LauraJUnderwood
Silly Author Person
Winters_Sorrow said:Hello Laura & welcome to the forums!
You've got me really curious as to what the J stands for?
I had a quick browse of your website (that's some harp!) and I can see I'll have to add you to the list of books I have to buy!
I would imagine it would be a form of cruel and unusual punishment to put an author in charge of a library, talk about conflicting interests! Still, it's a nice way to promote your favourite authors & I bet your library has a sci-fu & fantasy section the envy of the state!
The "J." stands for "Jean." My father was Donald Eugene and my mother was Barbara Jean (such good old Southern Traditions).
I use the J because there are other Laura Underwoods out there, including a model, a lawyer, and another author (who writes stuff about biochemistry or something scientific like that).
I was named Laura after the song Tony Bennett used to sing.
The harp is Glynnanis. When I started selling short fiction to Marion Zimmer Bradley all those years ago, I wrote several stories about a harper mage named Anwyn Baldomyre. His Glynnanis is a harp carve from "living wood" and infused with the soul of the last living unicorn (who is a rather cranky critter to be sure).
My father saw the stories and told me that if I would come to CA to visit him, he and I would build that harp. Since I always wanted a harp, I took him up on his offer.
He designed it, did most of the saw work and the glue work.
I did all the sanding and carving, selected the sea shell for the horn and the star sapphires for the eyes (yes, they are real gemstones).
My stepmother, it turned out, was a harpist herself (and a wonderful jazz pianist). She got me started playing.
I think somewhere around here I have a CD that my dad burned of me and my stepmother playing a few songs.
No, not something I would offer commercially. There are a lot of background noises in it (including the late Grampa John who--in spite of the sign on the door saying "Recording Session--DO NOT ENTER"--banged and rattled the door, then got the key and got in and you can hear the door scraping, the chair scraping and even his hoarse breathing from the exertion since he was all of 92. It's all rather amusing in some ways.)
My publisher wants me to cut a CD that can be offered for sale with my books. I have told him when he raises my advance, I'll consider it.
As for being a librarian, it's not that cruel or unusual. There are a lot of librarians who are also authors (many of them use pseudonyms because their administrations don't always approve of what can sometimes be perceived as "conflict of interest."). Besides, my mother said I needed a job where I could be a know-it-all.
My library embraces my "infamy" as an author. At least, the current administration does. The last one was not so keen on it. I work carefully to keep the two careers separated, though. Patrons will ask me about my writing from time to time, and I will politely answer them, but I sometimes have to draw the line when they want to get into lengthy discussions of my work.
Of course, it helps that my latest novel got an excellent review in Library Journal. And I am given to understand my next novel HOUNDS OF ARDAGH is going to be reviewed there in September.
Laura J. Underwood
