Featured Interview With Stanley Laine
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Indianapolis and continue to live in the Midwest to be near family and friends and because I still love it here. I find my environemnt has just about everything you could want within an hour’s drive, there are swamps, mountain-like areas, beaches, prairies, resorts, farms, big cities, small towns…just about every type of environment and weather imaginable, so there is never a dull moment.
One thing about me is I am obsessed with people and the human condition and our shared struggles. People and relationships fascinate me. I hope that comes through in my writing.
I really love connecting with my readers though my Facebook page and website.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing very young, and it was probably lousy, however my parents really encouraged me to continue. I had an English teacher tell me in high school that she expected to read me in paperback in the future so I took that as a good sign and had a lot of success with my writing through college. I have been fortunate to be around some really interesting people and stories in my life so I feel like I have a lot of source material for my my characters are always based on a composite of the people and relationships I have known.
I released ‘The Grand Lady of Springs Valley’ in 2013, a story that spans critical periods in one man’s lifetime, witnessing war, love affairs, temptation, financial ruin and at the center of it all, the construction of a luxurious hotel that becomes a mecca for the rich, famous and deceitful. Against a turbulent landscape and through many twists and turns, readers will follow the life of the narrator, as he learns vital lessons about secrets, desire and love.
My latest work, ‘Sovereign of the Seas’, continues in the character-driven vein of my previous work but also incorporates a significant amount of mystery into the plot. There is a lot of metaphor in this novel. Nearly every character and their associated storyline represent relational aspects of the divine and our human condition. My readers are smart and I know they will enjoy not only this narrative on its surface, but also appreciate finding the deeper meaning within the book. Every detail is connected in this story and has a reason for being in there.
I have a lot of projects underway right now but the one furthest along is a quirky detective series I have been wanting to start for some time now and am really excited about how it is turning out.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Since I spend most of my time writing and re-reading my own work I don’t get a lot of time for pleasure-reading these days but I do like W. Somerset Maugham, Carson McCullers, and James Hilton. I find film music to be very inspirational for my writing such as the late-great John Barry and Ennio Morricone. Ultimately the people in my life inspire my writing. My characters are real.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘Sovereign of the Seas’ is a suspense-romance and follows the connection bewteen three very different people on board the cruise ship and how they are connected. The book tackles some very difficult questions about our human condition and our relationship with the divine, and how we deal with tragedy. If you have ever been bullied, felt like the underdog, feared expressing your individuality, longed for romance, kept secrets, solved mysteries, faced tragedy, or questioned your faith then there is definitely something for you in ‘Sovereign of the Seas’. I have been told it is a serious page-turner but I won’t lie and tell you that there are not troubling and difficult aspects to the story, so tread with caution.
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