Joining me today in The Loft is author Nola Li Barr. Nola has worked as an engineer testing space equipment and growing LEDs and microchips, as well as an event planner, but her love has always been books. Now, she writes Women's Fiction with clean interracial romance. When she’s not writing, Nola can be found reading, making photo books, and navigating the path of motherhood.
Let's start at the beginning. You first had a career as an engineer. Why become a writer?
N: Like many authors, I love books and creating stories. I’ve got notes galore in notebooks, on scrap paper, and on my computer. But nothing ever got more than a page of writing before I stopped. During maternity leave, I started listening to webinars and came across self-publishing. I got really excited that now I was at home I might have the chance to write a book. Of course, with a baby, it was a slow process, but I found other authors online and realized that many have made it work. Now I write because it’s the most amazing feeling to see my story on paper, to be able to share them with the world, to be able to work from home and have a flexible schedule for my kids, and to see the finished product on my bookshelf.
S: What attracts you to the romance genre?
N: I love reading about couples falling in love and getting that tingling sensation. I love exploring how people interact with each other. I read stories to get away from the real world and the romance genre does that so well.
S: I think many of us write for that reason. We offer an escape from the real world.
Do you write in other genres?
N: Not yet, but I want to. I have story ideas in paranormal, time-travel, and fantasy. Time will tell if I venture into those, but I have a feeling there will always be a little romance in them.
S: Personally, I have a difficult time keeping romance out of my books. I want my characters to be happy and fulfilled, and sometimes, that requires a little romance.
Do you believe in love at first sight? Has it ever happened to you?
N: I do! My husband and I fell in love aboard an international flight. We were both on a flight from Taipei to the U.S. and ended up sitting next to each other. Before take-off, we both pulled out our Kindles but ended up talking for the entire 12 hours. We exchanged contact info and flew back to our respective cities, only to start e-mailing the next day and every day after.
S: Chance meetings, lasting love. I love when that happens.
What attracted you to your current partner?
N: He's tall, dark, and handsome. We just had great conversations about many different subject matters, he loves his family, and he loves to read.
N: Yes, absolutely. It is the best career I have ever had. I wish I had started it sooner, but my focus was always on becoming an engineer. I thought that’s what I wanted to do, but when I discovered I could actually publish my own books it was like a dream come true.
S: What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
N: You can’t accomplish a dream if you don’t have one to start with.
S: Great advice!
Complete this sentence: “When one of my books is released, I….”
N: ...celebrate by eating ice cream. Really, any kind, but if I can, I’ll get mocha almond fudge.
S: What inspired "Forbidden Blossom?"
N: A dream and the realization that I did not know my own American-Chinese heritage. I started reading up on the history of American Chinese a few years back and realized I wanted to write stories with American Chinese characters. Mix that in with the romance books I like to read and that sparked "Forbidden Blossom."
S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "Forbidden Blossom?"
N: It’s the very first book I’ve ever published and centers around two main characters. One is a Chinese-American girl in 2010 and the other, a seventeen-year-old Taiwanese girl who immigrates to the U.S. in 1946. They both fall in love with Caucasian men, and it was interesting to figure out what love would have been like for them during their eras. Incidentally, the next two books in the Skyline Mansion series will be released in mid-July and mid-August.
S: Nola, thanks so much for joining me today. If you'd like to learn more about Nola Li Barr, please visit--
Website: https://www.nolalibarr.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/nolalibarr
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nolalibarr
Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/nolalibarr
Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/nolalibarr
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