IN THE SPOTLIGHT: AN INTERVIEW WITH LAURIE BENSON

I’m delighted to welcome Historical Romance author LAURIE BENSON to Rakes and Rascals today for an exclusive interview.

Hi Carol. Thanks so much for inviting me to Rakes and Rascals.

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R&R:
Could you tell us where you were born and what it was like growing up there?

Laurie:
I grew up in New York City, which is a great place to live if, like me, you love art and history. When I was in elementary school, our annual class trips were always to The Museum of Natural History. As I got older, I had homework assignments that involved going to The Metropolitan Museum of Art where I’d have to analyse a particular exhibition that related to a topic we were studying in one of my classes. I think exposure to these cultural institutions at an early age helped to develop the interests I have now.

When you grow up in the city, you can’t really get bored since there’s so much to do. My parents regularly took me to Broadway shows, and I learned to ice skate and roller blade in Central Park. When I was in high school, I would travel two hours north to the Catskill Mountains in the winter with my friends and try to ski. I was never really good at it and probably would break a leg if I tried to do it now. And, before any of us we able to drive, we’d hop on the subway in the summer and go to Rockaway Beach for the day. Once we had cars, we’d drive out to Jones Beach on Long Island or head further out to the Hamptons to visit my family and spend time on the beaches there. New York City is a wonderful place to grow up and now I enjoy exposing my two sons to all the fun things that the city has to offer.

 

R&R:
How would you describe yourself – temperamental or easy-going?

Laurie:
I’m usually a pretty easy-going person, but I have been known to stand up for my family, my dearest friends, and myself when the need arises.

 

R&R:
When it comes to food do you like sweet or savoury or both?

Laurie:
Since I have a deep love of chocolate, I’ll say I prefer sweet over savoury. I could very easily exist on a diet of Lindor truffles, chocolate cake, and hot chocolate.

R&R:
What is your most treasured possession?

Laurie:
I treasure my family and friends above all else. If you’re asking about things I own, there really isn’t one item that stands out over the others. The handmade cards that my boys made for me when they were little are very dear to my heart and we have a number of antique family heirlooms that are also very special to me. If I had to pick one of our antiques, I’d say my favourite is a china cabinet that had belonged to my grandmother. We were very close and each time I look at it, it reminds me of her. It now holds my collection of antique books.

My grandmother’s china cabinet                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

R&R:
If you could afford a second home anywhere in the world where would you choose and why?

Laurie:
I love the ocean, so I’d have to say a house at the beach. There ‘s something about the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore and the smell of the salty sea air that immediately relaxes me. I’d want the house to be fairly close to my home, this way I could hop in my car and drive there whenever I needed to decompress.

 

R&R:
Finally, what has been your most embarrassing moment?

Laurie:
I couldn’t say. It’s much too embarrassing.

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Thank you for taking time out to be here today and sharing these interesting facts about yourself, Laurie.

Thanks, Carol, for inviting me to chat with you today. It’s been fun.
 

If you would like to find out more about Laurie and her books, here are the links:

Website
Goodreads
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