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Author Spotlight: Tara Lazar




We are delighted to introduce the fantastic and hilarious author, Tara Lazar to the KIDLIT411 community!

Hi Tara, thank you for agreeing to this interview and for being featured in our AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT!  We've got some really great questions for you, so let's begin!
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
This is easy—to win a lifetime supply of free pizza. I don’t think the
ALA gives out this kind of award, but it needs to happen. With
extra cheese.

We're glad you brought up the topic of pizza, so anchovies, yes 

 or no?

 Yes! Anchovies AND black olives!


Which writers inspire you?
They all do. I know how hard we all work. Everything I read 
touches me in some way, makes me want to dig deeper and be a
better writer.

What are you working on at the moment?
Trying to regrow my hair after ripping it all out while revising.

What genre are your books?
Picture books. My debut THE MONSTORE came out last June.
The Monstore


What draws you to this genre?
Frankly, having to write more than 500 words scares the Dickens
outta me.

What is the hardest thing about writing?
Writing well.

What is the easiest thing about writing?
Writing badly.

Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come
back to it to edit?

I do, but I call it “marinating.” All the marinating takes place
before I ever sit down to write. I let the book concept marinate,
sometimes for months and years. I let my subconscious do most of
the work. I must admit I’m rather lazy that way.

How do you relax?
By reading in bed. I just got one of those My Pillows…have you
tried this thing? Oh my god, I’ve never been so comfortable in all
my life. If I were Oprah I’d be saying MY PILLOWS FOR
EVERYONE!

What is your favorite positive saying?
Well, now it’s MY PILLOWS FOR EVERYONE!

If you could have been the original author of any book, what
would it have been and why?
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY…because snozzberry wallpaper, everlasting gobstoppers and fizzy lifting drinks are the most brilliant things ever. And maybe, just maybe, I would have gotten to meet Gene Wilder. Gene will always be my Willy Wonka. (Sorry, Johnny.)

Thanks so much for the interview Tara! We can't wait for your next book- I Thought This Was a Bear Book!


Street magic performer. Hog-calling champion. Award-winning ice 

 sculptor. These are all things Tara Lazar has never been. Instead, 

 she writes quirky, humorous picture books featuring magical 

 places that adults never find. Her debut The Monstore released in 

 June 2013, with I Thought This Was a Bear Book to follow later 

 this year. Tara lives in New Jersey with her husband, two 

 daughters and 4,279 stuffed animals. Discover original stories, 

 writing tips and giveaways at TaraLazar.com.





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Comments

  1. Susanna Leonard HillFebruary 21, 2014 at 10:11 AM

    Great Q&A - entertaining as always when Tara is involved. Now Tara, I have another question: will the MY PILLOW improve my writing? Because if so, I'm all in! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2014 at 1:32 PM

      I daresay it might. You'll sleep better and won't want to nap in the middle of a manuscript!

      Delete
  2. Sylvia LiuFebruary 21, 2014 at 11:57 AM

    Ha ha. My ideas marinate too, but sometimes they get over seasoned.

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  3. Julie HedlundFebruary 21, 2014 at 2:53 PM

    Fantastic! I am also lazy and do the majority of my writing in my head. So that way when people ask how much I write each day, I can say I write all day every day!

    As usual, super funny post. And now I'm off to Google MY PILLOW

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  4. JoannaFebruary 21, 2014 at 5:00 PM

    YES! That is to anchovies and black olives! Oh, and the rest!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Teresa RobesonFebruary 21, 2014 at 7:39 PM

    A fellow anchovies lover!! I think My Pillow should pay you a commission for this shout-out. ;) Oh, and good luck with the hair re-growing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Robyn CampbellFebruary 22, 2014 at 5:38 PM

    I gotta try My Pillow. Sounds positively LUXURIOUS! I marinate too. COOL! Excellent questions and answers. *waves peace sign*

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yvonne MesFebruary 24, 2014 at 1:47 AM

    What a great sense of humor and sparkly wit! Or was that witty sparkle? I am with you on Charlie and Gene.

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  8. AnonymousFebruary 26, 2014 at 9:31 AM

    Fun post! May have to check out the My Pillows thing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Alayne Kay ChristianFebruary 26, 2014 at 8:23 PM

    Fun interview answers, Tara. I'm with you on the Gene Wilder thing. Congratulations on your upcoming book. Cant' wait to see it. I love THE MONSTORE!

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  10. Elaine Kiely KearnsMarch 1, 2014 at 10:33 AM

    Tara, thank you so much for the interview! You know that I am such a huge fan of yours! xo

    ReplyDelete

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