are readers waiting for a story only they can share. 
 

Do you have any other book projects or ideas in the works?
 
I do! And I’ll say multiple! LOL!
 
I’ve actually been a little nervous about answering a question like this because my plan had been to work on my Christian manga, Denying Me, next. Writer’s block has really been a thing for this story though. Every time I’ve tried working on it, I’m just not happy with it. I feel like pieces are missing and not fully sure what those pieces are.
 
BUT! I am soooo happy to share that I’m feeling deeply inspired about a new direction for the story that I believe is the best direction. I’ve been letting it “stew” with some of my other story ideas. ;)
 
However, to directly answer your question, yes! I am currently working on a short story about a female samurai named Reiko. (She is amazing! I love her so much!) It started from a challenge I gave to some close friends of mine where we should write a samurai story with a happy ending. Later that day, this story was demanding to be written (and I’m excited to share it is written as of writing this blog post)!
 
I’m very happy with it and praying I can finish my personal revisions by this Christmas so I can send it to my editor. (My illustrator already said she’s impatient to work with me! LOL!)
 

What was the most exciting part about this whole book process?
 
I would definitely say physically writing these letters by hand.
 
One of my best friends recommended I should be more specific in my letters and suggested I write them all by hand. I’ll admit, I wasn’t super thrilled at first, but it was so much fun to actually write by hand! I feel it birthed my love for writing and showed me it CAN be fun and not just once in story’s lifetime kind of thing. (I wrote my samurai story by hand and have been doing revisions by hand too.) It was a very big turning point for me in wanting to continue to write because I found the process more engaging then typing it on my computer.
 
Thank you SO much for letting me share, Aleigha! I had a blast and so blessed by your support! 
 

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​About Dear Author: Letters from a Bookish Fangirl

Think your words might not matter? Think again.
 
Words have the power to change lives, especially when they are used to create meaningful stories. In this collection of letters, bookish fangirl Laura A. Grace addresses topics related to every writer’s journey. From “character conversations,” to embracing one’s unique writing style, to celebrating a release day—there is a letter for every author no matter where they may be in sharing their story with others.
 
“Dear Author” includes six illustrations by Hannah S.J. Williams.
 
Purchase Links
Amazon — Barnes & Noble — Book Depository
 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48473803-dear-author
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About the Author

Laura A. Grace had a lifelong dream of getting to know authors behind the covers of her favorite reads. Little did she know that one day she would become an author too! Now an avid book blogger at Unicorn Quester and writer of clean, Christian manga, Laura creatively balances her passions of supporting indie authors and feeding her readers new stories. In between, she wields plastic lightsabers with her children and binge-watches anime with her husband. Join her quest to find wandering unicorns for your favorite authors at unicornquester.com!
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Social Media Links
Website — Newsletter — Facebook — Twitter — Instagram — YouTube

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​JOIN THE PARTY!

Join in the celebration of Laura A. Grace’s debut motivational, Dear Author: Letters form a Bookish Fangirl, on December 5th from 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM EST (5:30 PM PST and 6:30 PM MDT)!

Grab your favorite drink and snack and be prepared for a fun time of encouragement, games, and giveaways. (Possibly an exclusive sneak peek to upcoming projects!)

Special guests Janeen Ippolito and Katie Phillips will also be joining in the fun!

COME JOIN US! <3