Author Lara Ward Cosio - Interview
November 2020
Where do you get your ideas for your books from?
The Rogue Series came about through a few things. My grandmother is from Northern Ireland. I’ve been to both the North and South a couple of times and have been smitten with all things Irish (including U2) forever. When I was coming up with the idea for the first book in the Rogue Series (which was actually Playing At Love, oddly enough, before I then wrote Tangled and made that the first book), the central point of inspiration was the story of how Eric Clapton fell for his good friend’s wife. I was fascinated with the dynamics of that - and the songwriting that came out of it, including “Layla” and “Wonderful Tonight.” I was equally as fascinated by the fact that the lyrics that have always been the most impactful on me were the ones that seem to have been born by the artist’s inner demons. Somewhere out of all of this - my love of Ireland, the Clapton affair, and tortured artists - Rogue, Gavin, Sophie, and Conor were born.
How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish?
FOREVER. Or at least it feels like forever. I think the quickest I’ve ever written a book was in about 5-6 months. But it usually takes longer because I have the horrible habit of questioning every single word I write. I wish I was one of those authors who could put out a book every couple of months but it’s just not my process - yet! Hoping to get into a faster gear in the new year!
Which one of your characters do you feel is most like you?
I’d love to say Sophie is modeled after me since she’s a tall, thin, gorgeous supermodel and the one all the guys want, but, of course, that is not true. I’d say I’m most like Felicity - with her complex relationship with her mother, her willful blindness in her first marriage, her building up walls, and her insecurities with being a mom. Also, Felicity ended up with the “perfect” man and so did I! At least, he’s perfect for me.
If you could hang out with one of your characters who would it be, not necessarily the one you think you are the most compatible with?
So hard to choose just one! I’d love to hang out with Gavin, Conor, and Danny Boy together because it would be so much fun to see them giving each other a hard time - and laughing. They’d be cutting each other down in the best way. At the same time, I'd love to be part of the "Mom Squad" that includes Sophie, Felicity, Amelia, Jessica, and Lainey. They've been through it all and their sisterhood is strong - and they enjoy a good glass of wine, too, so you can't go wrong with that group!
Are any of your characters based on people from real life?
I definitely have some versions of Danny Boy in my family, though their struggles do not appear to have a happy ending in sight. I know I’m not the only one to have this experience. Addiction, unfortunately, has touched far too many lives.
Which of your books was the most difficult to write and why?
I’d say it was the combo of Looking For Trouble and Problematic Love because I had to get Danny Boy to a better place without any sudden and unrealistic changes in who he was fundamentally as a person. He had years of willfully making the wrong choices and he couldn’t just change overnight. So, he had lots of setbacks in those books but I think he also had some genuine steps forward that allowed him to grow.
You write some about some very complicated subject matter, how much research goes into your books?
I do a lot of research and a lot of it never ends up on the pages but it may still inform the story/characters in some way. I really enjoy researching different spots around the world. My characters get to take trips to places I’d love to go to, including Greece, Australia, Mexico, and Switzerland. My imaginings of Dormition Day celebrations with the Syros locals, strolling through the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Sydney’s Darling Harbour, swimming in a cenote in Tulum, and watching snow polo on a frozen lake in St. Moritz will have to do for now!
What are you currently reading?
I go back and forth between contemporary romance from authors like Karina Halle, Amy Daws, and Kandi Steiner and mystery/psychological thrillers from authors like Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell, and Karin Slaughter.
Inevitably in interviews with writers they are asked who their favorite authors are but the question that begs to be asked since you write about rock stars is who are your favorite musician(s)/band(s)?
U2 (of course), The Killers, and Mumford and Sons are my top three. I am drawn to the music but the lyrics and the passion of the performance are just as important. It always mystifies me when people say they don’t pay attention to the lyrics!
Last year you stepped away from your rock star books and wrote a contemporary romance, Hula Girl. What motivated you to branch out and why contemporary romance?
All of my books before Hula Girl are not only angst-ridden but fairly unconventional in terms of story structure. With Hula Girl, I wanted to write something low-angst with a guaranteed happy ending just for the fun of it. I also wanted the challenge of trying to write something geared toward romance readers’ expectations to see if I could actually do it. I ended up really liking the characters and story, despite the lack of constant obstacles thrown in their way! I hope to write more contemporary romance books with a HEA.
Your writing style feels very personal, almost like your readers are witnessing the events playing out in person or to them. How does this approach affect you personally, is it the writer equivalent of when an actor goes into character for you?
Love this question! I definitely get into the mindset of “what would I do in this situation” as I write because I really try to keep the story as realistic as I can (excepting, of course, that my rock stars are incredibly wealthy and popular and have all kinds of resources at their disposal - lol!). But besides the “what would I do” aspect, I do tend to “see” things as I write. I try to use as many senses as possible to create that feeling that you’re right there “watching” the characters rather than just reading about them, if that makes sense?
With your Rogue Rockstar series coming to an end with Rock star on the Verge what does your writing future look like?
I wish I knew! I haven’t completely closed the door on doing more with Donal and his journey after Rock Star on the Verge. But I don’t have anything outlined at this time. I do want to keep writing more books like Hula Girl. But I could also see developing another rock star series. Unfortunately, I’m in that very uncomfortable position for a writer right now where I don’t have anything in the works. It’s so unsettling! Living in the “Time of Covid” has made it hard to focus, but I hope to use the rest of 2020 to create a plan for next year because I’m definitely not done writing!
PRE-ORDER LINKS
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Catch up with the series:
Book 1 - Rising West ➤ 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
