Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. Hello everybody. My name is L A Burch. I currently reside in North Carolina where I’ve been for twenty plus years since the early 2000’s. I attended Temple University in my hometown of Philadelphia where I studied criminal justice after graduating from high school with honors. Growing up, I was always a math and science guy, but later in life, I developed a love for creating characters and worlds designed to entertain and intrigue my readers.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Retribution”?
A2. I’ve read a ton of books over the years but until Retribution, have written very little. The challenge of keeping the story flowing towards the logical and plausible conclusion was tough. So many times, I had to go back and change things because it didn’t make sense or didn’t fit with the story being told. I have to say that patience was key and that’s not one of my strongest attributes. So, it took a huge effort on my part to sit back and let the story tell itself.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. The author that most influenced my writing is John Sanford. The fact that all his characters experience real human emotions, like fear and anger, captured my attention. None of his key characters are saints. They react in anger, they seek vengeance, and they feel like the end justifies the means. I also love how he tells you who the bad guys are, but then shows you that they have beliefs of their own to explain their actions. In my opinion, he is the best writer ever.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. I don’t have a favorite place. I don’t have a favorite place because I haven’t done a lot of traveling. But I love places that afford me solitude. Any place where a person can experience true silence and solitude would be special to me.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Retribution’?
A5. People always used to tell me I was a good storyteller. I could keep them entranced for hours with my sharing of a past event. Friends kept telling me to write a book. Honestly, I didn’t think I could? Finally, one day, I sat down and wrote the prologue and first chapter. The story wouldn’t stop. Since then, the stories just nagged at me until I got them out of my head and onto paper. Writing gives me an outlet that allows me to stay balanced.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Retribution’?
A6. It took me about two months of writing and revising and editing every day. I immersed myself in the story and just gave it free reign. The need to accomplish this feat was all the drive I needed to push myself to the max.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Retribution was published on Amazon on April 23, 2024. Retribution: Book One Of The Masterminds Series is available in the USA and the UK. Amazon as well as various local book stores carry Retribution via expanded distribution. Click on this link to get your copy from Amazon
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Retribution’?
A8. I envisioned the cover, but had difficulty passing on what I saw in my mind to the designers who worked on the cover. After several tries, we accomplished the cover available on the current book. I actually finished writing the book before I had a title for it. Retribution simply means the dispensing or receiving of reward or punishment. When I reviewed the actions of almost all my characters, I realized that they all were searching for some form of retribution. And since each character had their own view of what retribution should look like. The book highlights what happens when someone tries to force their viewpoints on to others.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. I keep things fresh because I have no idea what I’m going to write from day to day. Whole stories change based on my mood and feelings at a particular time. I never have a concrete plan on how a book will go. My style is to let the story pretty much flow on its own. The outcome is just as fresh to me as it is to my readers.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. The most valuable piece of advice had been given is to let the story you are trying to tell, help tell it. So many books and authors will try to tell you to take certain steps in a particular order to write a good book. But just like working out, everyone doesn’t prosper from the same regiment. I tried to do the outlines and schedules that some writers encourage you to follow. It didn’t work for me. I find that letting the story have its own natural flow is easier and a more enjoyable way to write. Find whatever atmosphere gets your creative juices going and try to recreate it every time you work so that your project and your imagination can work together as one, and that’s it.
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