Estelle Laure

Estelle Laure's new novel is This Raging Light.

From her Q & A with Shelley Diaz at School Library Journal:

This novel portrays a teen who must take on adult responsibilities. Why did you think it was important to tell Lucille’s story?

I am fascinated by family dynamics and how we parent, how we’re parented, and how each generation affects the last and the next. I truly don’t think every person is equipped to raise a family. What does “going out for a pack of cigarettes and never coming back” look like now, and how do kids handle that reality? There is a moment for every teen when they realize their parents don’t have all the answers. That’s as frightening as it is liberating, because it means anything is possible. That is an exciting, brutal moment to work with.

Music, art, cooking, dance—what made you decide to include these creative outlets and talents as part of the protagonists’ characterization?

It’s a natural way for me to build character, to look at how [people] create and expresses themselves. I mean, we’re all doing it all the time, whether we consider ourselves creative individuals or not, even when we’re passively listening to someone play music. We become a part of the experience and someone else’s art. The world would be a dead...[read on]

Visit Estelle Laure's website.

--Marshal Zeringue