How many kids do you have?
I have four kids! One girl and three boys! 

Do you have any pets? 
I have an English bulldog named Gus that I adore. He’s very dumb and very fat, and his favorite thing to do is sleep on our couch. I used to have a little French bulldog named Tank. He’s gone to doggy heaven, but if you want to meet him just go read The Monster Missions. I put him in there! Why? Because I could! 

Do your kids ever give you ideas for books?
They weren’t even born when I wrote the Edge of Extinction series and Float. I wrote Hoax for Hire and Glitch while they were still pretty little!  They have inspired a few picture book ideas that haven’t seen the light of day yet. 

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A vet or a writer, ideally both. I dreamed of being someone like James Harriot (one of my favorite authors) who helped animals and wrote fabulous stories about it. 

So how did you become an author?
Being an author was a dream of my heart ever since I first discovered the magic of books. I loved reading story after story and being transported into someone else’s life or adventure. I always wondered if I could make that magic for someone else. I started writing stories in third grade that my teacher kindly “published” by putting them in a basket on top of the classroom library for other students to check out. (I’m fairly certain that I asked her to do this, but the memory has gotten a bit blurred.) I enrolled at Butler University for an education degree with an emphasis in Language Arts and found out, to my delight, that I could add a creative writing major without adding any extra time or expense to my college experience. So, I did! I then started teaching the seventh grade while simultaneously trying to get a book published, and the rest is history!  

How long have you been writing?
Since third grade, but my first book wasn’t published until 2016. 

Who are your favorite authors?
Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling, Gary Paulsen, James Harriot, Tamora Pierce, C.S. Lewis and Jan Karon. 

Which of YOUR books is your favorite?
Float because it has my Dad’s stories in it. (Read the authors note if you aren’t sure what I mean!) I also REALLY adore Hoax for Hire, and I feel like it’s the book most people have never heard about! 

Is there going to be a third Edge of Extinction Book? 
The Edge of Extinction series was never meant to be a series. It was just my very first book, and I didn’t know what I was doing, so it was GIANT. So giant that my publisher HarperCollins asked me to split it into two books, so I did!  If you ever wondered about the cliffhanger ending at the end of The Ark Plan…now you know why!  I would love to go back to the world I created in The Edge of Extinction, but I need the go-ahead from HarperCollins to do so. So far, they aren’t interested, but keep your fingers crossed! 

Why do you write about so many sea monsters? 
I have no idea, except that I write about the things I find interesting. I write about the things that send me down a rabbit hole of research, and sea monsters will always fascinate me. So far Edge of Extinction, Hoax for Hire, AND The Monster Missions all have sea monsters. Will there be more?  I hope so! 

What about Glitch? You ended it on a bit of a cliffhanger, is there a second one in the works? 

See my response about a third Edge of Extinction book! Unfortunately, we authors can write whatever we want (and trust me, I WANT to write another Glitch), but HarperCollins isn’t interested in publishing a second Glitch at the moment. Writing a book no one wants to publish is generally a bit of a waste of time for someone like me! Publishers usually gage whether or not they ask for a second book by how well the first book sells…so the best way to get a second Glitch is to tell EVERYONE how great it was so they buy it! 

It seems like a lot of your books end like Glitch, not completely wrapped up. Why? 
My books (with the exception of the Edge of Extinction series) are written as stand alone with series potential books, which means that you can read them as a “stand alone” novel, but if I get lucky enough for a book to sell like crazy, I left enough unresolved to pick up the story with a second book. I apologize if this drives you crazy. 

Do you ever work on two books at the same time?
I usually have multiple stories open on my laptop at a time. It’s a dream of my heart to write picture books, so I write those A LOT.  I usually only have one middle grade in the works at a time though! 

How long does it take to write a book?
If I have a deadline, I can write a book incredibly fast. No deadline, it takes a lifetime. I have written books in six months and books in two months. I usually only manage to write VERY early or when my kids are sleeping or at school.  This year (2025) is the first time all of my kids are in school, and I actually have time to write during normal people hours. 

Are you writing a book right now?
I am!  I am usually editing a book and writing a new one all at the same time 

Do you ever get writer’s block?
Nope. I don’t believe in it. Teachers don’t get to have teacher block. Construction workers don’t sit down on the jobsite and throw their hands up with “construction block.”  Writer’s with “Writer’s Block” are too scared of writing badly to write anything. That’s fear. That’s not a block. (I’m perfectly fine writing badly. All my first drafts are embarrassing. It’s fine. It’s all part of the process.) 

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to be a writer?
Turn off the technology. Our imaginations don’t show up until we’re bored, and technology makes boredom a rarity these days. Let your mind wander, and when it wanders onto something interesting, write it down. 

If I write a book, can you read it and give me feedback?
I WISH I could say yes to each of these requests. I remember how desperate I was for someone to help me figure out this writing thing when I was just starting out. Unfortunately, between four kids and writing my own books, I just don’t have the time!  This is actually the EXACT reason I created Camp Creative, a creative writing camp that I run out of my house for a couple weeks in the summer for a small group of creative writers!  This year I am going to open it up to virtual campers!  If you’re interested check in to my Camp Creative Page for the most up to date information!  

 

What’s the best part about being a writer?
Creating something from nothing. Plucking an idea from thin air and forcing it into a reality that others can enjoy. My second favorite part is getting to do author visits in schools. Talking to young writers and readers is so fun. 

What’s the hardest part about being a writer?
Writing. Putting my butt in a chair long enough to get an idea down on a page.  I have to put blinders on and ignore my never-ending to-do list, piles of laundry, dirty dishes and messy house and make myself write. I think of writing like I think of running.  I hate running. I love HAVING gone on a run. I hate writing. I LOVE having written something. 

Where do you live?
I live in the Indianapolis, Indiana area!  

What do you do in your spare time?
I love listening to audiobooks and podcasts. I really love going for a walk outside with my husband or cuddling up to watch a movie with my kids.  

Are you famous?
Authors are “weird fake famous.”  J.K. Rowling, one of the best-selling and best known authors of all time could walk into your living room, and you wouldn’t know it was her. The same goes for Steven King, James Paterson, you name it. No one cares about us that much! 

How can I help you get famous?
Tell everyone about my books!  I would rather have those get famous than me! I’m generally a bit of a hot mess in the wild juggling four small kids, so getting recognized would NOT be something I’d enjoy! 

What is your goal as an author?
To write books that turn kids into readers. Yes, even that kid that thinks they “hate” reading. Especially that kid.

Still have a question? Shoot me an email at LauraMartinBooks@gmail.com!