Laurie Schnebly Campell

Laurie Schnebly Campbell loves giving workshops for writer groups about "Psychology for Creating Characters," "Making Rejection WORK For You," "Building A Happy Relationship For Your Characters (And Yourself)" and other issues that draw on her background as a counseling therapist and romance writer.

In fact, she chose her website (http://www.BookLaurie.com) so people would find it easy to Book Laurie for programs.

But giving workshops -- for students from London and Los Angeles to New Zealand and New York -- is just one of her interests. During weekdays, she writes and produces videos, brochures and commercials (some of which feature her voice) for a Phoenix advertising agency. For several years she would turn off her computer every day at five o'clock, wait thirty seconds, turn it on again and start writing romance.

It finally paid off. Her first novel was nominated by Romantic Times as the year's "Best First Series Romance," and her second beat out Nora Roberts for "Best Special Edition of the Year." But between those two successes came a three-year dry spell, during which Laurie discovered that selling a first book doesn't guarantee ongoing success.

"What got me through that period," she says, "was realizing that the real fun of writing a romance is the actual writing. Selling is wonderful, sure, but nothing compares to the absolute, primal joy of sitting at the computer and making a scene unfold and thinking 'Wow! Yes! This is great!'"

After six books for Special Edition, she turned her attention to writing non-fiction -- using her research into the nine personality types to help writers create plausible, likable people with realistic flaws. Her other favorite activities include playing with her husband and son, recording for the blind, counseling at a mental health center, traveling to Sedona (the Arizona red-rock town named for her great-grandmother, Sedona Schnebly) and working with other writers.

"People ask how I find time to do all that," Laurie says, "and I tell them it's easy. I never clean my house!"

Published on 18th February, 2009

"I loved your book."

"I really enjoyed your book."

"Your book was wonderful."

It's always a treat to hear comments like that. And whenever I read a wonderful book, I usually tell the author those same things. But now that I've heard some more specific comments, I realize what a difference the exact words make.

"I liked where they're fighting in the kitchen and the kid comes in."

"Nobody's ever surprised me in an epilogue the way you did."

"My favorite scene was the one in the restaurant where she's trying not to sit too close."

Those comments are a joy! Not only do I know that someone read my book, I know they enjoyed something in particular. I feel as if we truly shared something -- I put together a scene that I thought people would like, and they actively appreciated it.

Looking back on all the fan letters I've written, I regret not having been more specific. It's one thing to tell Nora Roberts, "I really liked Dance To The Piper." It's another to tell her, "I really liked how Reed takes care of Maddy's plants."

So next time I want to compliment an author on a particular book, I'm going to tell her what I especially enjoyed about it. And hope that it gives her a moment as pleasurable as what she's given me.