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Thursday, June 7, 2012

Someday Stars: Meet Lori Parker

What’s your name, and where are you from?

Lori Parker, and I've lived in Seattle for 15 years, minus a two-year stint in Arizona, which I miss!

How long have you been writing?

Since my early 20s. I've been reading since the alphabet first made sense. But I equated authors with movie stars and astronauts, not something a small town Oregon girl could achieve. A random copy of Writer's Digest Magazine changed my thinking. I signed up for a correspondence course (which I didn't finish), but then I was hooked.
                         
What genre(s) do you write?

Adult mainstream fiction.

What’s your current WIP? Can you tell us about it?

After a decade of trying, a family finally has a baby. But 17 years later, he's dropping out of school, sneaking out to paint graffiti, and fathering a baby. His parents, however, refuse to let their grandchild and the 16-year-old mother fade out of their lives. It's tough love, a Dutch apple tart, and family before and after.

What’s your current day job? How does it help or hinder your writing?

I'm a medical transcriptionist. So I type all day, making sitting at the computer not my favorite place to be when I'm done. But I work at home, so my schedule is flexible. That's a benefit for sure! Also, my main character has multiple sclerosis, about which my job has made me an armchair expert.

Who is your favorite author?

Ann Patchett, Kathryn Stockett, Michelle Richmond, Barbara Kingsolver, Sarah McCoy, and Alexander McCall Smith, to name a few. You didn't really mean just one, did you?

Favorite book?

"Bel Canto," by Ann Patchett. Hands down!

But you could make a strong case for "The Help" and "The Baker's Daughter" as well.

What other hobbies or activities do you do outside of writing?

I read a lot. And I go to the gym, but that's only to offset sampling every bakery in town. Ahem, the bakeries are winning.

What is something unique about yourself?

I bet I can roller skate backwards faster than anyone who reads this. 

Do you have a blog, Twitter, and/or Web site we can link to?

Blog is http://girlparker.com. Twitter is @girlparker1.  Thanks for having me, Charlie!

7 comments:

  1. Thank you for inviting me to your wonderful series, Charlie. I'm honored!

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  2. Fun interview! I once dreamed I could roller blade really fast - but that's not as cool as real-life backwards roller skating!

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  3. Wow. The things you don't know about your close friends. . .I KNOW you can skate backwards faster than me since I can barely skate forwards. ^_^ Thanks Charlie and Lori for the fun interview.

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  4. Chuckling that the skating is everyone's favorite part. My husband claims that he can beat me, yet when questioned, he has yet to confirm he can go backwards. If there's ever a skating throw-down, I'll be sure to video it and share. Thanks for reading, everyone. =)

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  5. Wow! Great interview Charlie! You might turn out to be a journalist, ooooh!

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  6. "I go to the gym, but that's only to offset sampling every bakery in town." (Like)

    Fun interview, Charlie and Lori. :)

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