Lauren Edmondson
Author Interview - Lauren Edmondson
Author of Ladies of the House
“Daisy Richardson's quiet life is made complicated, fast, when her esteemed Senator father dies in a cloud of scandal, leaving his wife and daughters to keep their family afloat amid social exile, public shaming, and quickly dwindling savings. A contemporary re-telling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility set in Washington, D.C., Ladies of the House celebrates love, sisterhood, and the power of finding one's voice.”
Author Interview - Lauren Edmondson
Author I draw inspiration from: I tend to draw inspiration from pretty much any author I read; I often find myself green with envy over their talents. A short list of those who make me the greenest: Anne Lamott, Yaa Gyasi, Hilary Mantel, Jane Austen, Colette, Ann Patchett, Brit Bennett.
Author Interview - Lauren Edmondson
Favorite place to read a book: Bed!
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Anne Shirley from the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery. She would absolutely keep things positive, keep us giggling, and would probably even find us a way out of there.
Author Interview - Lauren Edmondson
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: At Williams College, I took fiction classes with author Jim Shepard. He told us very early that if we could think of any other career besides being a writer, we should do that, as the nature of this business is incredibly tough and grueling. I couldn't think of a single other thing I wanted to do. That's when I knew I'd have to tough it out!
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Paperback
The last book I read: I'm usually reading several things at once. Recently, I've read What Kind of Woman, poems by Kate Baer, and Twilight of Democracy by Anne Applebaum. As research for characters for my next novel, I also read Sally Mann's autobiography called Hold Still and a memoir by Ellen O'Connell Whittet called What You Become in Flight.
Author Interview - Lauren Edmondson
Pen & paper or computer: Computer - I delete too much.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Any of the girls from Jane Austen - Marianne Dashwood for her liveliness and honesty, Emma Woodhouse because of her good heart and humor, any of the Bennet sisters (except Lydia). On second thought, I'm so desperate for socialization during Covid times, I may not even strike Lydia from the list. Once bars are open and safe, we could go out and have some serious laughs.
Author Interview - Lauren Edmondson
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: Probably an interior designer. I have an unhealthy love of wallpaper and tile floors.
Favorite decade in fashion history: After just binging Bridgerton, I can't say anything but the 1810s.
Place I’d most like to travel: Scotland
My signature drink: Ice coffee in the morning, chardonnay at night.
Favorite artist: Oh, this is lovely question. Jane Austen. Henry James. Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Sally Mann. Jackson Pollack. Dan Levy. Amanda Gorman. Interior designer Mark Sikes. Taylor Swift. Tyler, The Creator. Amy Poehler and Tiny Fey. Shonda Rhimes. Comedian Heather McMahan. Andy Cohen (he counts, yes?).
Number one on my bucket list: Eating my way through Thailand. Visiting an elephant sanctuary. Reading under an umbrella on a beach in Koh Samui.
Anything else you'd like to add: Thank YOU! Your love and advocacy of books and writers makes the world better.
Find more from the author:
Instagram @MrsLaurenEdmondson
Author Bio: Lauren Edmondson has a BA from Williams College and an MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College. She lives outside Washington, D.C. with her family. Ladies of the House is her first novel.
