Author Interview: Laura Kreitzer (Timeless Series)

Today we have Laura Kreitzer! She's the author of the Timeless series and her most recent series, Summer Chronicles.

Is there a reason that you decided to name your characters the way you did?

Yes, actually! I researched meanings, origins, and decided based on how it rolled off the tongue. If a character’s name is hard to pronounce, it can deter from the story. I didn’t want that to happen. Some of the names are friends and family who wanted to be in the books.

What were some of the hardest things when writing the books?

Having an off day is the hardest thing—you write and write and write, and you know it’s awful. It’s boring, and when you compare it to your other writing, you cringe. I’d like to say that writing a book is easy, but it isn’t. Only dedicated authors actually sit down and write a whole manuscript. Then there’s the editing. . . .

What made you decide to write about a main character who is an adult and with a career when most have teenagers as their main characters?

Here’s my gripe about YA. Young adult=young adult, not teenagers. My main character, Gabriella, is someone that young adults can look up to. She’s intelligent, has her own house, her own life, and her own career. If anything, maybe more teens should read about characters that aren’t teenagers. Gabriella is a young adult that is successful. It irks me how the publishing industry has turned YA into TEENS. Because it’s not just about kids in high school, it’s also about young adults. I like being the proverbial thorn in the publishing industries side. Hehe.

How did the idea for the series come to you?

Pulled it from thin air. Honestly. My mind is a playground.

What are some of the authors that have influenced your writing?

J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, and Suzanne Collins have influenced my writing greatly—especially J.K. Rowling. There are newer authors who continue to inspire me today. Those are Jennifer DeLucy and Julie Kagawa. They are fantastical authors and sweetie pies.

Did you always want to be an author or did you ever want to be something else?

I studied geography, geology, and mapping in college. For eight years, I worked in a dye-tracing laboratory where I was the senior lab and field technician at a non-profit environmental institute (Hoffman Environmental Research Institute). I’ve been to China to teach students and professors at South West University China, worked on classified projects with the government, and studied and explored the world’s longest cave. I also mapped underground water routes, wrote reports, guides, manuals, and had one of them translated into Chinese. My passion was working with the environment—I wanted to save the world. Then I started to write . . . now I’m a full time author, edit freelance at Obsidian Mountain Publishing, review books for publishers, and am the Program Manager for the Writing Collective at Fictionista Workshop.

How do you feel now that you know others are reading your books?

Nervous. Terrified. Delighted! I’ve had fantastic feedback and am thrilled that I could bring someone into my world. Reading my books is like reading my soul. I put everything into my titles.

The covers of the books are beautiful and would grab a reader’s attention. Did you ever imagine they would turn out like they did?

Yes and no. My graphic designer already impressed me with his portfolio, but when he sent me his first “update,” I was worried sick it would be awful. Instead, he impressed the hell out of me.

I love the covers! There's so many details in them amd if you look closely at them you can see them!