Author Interview and Contest with Laura Manivong!

Laura Manivong brings historical fiction to life in her middle grade novel, Escaping the Tiger, just released by HarperCollins Children’s Books.

This multicultural story follows twelve-year old Vonlai in his desperate escape from the oppressive Communist Laos to a refugee camp in Thailand.

Full of adventure, threats and forbidden skills, this book is a must read.

And I’m thrilled to have Laura here on my blog for my first author interview! (Clapping please!)

1. You incorporated many of your husband’s memories into Escaping the Tiger. Tell us a little about that.

I’ve never been a refugee, never been to Laos, never been really hungry, never been without a shower unless it was by choice, and never feared for the safety of my entire family for years on end.

he book would not exist without his memories, as well as the experiences of others he knew who had to flee Laos. I relied on him for all of the sensory details too: how the refugee camp smelled, how a rifle shot sounds as it travels across a river, how it feels to play soccer on an empty stomach. And the way he described his mother’s face when she didn’t have enough to feed her kids? All of that came from him, and he claims I woke him up during dead sleeps asking for details. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do, for the sake of the story, right?

(Absolutely!)

2. What was the toughest part about writing Escaping the Tiger?

Relying on my husband for all of the details! I asked him to relive a lot of not-so-pleasant memories. I did a book signing recently at an indie store, and the seller wanted her merchant neighbor, a survivor of war in southeast Asia, to come say hi. The woman declined and asked the bookseller to please make sure no one came asking her any questions. She wanted nothing to do with the memories.

3. The most rewarding part?

Sharing it with the Laotian community. This piece of history is so recent, with many people immigrating to America under political asylum in the years shortly after the Communists took control of Laos in 1975. But others, like my husband’s family, came much later. Because my father-in-law was held as a prisoner-of-war for 12 years in the re-education camps in northern Laos, it wasn’t until 1989 when he and my mother-in-law (and their five children) had to start their lives over at age 50—in a country on the other side of the planet. No 401K, no equity in a home, no savings, no job, and only a basic ability to speak English. Get ready. Set. Go.

(Wow. I’m awed and amazed at your husband’s family’s determination and the will to overcome.)

4. I love the picture of your writing space on your website. It’s fun and full of color. What are some things that you must have or love that keep you inspired?

The night sky. It makes me wonder. An open window. It clears my mind. And my lamp that has a blue bulb to simulate moonlight. It makes me feel a certain kind of longing that I need when I write.

(I’m inspired just thinking about your lamp.)

5. Once you finished writing Escaping the Tiger, what was your next step toward publication?

I had another novel that had been on submission through my agent, and wasn’t appearing likely to sell, so while I waited to hear back from the last editor who had it, I finished Escaping The Tiger, and thankfully, it sold in the first round. But prior to all that, I racked up over 100 rejections on my own with various projects picture books and poetry.

(Another story of determination and the will to overcome!)

6. Share with us the one piece of writing advice you wished you had when you first started writing.

Read a giant stack of books in the genre you’re writing before you ever take pen to paper.

(Now that sounds like fun.)

And here are some quickies:

7. Favorite type of chocolate:

Cheap. That fancy stuff makes me gag. And if it has a little of that crispy, puffed rice in it, well that right there is music in my mouth!

8. #1 country you’d like to visit:

Wow, this one stumps me. A real, live vacation seems so impossible right now, so I don’t even think about it. But let’s say Greece. I want to wear some long, white, flowing clothes and stand in front of the Parthenon.


9. Favorite mode of transportation:

Dreams. (okay, I know that was sappy.) But seriously, a car. I love the open road with the radio blasting and the sky stretching out in front of me. That is my kind of freedom.

10. Preferred writing method (i.e.) computer, pen, pencil:

It depends. If I’m doing structural stuff, the cut and paste feature is priceless, and I can’t understand how novels ever got written on plain old typewriters. If I’m doing revisions and finessing the prose, I gotta go with pencil and paper. When I’m holding the manuscript in my hands, it reads more like a book, and I can see it more as a reader would, as opposed to being the author.

Now for your chance to WIN Escaping the Tiger (fabulous title BTW). All you have to do is make a comment below.

Laura has also agreed to pop by and answer any questions that you may have. Isn't she rocking awesome?


Oh! And before you start commenting away, watch this quick 30 second book trailer.

Contest ends midnight EST, May 7th!!!!!!