Lara Nance Day 1

Welcome to Julie's Book Review.   Here is our interview with Lara Nance.  
We hope you enjoy learning about a 'new to you' author or learning more about her 
if she is an author you already know and love.

First why don't you tell us a little about yourself?

I have been writing for about 30 years, but I wasn’t serious about being published 
until about 2008. Since then, I’ve published 17 novels, some short stories and 
novellas. Originally, I was published with a small press, but now I self-publish all 
my books. I love the freedom and control to produce a quality product that self-
publishing gives me.

My stories range from romance to science-fiction, with a few mysteries and 
fantasies for good measure. I write what I like to read, so when I have an 
interesting idea, I write the tale no matter what genre.

Newest release?

My newest release is a completely new direction for me. God’s Tribe is a YA 
Christian dystopian story. I wrote it at a time when my father was declining and I 
was exploring issues of my own spirituality. This novel poured out of me in two 
months as if the words were already decided and I just wrote them down. For me 
it was a gift from God to help me deal with the grief of my father passing. Of 
course since I wrote it, there had to be some speculative features, hence the 
futuristic, dystopian setting. It’s the journey of two young people in a world 
destroyed by war, where tribes fight and struggle to survive. Finding spirituality in 
such a place takes a lot of faith that these two characters fight to obtain. I call it a 
PG-Mad Max vs Divergent with a Christian theme, if you can imagine that!

What can we expect from your stories, action, drama, romance, sex, blood and 
guts? 

Mostly I try to write an entertaining tale that involves interesting characters facing 
conflicts that help them grow and discover their true essence. I’ve addressed 
some issues that are important to me, like misunderstandings about depression, 
women’s rights, and diversity through the fiction of the stories. It’s different in 
each novel.

Do you have a favorite character in your stories? Who? and Why?

My favorite is always my character Lady Arabella Trunkett in my steampunk 
series, Airship Adventure Chronicles. She’s feisty and resourceful, but not always 
sure of her feelings. Much like many of us. LOL. I love that she faces adversity 
and fights for those who need help. She’s also extremely loyal. With all that she 
has a lot of fun in those books, riding on airships and defeating dastardly villains. 

Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series: 

I wrote 50,000 words of God’s Tribe in January of 2016. It’s the most I’ve ever written in that 
space of time. It was especially meaningful as I wrote it as my husband and I 
sailed our boat down the Intracoastal Waterway from Norfolk to Florida. So, we’d 
travel by day, check into a marina at night and I’d write like crazy. I’d finished by 
the time we reached South Carolina actually.

Has there been any other authors who have inspired your work or helped you out 
with your stories? 

My favorites are: Anne McAffrey, Georgette Heyer, Frank 
Herbert, Jane Austin, George R.R. Martin, and David Baldacci. Quite a mix, 
right? I read in a a lot of genres, so that has influenced my writing.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful? 

Writing reviews on Amazon is the biggest help to authors. Amazon makes a lot of 
decisions about the visibility of their books based on reviews. It’s helps to spread 
word of mouth praise to friends also.

Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get 
published? 

For writers, I’d say write for yourself first. Write what you like. Take 
every opportunity to learn and polish your craft. I’m still learning. Accept criticism 
gracefully, some of it may help you become better. 

Do you have a favorite author? If yes, what draws you to that person’s work?

I’ve always said Dune is my favorite book. I love that Frank Herbert wrote that 
futuristic tale so long ago. It was genius. Those characters are timeless. 

Can you remember one of the first things you wrote? What makes it memorable? 

The first book I wrote was when I had taken a new job in Birmingham, AL back in 
the 80’s. I was alone in a new city and a bit depressed. To keep occupied I read 
a lot of StarTrek novels. After a while, I decided I could write one myself, so I did. 
It was all hand written in pencil on notebook paper as I didn’t have a computer 
back then. That was the beginning and helped me make it through a difficult time.

Where do you gather most of the inspiration for your work?

