Interview with Jen McLaughlin, Author of Lust Is the Thorn

29 Apr 2016

Tell us a little bit about your new release, Lust Is the Thorn.

I absolutely loved writing this book! I think the best way to describe it is with a little math (I know, I know, but it’s true!) equation. Ready?

A man about to take his vows + his dead best friend’s little sister (who is a stripper!) + The Thornbirds + Shameless = Lust Is the Thorn.

Where did you write Lust Is the Thorn?

On my couch, with a blanket on my lap, and a cat on my feet. That’s pretty much my writing position for every book. As a matter of fact, it’s how I’m sitting right now!

What books are currently on your night stand?

Charged by Jay Crownover, Looking for Alaska by John Green, and Bringing Home the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

1. All the Harry Potter Books.
2. All the Marked Men by Jay Crownover.
3. The Lux Series by Jennifer Armentrout.
4. The Fault in our Stars by John Green.
5. The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins.

Who is your favorite historical figure?

Alexander Hamilton…because Hamilton.

What will your next adventure be?

I’d have to say the two-week long road trip I’m taking across the country with my husband and four kids. I’m not sure we’ll all make it out alive…

What scene in Lust Is the Thorn was your favorite to write?

The shower scene!!! Okay, so the hero is in seminary school, so, clearly, he’s not going to give in to his urges for the heroine easily. So the scene where he is helping her shower was such a challenge to me, as a writer, to give it the deep amounts of passion and sexual tension that I wanted to show, without letting him actually DO anything to her. So, yeah, read it, and you’ll see what I mean. 😉

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Choose to be happy.