Author Interview: The Star-Crossed Pelican

​Every time we release a book, we’ll post an interview with its author during the month before the book is published. Our next novel, The Star-Crossed Pelican, comes out on December 5th. Pelican, as we affectionately call it for short—at least until a committee decides otherwise—is a hilarious science fiction novel comparable to Douglas Adams’ books. Booklist calls it “a delightful story . . . [that] will keep readers entertained and guessing.”
 
Today we are interviewing author Laura Ruth Loomis, a totally hoopy frood who, like her main character, may or may not have a technology hex.

​Thinklings: Was it easier, harder, or about the same to write your sequel book, as compared to the first one in the series?

Laura: In some ways it was easier, because I knew the characters and their universe so much better after the first book. But there’s a tricky balance between giving enough information for new readers, and not being overly repetitious for those who’ve read the first book. And the new book has to have the “feel” of the first one, while telling a story that’s new.
 
T: You’ve introduced some great new characters in this book. Do you have a favorite among them?

L: I’m very fond of Randy Miv, but don’t want to say too much about him for spoiler-y reasons. I like the way he’s unflappable when dealing with the absurdities of Janet’s life. I suspect Randy may show up in future books.
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I also like Grebe, the selfie-obsessed bird who doesn’t want anyone to know his feathers aren’t naturally red.
 
T: If you belonged to one of the alien species in your books, which would it be and why?

L: I wrote a whole quiz to answer that! I was surprised how much I had in common with Cygnoids, mostly because of their idealism. But I hope I have a little of the Jupiteran sense of justice, the Venusian extreme self-esteem, the Ursan sense of fun, and the Mercurian quirkiness. Wait, I left out Plutonians. Do I have anything in common with them? I share their view that Pluto is a real planet.
 
T: Is there a particular snack you like to eat while you’re writing? Is there certain music or anything else that puts you in a creative mindset?
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L: I’m sure my love of chocolate is no surprise, since it was essential to the plot of The Cosmic Turkey!
I have playlists for all my stories. The one for this series includes “Complications of a Simple Life” by Ann Reed, “Livin’ in the Future” by Bruce Springsteen, and “Planet X” by Christine Lavin, which is about Pluto.
 
T: Usually interviews ask for an interesting tidbit about you. We’ll flip that and ask: What’s a boring fact about you?

L: I’m a social worker, and I’ve worked for the same agency for more than 30 years.
 
T: If your main characters were animals, what animals would they be?

​L: That’s a tricky one. Frink loves shiny things, so he’d be a magpie. Lola would be something ferocious, like a tiger. Pietro is colorful and talks a lot, so he’d be a parrot. Nlubglub would be a chameleon. Nina’s ship is called the Mariposa, which is Spanish for butterfly, and she’s definitely a creature that can transform herself. Pilar would be something friendly and loyal, like a Labrador. Beau has many noble qualities, so I see him as an eagle. Martian likes to tinker with everything, so probably some kind of monkey. Zeeko would be something completely inexplicable, like a platypus.
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As for Janet, she’s sometimes awkward and ungraceful, and she’s had at least one bad Thanksgiving experience (mentioned in the first book), so I think she must be the spirit of the Turkey.
 
Thanks, Laura! We’re so excited to see the Turkey fly once again!
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The Star-Crossed Pelican stands alone well, but we recommend reading book 1, The Cosmic Turkey, to see how it all began—and if you want to understand little Easter eggs like “that time with the frog-cloner.”

A character interview, our official book review, and our top ten favorite quotes from The Star-Crossed Pelican are coming soon! Don’t forget to check out the super-fun quiz!

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