Exclusive: Q & A with Author Laury A. Egan

We are so excited to bring you this exclusive Q & A with author Laury Egan!

1) When and how did you get your start as a writer? 

I began writing poetry at seven; my first novel by thirteen. I lived in a beautiful part of NJ, on the ocean, with a forest behind my house, so nature was my muse. Being an observer and a solitary child were natural ingredients to create a young writer (and an old one, too!) For many years, I focused on poetry, then, after a long career as a book designer, I began my first adult novel, which is still residing on my bookcase where it shall forever remain. Over the last 20 years, I transitioned to writing all day and am very fortunate to be able to do this. My first two poetry collections were published in 2009 and 2011, followed by my novel, Jenny Kidd, in 2012, then Fog and Other Stories, The Outcast Oracle, Fabulous! An Opera Buffa, A Bittersweet Tale, and two more volumes of poetry. 

2) What was the inspiration behind your latest novel, The Ungodly Hour? 

As realtors say, “Location! Location! Location!” Mykonos was the inspiration (as was Venice, in my novel, Jenny Kidd). Because I’ve visited and photographed the island three times, a strong visual impression was made, which I wanted to recreate in words. The main character, Dana Fox, is also a photographer, who is holding a workshop amid the chaos of the murder mystery and a budding romance. Dana’s profession allowed me to insert some photographic concepts into the novel, which may interest some readers who are photographers. In fact, a photo I took in b+w, of a figure at the end of one of Mykonos’ narrow, whitewashed lanes, provided the novel’s opening scene.

3) Which of your characters do you relate to most and why?

In The Ungodly Hour, no character really is similar to me or anyone I know, however, as mentioned above, Dana is a photographer, as I am. Dana epitomizes the kind of woman I find very attractive—in looks and in personality, so in that regard, I relate to her. She is a heroic character and totally captivated me.

4) What is your favorite part of the writing process and why?

The beginning. Sometimes it’s a setting, like for three of my novels, but often it is a voice that comes to me—don’t ask from where. Channeling these incoming personalities is exciting, a little otherworldly, and gives me the opportunity to “meet” new people. I love to see how characters reveal themselves once placed in a setting and presented with challenges. My least favorite parts of the process are writing an ending that feels “finished” and doing all the promotional efforts now required to make a book “discoverable.” 

5) What is one thing you’d like readers to know about The Ungodly Hour?

The best bar in the world is featured in the novel: The Caprice, in the Little Venice section of town. Charming, romantic, fun, with sunset views from their seaside promenade to night-time views watching ships enter port. For all those people who have visited the island, the novel should provide happy memories, and for those who haven’t been there, the book will be an enticement to go. During these stay-at-home times, The Ungodly Hour is a great way to armchair-travel.

6) What are you currently reading, and what is your favorite book?

Currently, Lost Son, by M. Allen Cunningham, a fictionalized story about the poet Rainer Maria Rilke. Because I write in several genres: literary (more recently), psychological suspense, and suspense/romance (The Ungodly Hour and A Bittersweet Tale), my reading follows suit—from Virginia Woolf, Kent Haruf, and Annie Proulx to Patricia Highsmith, Lisa Unger, and for 1930’s Brit fun, Georgette Heyer, a new find. Michael Cunningham’s The Hours is brilliant.