Laura Wagenschutz and Mark Dendy have never met in person. They wrote Single Shot after meeting on Facebook and wrote the novel by emailing and texting. I guess they are the When-Harry-Met-Sally version of romance writers, if Harry and Sally had FB and decided to keep all the romance in their fiction. I am interested in their process and happy they decided to swing by. Laura and Mark will meet face-to-face for the first time in Northern California on August 12. More on their tour at the end of the post!
Single Shot is a romance about Nelia who commits to a life of singlehood then is suddenly surrounded on all sides by unlikely suitors, matchmaking schemes, and old flames who seemingly come to throw her off her chosen path. Should she jump into the new relationship and give Lance, the barista, a shot? Should she try to make the ‘perfect’ guy, Pastor Nic, be the ‘perfect’ fit to please her overly-eager boss? Or should she give her old flame, Brian, a second chance and pray for better things the second time around?
L.A.H.E. : What was the first book you fell in love with?
Laura : Wow. That’s not unlike asking me to pick a favorite star! That’s tough. Um. I think the first books I really fell in love with were the Choose Your Own Adventure books. I loved feeling like I had a part in the plot of the story. But Dr. Seuss is definitely a hero of mine as well.
Mark : Ten Degrees of Reckoning by Hester Rumberg
L.A.H.E. : What’s your favorite scene from your book?
Laura : There’s an awkward scene that takes place at Starbucks in chapter 7 that always makes me laugh. It’s something that I can see happening to me and I find myself feeling butterflies for Nelia!
Mark : In Chapter 8 when Lance pulls up to pick up Nelia to take her to the outdoor concert in Sutter Hill… I don’t want to say too much, but it’s Nel’s whole nervousness (she’s in a real frazzle) about going out and Tamara’s excitement for Nel.
L.A.H.E. : Who/what provided your greatest inspiration in writing your book?
Laura : First, and foremost, God. My chapters always seemed to end so far away from where I had envisioned them and I know that it was God using my fingers to write what He wanted. But my friends also inspired me greatly by simply telling me their stories over the years. The story is fiction, but the circumstances in the book could happen to anyone. No one is immune from chaos and seemingly impossible situations.
Mark : Lisa Lutz’s book “Heads You Lose” and of course, the Bible.
L.A.H.E. : What struggles did you have to overcome in writing this book?
Laura : I think the biggest thing for me was actually writing the book. I had never written any fiction before Mark and I began writing Single Shot and it was somewhat of a challenge for me. I’ve grown a lot in my writing during this process.
Mark : Communicating through text messaging with my coauthor who insisted that was the best way for her, and not being able to find enough time for my lovely supportive wife.
L.A.H.E. : Who would be cast in the movie of your book?
Laura : America Ferrera as Nelia, Owen Wilson as Lance, George Eads as Nic, Jake Gyllenhaal as Brian, and Jessica Biel as Tamara.
Mark : I thought Ellen Page as Nelia, but my wife said because she was an unwed teenage mother that would not be a good choice. Interesting that one of the main messages in the book is “Judge not…” Anyway, I’m listening to my wife on this one, so my choice would have to be the Lodi born actress, Jennifer Skyler.
Sara Roemer as Tamara, Bart Bronson as Lance, Zac Efron as Pastor Nic, AnnaSophia Robb as Amanda, and Shia LaBeouf as Brian.
That is exactly how I would cast the film, and I’m praying every day that the book will catch a producer or director’s eye!
L.A.H.E. : What’s the most awkward moment you had [and wouldn’t mind sharing] in high school?
Laura : hmmm I honestly can’t think of any! I don’t get embarrassed easily and everyone in my high school was very very close, so ‘awkward’ didn’t really exist between us. We were like family.
Mark : I had many, none of which I care to share. I wouldn’t mind sharing my older sisters’ awkward moments, but that wouldn’t be fair now, would it?
L.A.H.E. : Do you have any advice for new writers?
Laura : 1. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. I was always self-conscious about putting my writing anywhere for people to criticize because I write from my heart; the things that I write are like a part of me, and to put myself out there for people to look at say it’s no good was terrifying. I had to realize that everyone has a different opinion about everything. Not everyone who reads what I write will agree with me, but that’s okay. How incredibly boring would it be if we all thought and felt and wrote the same exact way? Just be true to your personal beliefs and convictions and you’ll be a great writer. Be fearless.
2. Just do it! I’ve been writing since before I can remember. Becoming a published author has been a dream I never imagined would be fulfilled and yet, here I am. Mark and I began writing Single Shot on a whim, in all honesty, and I remember thinking at the beginning that it would never be published. It didn’t hit me until Mark sent me chapter two and said he was already working on chapter four that I actually realized we were in fact writing a book and that it was going to be published. It’s a rush.
Mark : Write, write, write… then edit!
L.A.H.E. : What are you working on now? Can you share a blurb from your new book?
Laura :I am currently working on compiling a motivational/devotional type book that follows the lines of my blog, {going public}; the book will be titled the same as my blog. Here is a line from the introduction: I cannot be a silent Christian any longer. I’m going public. What about you? Mark and I are also preparing to write the second book in our new ‘trilogy’, Double Shot.
Mark : Double Shot (ISBN-13: 978-0615515496 ISBN-10: 0615515495) to be released in December 2011. In this sequel, Nelia and the one that captures her heart in Single Shot are doing the whole matrimony bit and the reader is transported back to Jackson, California where Nel and her hubby go through some disconcerting times (as happens with any newly married couples and longtime married too.)
L.A.H.E. : What fuel flavors your prose? [chips, popcorn, chocolate, etc….]
Laura : Definitely coffee! There’s nothing quite like a quad shot upside-down caramel macchiato to get me focused on writing.
Mark : Quad, grande, extra hot, non-fat, no-whip, white mochas.
L.A.H.E : If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you most like to go?
Laura : I would love to travel to Italy someday, just to say I’ve been!
Mark : The island of Fiji
NEED MORE? Here is a list of Laura & Mark’s Book Tour:
Northern California
August 12 from 5-7pm @ Boba Tea & Gifts – 9020 Elk Grove Blvd Elk Grove, CA 95624
August 13 from 9am-noon @ Starbucks – 8868 Bond Rd Elk Grove, CA 95624
August 13 from 1-3pm @ The Bible House – 7601 Laguna Blvd. Elk Grove, CA 95758
Southern California
August 16, 2011 from 11am-1pm @ Belladonna: Exclusive Gift Boutique & Tea Room – 44054 N 10th St W Lancaster, CA 93534
August 18, 2011 from 3-7pm @ The Bandstand Coffee & Tea – 706 W Lancaster BLVD, Suite 103 Lancaster, CA 93534