I’d like to welcome Laura Resau to World Reads today to share a bit about her book Red Glass. I wish there had been more writers like Laura around when I was a kid. Her stories are exactly what I still enjoy reading because they transport me to places I may know little about and open up the world for me. The more we understand other people, the more tolerant and accepting we can become of the differences. Kudos to Laura for taking her experiences within a culture and respectfully letting us into it!
Annemarie : What is the title of your book?
Laura: Red Glass
Annemarie: Where is it set?
Laura: Oaxaca, Mexico and Guatemala
Annemarie: In 70 words or less, provide a succinct plot description of your story.
Laura: 16-year-old Sophie takes a road trip from Tucson to southern Mexico and Guatemala with four unlikely companions, and finds herself opening up to love and adventure along the way. (Ages 11 & up)
Annemarie: How are you connected to the setting of your story?
Laura: I lived in Oaxaca for two years, and have traveled extensively around central America.
Annemarie: What inspired you to write this story?
Laura: My experiences traveling and living abroad, and my relationships with my ESL (English as a Second Language) students and immigrants I’ve worked with and befriended.
Annemarie: What was the biggest challenge you had writing your story? How did you overcome it?
Laura: It’s a fairly complex story with a number of unusual characters. It was unlike any book I’d read before, so at first I lacked confidence that I could pull it off. My writing group helped cheer me on during the rough times!
Annemarie: What other YA/MG books have you written? Are any of them set outside of the United States? If so, which ones and where? What are these stories about?
Laura: All of my YA books are set mostly outside of the US. THE QUEEN OF WATER – a true story about child slavery— is set in the Ecuadorean Andes. WHAT THE MOON SAW—a story of a girl finding her true self– is set in a rural, indigenous village in Oaxaca, Mexico. THE INDIGO NOTEBOOK—first in a travel-mystery-romance trilogy– is set in Ecuador; THE RUBY NOTEBOOK, the second in the series, is set in southern France; THE JADE NOTEBOOK, the conclusion, is set in coastal Oaxaca, Mexico.
Annemarie: What kind of story can we expect next from you? Is it set outside of the United States? If so, where? And what is it about?
Laura: I’m now writing a YA novel that is partly set in the Lacandon Mayan jungle in southern Mexico. It’s a fantastical adventure involving chocolate!
Annemarie: What else would you like us to know about you or your story?
Laura: If you do read any of my books, you should check out my website and blog to read about the inspiration behind the books and see pics of places in the books.
Annemarie: Can you remember the first book that made an impact on you? And why?
Laura: I loved A WRINKLE IN TIME. It made me think about the possibilities of the universe and existence and space and time in a whole new way.
Thank you for sharing with Read the World: World Reads, Laura and for writing your story!
If you want to learn more about Laura Resau and her books please click here.
