Welcome to the 5 Questions Series. Each week, I’ll ask five questions of some of my favorite authors, editors, publishers, and other industry professionals. This week, I’m talking with L.E. Wagensveld.
You just spearheaded a big author event in Enderby, BC. Is community important to you?
Yes, community is very important to me. I work as an Assistant Community Librarian, and I’m a mother of four, so I get a first-hand view of what community means, especially in a small town like Enderby. And, of course, a community isn’t just the place where you live but the people you surround yourself with; like writing communities. My friend and I planned the event with the dream of bringing writers, authors and readers together. I think that, so often, when people look for books, they don’t think of looking close to home. This was a way of shining a light on the talented people who may live closer than many people realize and garnering those connections to help writers, especially those just starting, find their community.
Can you tell me about the challenges of writing, working, raising kids, and finding time, somehow, to market your work?
There are a lot of challenges… and sometimes it feels like they’re insurmountable, to be honest. Many days, I get down and feel like giving up. It just seems like there is no time to write, and no one will ever read my books. I’m sure we’ve all had those days! I’m incredibly lucky to have a supportive partner who pushes me to write, even if I have convinced myself that my only purpose is to wash dishes and feed people.
I once heard Canadian author Gail Bowen speak; something she said has always stuck with me. About writing, while raising children and balancing life’s demands, she said, “You have to write in the cracks of your life.” I have held on to that quote for years because when you have a dream, you do some pretty crazy things to make it work. I have written and edited with icy fingers in hockey arenas and sat in my car awkwardly rereading love scenes while my kids play in the park. You jot notes in the middle of the night, on your phone, or whatever you have on hand, and find a way to make it work. And, maybe even more importantly, you learn to give yourself grace when it doesn’t work.
What are you working on right now?
That is a really good question, and I’m not sure I know the answer, haha. I published in September, and with my event and another festival I attended in October, I have yet to settle in to work on a new project. I have about 8 WIPs that I’d love to finish eventually. At the moment, I’m leaning towards completing the sequel to one of the books I released this year. I did a social media poll, and the answers were split pretty much down the middle as to whose story people wanted to see next, so that wasn’t much help!
Your write romance with some hard-hitting subjects. Is that important to you and can you talk about reader/publisher reactions to that?
It is important to me because I believe that romance can be honest as well as an escape from the everyday. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. In the past, romance has had a reputation for being unrealistic or creating unattainable ideals, but I think that has shifted in the last few years. As a genre, it can be really empowering. I have heard stories of women finding the courage to speak up about what they want in bed, even after years of marriage, and questioning things they might never have thought to question because these books gave them courage. There is also freedom in seeing ourselves reflected on the page, shedding tears, and feeling the characters’ heartache while having the comfort of knowing there will be a happy ending. It’s like being confident you will land in a safety net as you fall.
What advice would you give an emerging writer?
Don’t ever stop learning. Step outside your comfort zone, talk to people and foster genuine connections. Do the things even if they scare you because the rewards can be fantastic. And, of course, old faithful, don’t give up!
Bonus question: Have you ever taken a picture of a weird bird?
I have a fantastic picture I took of a Great Blue Heron being surprised by a River Otter. But also…how frickin scary are Harpy Eagles!? Why do they look human? Why can they see straight into your soul, even from a screen?!
Find L.E. Wagensveld on the web here
Finnian Burnett 
I share many interests as well as a home town with L.E. Wagensveld. I have eight Grandchildren with three very active Grands living on my property. They keep me busy and alive with their zest for life and many activities. I have only been able to find one of her books so far but look forward to reading the rest, I might even buy a Kindle which I haven’t done to date because I love the feel of a book in my hands, especially large print which are easier to read while lying down, my favourite way to read, my kind of therapy. As my oldest Grandson often says “Chill G-Ma”. My three daughters never tire of trying to drag me into this century and for the most part have succeeded except my cell phone and I are often at odds and I can touch it tell the cows come home, it doesn’t respond, unlike most men.