Special Guest – Author Laura Ford – Author of Sounds Like Love #Interview – Great Escapes Book Tour #Giveaway

Sounds Like Love
by Laura Ford

It is my pleasure to welcome Laura Ford to Escape With Dollycas today!

Hi Laura,

What are three things most people don’t know about you?

I’m an animal lover with a passion for the natural world. I love to travel and explore new countries. The experiences I have had in my life, like anyone, have been good and bad and I draw on these experiences and my feelings and emotions when I write.

In my family I have two siblings — none of us have partners from our own country, which is the UK. We all really enjoy learning about the cultures of our spouses and in the case of both of my brothers — becoming fluent in their wives’ native language.

Some things most people don’t know about me are that I learned to ride a motorcycle before I could drive a car, and would travel in all weather conditions in a big rain suit. I also founded a non-profit for pollinators with a focus on the Western Monarch Butterfly. I really enjoy taking macro photos of insects — they are so fascinating! I think there’s a special wonder in the intricacy of the world around us.

What books/authors have most inspired you?

Thinking of books that stood out to me — as a child I really enjoyed reading ‘The Midnight Fox’ by Betsy Byars. I also enjoyed ‘The Wind in The Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame. I enjoyed Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights as a teenager and cried at the end of the book. I remember the poignant finishing paragraphs.

I always enjoyed Roald Dahl’s stories for both children and adults and was swept away by his autobiography ‘Going Solo’, reading it as a child / young teenager.

Edward St Aubyn’s satirical ‘Lost For Words’ is a highly entertaining read. I also enjoy the writing of William Boyd with ‘Ordinary Thunderstorms’ being a favorite.

As a child and a young teenager I wasn’t restricted entirely to children’s reads. At 13 I read Sylvia Plath’s ‘The Bell Jar.’ A mobile bookstore would often visit our school library and I always looked forward to finding something new to purchase and read.

I was a bit obsessed with ghosts and UFOs at one stage in my childhood and would delve into anything related to the otherworldly. I really enjoyed Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories and adaptations. I still am fascinated by the metaphysical.

I find Shakespeare’s sonnets very moving — especially sonnet number 17.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

When I research a subject or a topic, I like to meet with people in person — or, as a result of the pandemic, via internet calls — to learn from people whose lived experience relates to what I am writing.

When writing Sounds Like Love, I met with a very kind and thoughtful woman called Roxanne who works for a hearing charity in BC, Canada. Roxanne lives with progressive hearing loss and helps many other people through the organization that she works for.

My research tends to be ongoing while writing. I will research throughout writing a book — as I meet each new chapter and as each new scene comes into my mind. If there is something for which I need more factual information about or historical information, I will visit the library and look in books, on the internet and watch documentaries. I will often reach out to speak with people who may specialize in an area that I’m writing about or who have lived the experience I’m writing about.

Do you ever suffer from Writer’s Block?

I tend to mull things over and take myself into a very visual realm. Sometimes it can take a week or so for a chapter or scene to form and finalize in my subconscious as things quietly come together.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

Write from your heart. Keep going and make space and time for your imagination and emotions. Be true to yourself and your story.

Remember that there is more than one way to publish a book and there is no set path or ‘way’. Everyone has a different path.

When you are not writing what do you like to do?

I like to spend time with my three cats and my husband. I love travelling — it’s quite an obsession — and I also love going for walks.

I enjoy creating monarch butterfly gardens as part of the work I do for my non-profit charity the Pollinator Protection Fund.

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go and why?

Right now I am on a plane to Italy! The plane is flying over some rather magnificent mountains on a trajectory towards Calgary in Canada, and then we’ll continue on to Rome.

I’m happy in the company of good friends and I love the Mediterranean. I’m going to see some friends in Rome and I’m excited.

I’ve just been leaving WhatsApp video messages with one of my best friends in the UK and we’re talking about when we’re next meeting up in London. I love seeing my family and being able to talk about anything with friends back home — which is why I often travel to London.

What is next on the horizon for you?

I have just finished a YA historical fantasy novel with a heroine who is an introvert/extrovert with a deep and restless soul. The story is set in London in 1864. I’m currently in the process of final edits. I’m looking forward to sharing this next story and connecting with readers.

Thank you Laura so much for visiting today. 

Keep reading to get details about Laura’s book, Sounds Like Love.

About Sounds Like Love

Sounds Like Love
Young Adult Fiction / Coming of Age
Setting – United Kingdom
FriesenPress (July 29, 2021)
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 – 17 years
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 150 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1525592998
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1525592997
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 150 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 152559298X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1525592980
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09BTLYBWT

Wendy is a bright spark who wants to find love and travel the world, but she questions how her dreams can become a reality as her world changes around her.

 

When Wendy arrives at her beloved grandmother’s house to collect a box of keepsakes, she picks up more than she bargained for – a green-eyed tabby cat with amazing qualities. This is just the start of a high-speed adventure, leading Wendy towards bright new horizons… if only she’ll give the cat a chance…

About Laura Ford

Laura Ford writes novels, short stories, and poems across a wide range of human and animal experiences. As Laura is an avid cat lover, a number of special felines tend to find their way into Laura’s stories as well.

Laura graduated with an honours degree in British law while also writing fiction in parallel. Now based in California with her husband and two beguiling Siamese cats, Laura most enjoys using her imagination and memories to paint vivid stories. An avid traveler and seeker, Laura is always exploring new concepts for more stories to come.

Author Link –  https://www.soundslikelovebook.com/

Purchase Links –

Amazon –   Barnes & Noble    I tunes      Google Play Store     Direct from the publisher

Great Escapes Praise for Sounds Like Love
by Laura Ford

This a really sweet read, and is full of emotions. A young woman who is losing her hearing, and a deceased grandmother still being there for her. There are lessons to be learned here, and a smart reminder for all ages!
~Maureen’s Musings

TOUR PARTICIPANTS – Please visit all the stops. 
November 14 – Maureen’s Musings – REVIEW
November 14 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 15 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
November 15 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 16 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
November 17 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 18 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – REVIEW
November 19 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
November 20 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT
November 21 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
November 22 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
November 22 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 23 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 24 – THANKSGIVING
November 25 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 26 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 27 – Just One More Paragraph – SPOTLIGHT

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