So thrilled to have author Lori Roy joining us here today. Lori Roy is the best-selling author of Bent Road, Until She Comes Home and most recently, Let Me Die in His Footsteps {reviewed here}. I’m always fascinated to learn more about the author behind the book and Ms. Roy is no exception! Though purely in Roy’s writing voice, Let Me Die in his Footsteps reveals ghostly whispers of the authors noted below.
John Steinbeck
I’ve always been a fan of John Steinbeck. THE GRAPES OF WRATH and EAST OF EDEN are two books I will pick up and read from when I’m in need of a little inspiration or a “jump start.” There is something in the cadence and the voice that sinks in and helps set my own work in motion. In particular, there is a quote from EAST OF EDEN that is written on a 3×5 notecard and taped to the side of my computer that is a daily inspiration.
An unbelieved truth can hurt a man much more than a lie. It takes great courage to back truth unacceptable to our times. There’s a punishment for it, and it’s usually crucifixion. John Steinbeck – EAST OF EDEN
Top southern gothic authors who inspired Lori Roy’s work
Flannery O’Connor
A few years ago, my son, who was in high school at the time, came home and asked me to buy a certain collection of Flannery O’Connor short stories as he needed it for one of his classes. I walked into my office, pulled the book from a shelf and handed it to him. He couldn’t understand why I would willingly read something he was being required to read. “It’s really good stuff,” I told him. Surprisingly enough, the book survived that semester, and he returned it to me at the end of the year. I reread many of the stories from that collection as I was writing LET ME DIE IN HIS FOOTSTEPS. The book now has notes in its margins, scribbled in pencil by my son, which makes it all the more inspirational.
Toni Morrison
THE BLUEST EYE is the book that taught me about voice. I once heard Ms. Morrison read from the novel, and the music of the language told as much of the story as the words themselves. By reading her work, I also continue to learn about the impact point-of-view can have on plot and character.
Pat Conroy
THE PRINCE OF TIDES has always been one of my favorites, and it’s one of the books I’ll open up and read from at random when I’m struggling to get started. This is also a book that taught me a great deal about the impact a setting can have on a story. When given due attention, a setting becomes as active as any one of the novel’s characters. Pat Conroy is also another author who helped define voice for me.
Zora Neale Hurston
One of the first pieces of advice I received when I began writing was to write the book you want to read. Zora Neale Hurston is a tremendous example of this philosophy. She was not only a gifted writer but also a courageous one, and her work has been a constant source of inspiration to me over the years.
To learn more about Lori visit her Website | Facebook | Twitter
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