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  <title>Episode 32: Chatting with Laura Thomas</title>
  <description>On Amazon, every time I went looking for a book, there it was.&amp;amp;nbsp;The Orphan Beach.&amp;amp;nbsp; I'd not read anything by the author, Laura Thomas.&amp;amp;nbsp; Each time I started to click through, something distracted me. Then, I had an opportunity to interview her, and when I discovered that it was&amp;amp;nbsp;that&amp;amp;nbsp;Laura Thomas, well... DUH! Discussing her writing and publishing journey, the books in print and those to come, by the time I finished chatting about all things books, I felt like I'd made a new friend.&amp;amp;nbsp; Laura Thomas is a fascinating and delightful woman, not to mention an eclectic author!  &amp;amp;nbsp; Note: Links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you Why It's Always Good to Make Dreams Come True The moment Laura said hello, I had to ask about her accent. See, I knew she lived in Canada, but the accent said otherwise. So, English/Canadian author, Laura Thomas tells us about her childhood dream of being the next Beatrix Potter--a dream she'd never told anyone until, after decades of marriage, her husband winkled it out of her! Still in the throes of homeschooling, Laura began taking correspondence courses to become a writer and eventually published her YA series, the Tears Trilogy. Of course, picture books were still the dream, but she continued on to writing a middle-grade short novel, The Candlemaker. Being the eclectic author she is, Laura then turned to non-fiction as a gift for her daughter,&amp;amp;nbsp;Pearls for the Bride.  It may seem an unexpected progression from those to romantic suspense, but... A vacation, a lifelong fear, and a disappointment inspired Laura's first romantic suspense novel,&amp;amp;nbsp;The Glass Bottom Boat. &amp;amp;nbsp;Intended to be a stand-alone, an agent's request turned it into a series, Flight to Freedom. And this series is this week's featured book!  There is supposed to be a box set, but I didn't find it on Amazon. Still, all three books can be had for under six dollars, and two are on Kindle Unlimited! And the third book in the series is&amp;amp;nbsp;The Orphan Beach. This book starts off with a bang!  the death of a loved one reeling from a failed romantic relationship struggling with her faith and targeted by a crazed killer About Orphan Beach  I haven't finished the book (and much to my disappointment!) but it has several key strengths.  characters--I cared about them almost (if not) from the first word the covers (they grab you) in particular, the title of&amp;amp;nbsp;The Orphan Beach.  Although Laura doesn't say she'll never write more in the series, but a vacation to visit family in England last year inspired a new series--suspense. Set in a small village in England.&amp;amp;nbsp; Stick me in a suitcase, I'm going with her! And coming full circle, those picture books she mentioned?&amp;amp;nbsp; Well, two are being shopped to publishers.&amp;amp;nbsp; One is about a French bulldog and her adventures, while the other is about an octopus making friends with a tea party!&amp;amp;nbsp; Laura is about to get herself a French bulldog puppy of her own, and plans to name her &amp;quot;Lulu.&amp;quot;&amp;amp;nbsp; That prompted me to share a song from the 1920s that I loved as a girl, and I've added it here for your fun, too.&amp;amp;nbsp; :)  And Frank Sinatra did a fun parody of this with Bing Crosby for those who love the oldie moldie!  If you'd like to learn more about Laura, visit her at: Her website! Like to listen on the go?&amp;amp;nbsp;You can find&amp;amp;nbsp;Because Fiction Podcast&amp;amp;nbsp;at:     Apple&amp;amp;nbsp;  Castbox&amp;amp;nbsp;  Google Play Libsyn&amp;amp;nbsp; RSS Spotify  Stitcher    You can read the full show notes at chautona.com/because-fiction-32 </description>
  <author_name>The Because Fiction Podcast</author_name>
  <author_url>http://becausefiction.libsyn.com/website</author_url>
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