Romance author Laurie Alice Eakes was kind enough to answer a few questions from Author Insight. Below are her insightful answers. She has also graciously agreed to give away a copy of her latest release, Better Than Gold. Comment on this post for a chance to win this delightful book.

What prompted you to become a writer? Boredom. I was teaching school and had the summer off, so decided to write the story floating around in my head. Doing so gave me such enjoyment, I decided to keep at it.

How long have you been writing and in what genres do you write? That’s difficult to answer. In some ways, I’ve been writing since I was a child. As far as novel writing goes, I’ve had fits and starts in it since graduating from college. More fits than starts.

When did you have your first sale? Depends on what you mean by sale. In 1990, I got paid for a poem. In 1999, I contracted my first small press book, which sold rather well for a small press. In 2005, I sold my first book to a recognized publisher. In-between these sales, I worked and went to grad school and didn’t write for years. For a while, I got so into research, I didn’t write anything.

What is the most challenging aspect of being a writer? Waiting. I’d rather get a rejection than hear nothing from editors for months on end. With rejection, one can move on.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a writer? Somewhere between holding one’s baby in one’s hands and getting fan mail. Or maybe it’s just sitting around working in a fleece suit and no makeup, while making up stories and people with problems you can solve—unlike those of one’s friends and family.

Tell us about your latest project. Generally, I don’t talk about works in the making. Right now, I have several things going, but all are historical fiction.

What projects do you have coming out in the future? Better Than Gold is my next novel to be released. It’s set in 1876 Iowa and has a bit of a mystery along with the romance. The publisher is Barbour Books, and this is my first CBA published novel.

 What refreshes you creatively? A grande latte in a coffee shop full of people. My favorite one is at the local Barnes and Noble. What can be more refreshing to a writer than the aromas of coffee and books?

 What do you wish you knew then that you know now? Who you are and what you do has a lot to getting you published. You need a public forum to really get ahead in the business. I would have built up my public presence first.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers? No matter how much you want to, don’t quit your day job. Again and again, I hear people say that they know they’re called to be writers. Then, a year down the line, the family is in financial straits because they don’t have that income, and the person is whining about not being published yet. If you can only get a page a day written, you will get a novel or more written in a year. Be consistent, though, and finish something. That’s the main advice—get something finished. Some else I see new writers doing is writing tree chapters and a synopsis and sending it in hopes of a sale. No one is going to buy on a proposal, so get that novel finished first. Then, while waiting to hear back on that one, start another one and write it all the way through. The average in the industry is that people sell their fourth finished manuscript. Some sell the first one. Others write ten or twelve before they sell. If you are serious, then keep writing full works until you get the right combination of story, talent, editor, and market to make a sale.