I’m so thrilled to have Laure as a guest here on the blog. Her debut, Nobody But Us, is one of those books I can’t wait to sit down and read. It has such a great hook and a captivating cover.

‘Steven Harding is a handsome, well-respected professor. Ellie Masterson is a wide-eyed young college student. Together, they are driving south from New York, for their first holiday: three days in an isolated cabin, far from the city. Ahead of them, the promise of long, dark nights - and the chance to explore one another's bodies, away from disapproving eyes. It should be a perfect, romantic trip for two. EXCEPT THAT HE'S NOT WHO HE SAYS HE IS. BUT THEN AGAIN, NEITHER IS SHE . . .’

Are you googling to buy already?

As soon as I read the blurb, I knew I had to get in touch with Laure to find out how she got to this point. Here’s what she had to say…

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I don’t know about wanting to be a writer, but I’ve been writing on and off for as long as I can remember. I used to write short stories when I was a child, then a lot of poetry as a teenager and a couple of unfinished novel attempts. I stopped writing for a several years after I moved to the UK as I didn’t feel my English was strong enough (I’m native French) but my French wasn’t good enough anymore. I slowly started again until about six years ago when I decide to take my writing seriously and work towards getting published. Before that being an author was something that happened to other people who studied English at university no someone like me.

What led to your offer of representation?

I have a first novel in a drawer which I submitted to agents without success, although I did get a lot of complimentary comments about my writing. The rejections stung, but after a short time wallowing I peeled myself off the floor and started working on to my second novel at the time called The Downfall. I also worked on my writing and editing skills by writing short stories and attending writing workshops. After eighteen months and several drafts, I started submitted to agents back in December 2018. I was lucky to end up with three offers of representation, including my dream agent who is now my agent, Juliet Mushens.

 

What has been the best part so far and what has been the toughest? 

The best part so far has been seeing the readers’ reactions to Nobody But Us. It’s been the most incredible feeling to see readers connect with a story I’ve been working on for so long and react to it. Seeing my cover for the first time as well was a great experience. I was really nervous as covers have always been really important to me, even as a reader, I will gravitate towards some books in a shop because of the cover. The email came through on my phone during a meeting at work. It was an excruciating wait until the meeting was over. The cover was nothing like what I expected and I absolutely loved it (still do).

The toughest so far have been the weeks leading up to publication, mainly because things are out of my hands now, and this idea of not being in control is quite terrifying. Thankfully, I have a very supportive agent and editor who have helped keep me sane.

How did you come up with the idea for Nobody But Us?

I wanted to play with the trope of older man/younger woman relationship and turn it on its head, along with the prey/predator stereotypes, shifting those power dynamics. In addition, I’ve always been fascinated by the question — how can you justify doing the wrong thing for the right reasons — and wanted to explore that subject.

It’s hard to talk about specific prompts for this novel because they would give away spoilers, but a lot is inspired by situations I believe all women have experienced in one shape or another and the anger of feeling powerless against them.  That was another big motivator to write this book — how women’s rage and anger is often dismissed and brushed aside as being emotional. I wanted to create a story where I could legitimise those feelings, and break that stereotype.

Stories never come to me all at once, it normally starts with a premise or two characters in a scene and evolves from there.

What advice would you give a new writer, someone just starting out?

It might sound basic or even obvious, but read, read, read, and then read some more. Read books in your genre to know what the market is like and what’s successful. I’ve seen writers in the past who wants to write Young Adult fantasy and all they’ve read is The Hunger Games which a) was published fourteen years ago and b) only represents one small area of Young Adult fantasy. You shouldn’t write to market but you should be aware of what’s being currently published. Writing is a passion, but once you want to get published, it becomes a business, I don’t think writers are always ready for that transition, and like any other career you need to know your industry.

You should also read widely and critically. Don’t limit yourself to the genre you write in. There is a lot to be learned from reading different genres to the ones you write in. You can learn so much about writing from reading fiction: what makes a compelling opening, how to create tension, how to craft natural sounding dialogue.

Finally to remember that there isn’t one right way to write, just the way that works for you, and you might have to experiment a bit at the start to find out what that is.

 

Any tips on cover letters/synopsis/pitches?

For cover letters and pitches my main advice would be — don’t rush it. It takes time to get your cover letter right. Don’t be afraid to put it away and come back to it after a few days or weeks. Keep it professional, as I previously mentioned getting published is a business, and submitting to agents is no different than applying for a job.

For a synopsis, my main advice would be — don’t try to condense a whole novel down to one page, instead list the main events in your story: opening premise, inciting incident, midpoint, climax, etc… and then write the connectors between those events, and build up to a one-page/500-word synopsis.

 

What are you writing at the moment? 

I’m currently editing book two which is another psychological suspense set in South Carolina. It involves a religious cult who lives in a disused hotel/plantation house. The novel opens with the aftermath of a fire which claimed the life of the cult leader and his wife.

 

And just for fun…

 

Your most anticipated reads of the year?

I like my fiction dark so I’m really looking forward Alaina Urquhart’s debut The Butcher and the Wren which is coming out in September. I’ve recently discovered the Morbid podcast which Alaina co-host, which I’ve been binging on.

Otherwise, not having long to wait now but really looking forward to Douglas Stuart’s Young Mungo. I’ve heard a lot of great things about it.

 

A favourite book you’ve read recently…?

I just finished, Notes On An Execution by Danya Kukafka last week which is absolutely magnificent and so beautifully written. It’s a thought-provoking story that really turns the serial killer narrative on its head. Instead of concentrating on the killer and his crimes, it explores the impact his actions have on three women whose lives are forever changed by his actions.

 

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love films so I go to the cinema quite a lot on my own or with friends. We can find me at the pool as well, I try to go swimming about twice a week, more in the summer. Otherwise, I just like hanging at home with my rescue cat, Phoebe and a good book.

 

Your dream weekend would be…

Because of the pandemic I haven’t been back in France for a couple of years now, so my current dream weekend would be a couple of days in Paris. Enjoy some French food, browsing the ‘bouquinistes’ stalls down the embarkment, catch up with friends and family. Hopefully I can do that soon.

 

A TV show you’d recommend…

I don’t normally watch a lot of comedy shows but I’ve just binged a new show on Amazon Prime called Hacks about the relationship that forms between a legendary female Las Vegas comedian, and a young outcast writer. I set out to watch an episode to check it out and ended up watching five in a row and completed the whole season in two days. Says it all really!

 

Thank you so much Laure! This was such a great insight.

You can find out more about Laure on her website or follow her on Instagram.