Ideas come to me in a variety of ways. I’ll read a news story that’s interesting or 
read about a mysterious place that I find intriguing. I also like to look at conflicts 
between people or dichotomies and write stories around them. 
My last book, God’s Tribe, came from deep discussions my brother and I were 
having at the time our father was declining. We’d had a lot of spiritual crises as 
we grew up in a household with a minister for a father. This book is a catharsis of 
finding one’s way despite the odds.

Do you have any other interesting hobbies, pets or stories you would like to share?

As I said earlier, My husband and I live on our sailboat, Fantasy, and are 
cruising. We both left our jobs last October and set out on this adventure. I was a 
nurse practitioner before that. We’re in Florida right now, but not forever. I love to 
cook and read when I’m not writing. I also rehab dolls and put videos of that 
process on YouTube. I sell the finished dolls on Etsy. So, I’m pretty busy despite
being semi-retired.
We have two Yorkies, Belle and Bruno who are our babies and rule the roost. 

Favorite places to travel or visit? 

We love the BVI’s. But anywhere there’s a beach is fine.

And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book that is meant to 
intrigue and tantalize us:( Include links to were we can find your work)

Okay, this section is from the beginning of God’s Tribe. It’s when Paul and Becca first meet:
Paul untied the strip of blanket that kept him warm and from falling out of the tree while asleep. 
He shoved it into his pack and yawned. The pink of dawn faded to a gray overcast sky that threatened rain. He could smell it in the air. He’d need to find a better shelter. 
A crunch of leaves on the ground warned him someone or something approached, and his senses 
pulsed to high alert. He squatted on the balls of his feet, ready to leap and run. With one hand resting on the trunk, he grasped his pack with the other, muscles bunched as he crouched on a large branch. The cover of leaves from the great old oak hid all but glimpses of the surrounding area as a soft breeze stirred the foliage about. 
“Hey, are you okay?” A female voice from behind him at the foot of the oak nearly made him 
fall off the branch. 
He gripped an overhanging limb to steady his balance, his heart hammering in his chest.
“What are you doing up there, sleeping?” A girl, probably in her upper teens, stared at him with 
big brown eyes. She wore black leggings, short boots and an olive green coat that came to her thighs. 
Her long black hair was pulled into a ponytail and hung to her waist. She moved closer to the trunk, and her gaze ran over him—assessing.
“Go away,” he said in a sharp voice. Was she crazy being out here alone?
“Why?” She placed a hand on the wide trunk, tilting her head to get a better view of him. In her 
other hand, she held a walking stick about six feet long. Her clothes were worn but clean, not like 
people from the Block.
Confusion clouded his thoughts for a moment. He didn’t know how to respond. What was she 
doing out here by herself anyway? She could be killed by one of the crud-filled tribes. Maybe she had others near, and they would attack him. He climbed to a higher branch, straining his neck to peer 
around.
“My name’s Rebecca. My friends call me Becca, though.” She hesitated, watching him for a few 
moments, then caught hold of a lower branch and swung up to sit on it. She moved gracefully, strong 
and sure of her actions. “I always thought of this as my tree. I come here a lot in the mornings before 
the dark tribes are out. I like to sit here and think. It’s a great place for that; don’t you agree? Calm and peaceful with the wind making the limbs creak and the leaves rustle.”
He’d never seen anyone like this girl. Everyone he met was afraid, scrounging for food and 
shelter, fighting over scraps of clothing. Belonging to a tribe gave some protection, but they also had 
too many rules, and for most, their members were more like slaves. Yet, this Rebecca walked around 
by herself as confident as if she had a hundred bodyguards. He peered through the branches. She had to have others with her, maybe acting as a decoy to lure him out.

The link to buy this novel on Amazon is:
http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Tribe-dystopian-tale-redemption-
ebook/dp/B01CKEZ1Y8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457882670&sr=8-
1&keywords=God%27s+Tribe