Laura Fitzgerald talks about her inspiration for Veil of Roses and plans for her next book.

Laura Fitzgerald’s novel Veil of Roses tells the story of Tamila Soroush, a Persian woman sent to the United States by her parents to make a better life for herself. She arrives in Arizona to live with her sister and spend the next six months finding an American man who will sponsor her application for residency.

Ms. Fitzgerald recently talked to us about her inspiration for Veil of Roses and plans for her next book.

What was your inspiration for the book?

I had been working on a serious, depressing book before Veil of Roses about a girl who was molested, and I needed a break from that, so my goal was to write something fun, and something funny. At the time of writing the book, I was tutoring some Chinese students in English, and they had so many funny experiences in learning the language, as well as seeing things that caused them to go, “You can DO that here?” Finally, three Iranian relatives of mine (relatives through marriage) came to the U.S. right in a row, and I got to spend lots of time with them as they were adjusting to life in the U.S.

Are any of the characters based on people you know, or purely fiction?

The characters are purely fiction. I did certainly have an image in my mind physically for what Tami looked like, and that’s based on my husband’s cousin. She lives in Canada now, and she’s just like Tami in being so sweet and pretty. She’s not nearly as naïve, though!

The imagery in the book is so vivid – have you been to Iran?

I have not been to Iran. I am like Eva in that I don’t think I’d do very well there. I simply hate being told what to do by anyone.

How old are you? Have you written all your life?

I’m 39. When I was 20, I wrote a letter to myself to open when I turned 40, which I had forgotten all about until I sold my first novel, and the very day I got the news that it sold, I remembered this letter. I don’t even know where it is, but I remembered that I asked myself the following two questions: Have you written that novel yet? Have you run that marathon?

I turn 40 in a few months, and I’m happy to say that yes, I’ve written the novel that my 20-year-old self set as a goal, and while I have no desire to run a marathon, I have run two half-marathons in the last year, so I’m counting that as a ‘yes’ and checking it off my list.

What are your writing habits – do you write every day? Any writing rituals?

I go in phases where I am very disciplined, and I go in phases where I don’t write at all (which I generously call my ‘thinking phase’). When I am in a writing phase, I write Monday through Friday in my guest house office. I get my best work done in the very early mornings. I brew a pot of coffee and write for a minimum of an hour while I listen to classical music. Then I usually go and work out in some way, shape or form, and then go back to writing. Usually, as I exercise, I’m working things out in my head and figuring out what I want to write next. I seldom write for more than two hours in a single stretch.

Do you belong to a writers’ group?

No.

When is your next book, Seeking Sanctuary, coming out?

Great question. The short answer is: As soon as I finish it and sell it. I’ve actually so dramatically changed the story that what I’m working on now bears no resemblance to the Seeking Sanctuary that’s posted on my website. The next story of mine that is likely to be on store shelves is called Second Chances, and it’s about a single mom who falls in love despite her adamant desire not to. It’s about the courage that’s required for a woman to step outside herself and put herself at risk again once life has turned on her. It’s like Veil of Roses in that it’s funny and still serious and has these great characters you can really root for. Eva from Veil of Roses is in Second Chances, and she’s up to her usual crude shenanigans.

What is the last book you purchased?

Fools Rush In by Bill Carter. It’s also the best book I’ve read in a long time. It’s a love story to all of humanity. If you want to see raw, honest writing, read this book.

What are you reading right now?

The Grapes of Wrath. My book club is going for a classic this month.

What is your favorite book?

Well…I guess I have to say Veil of Roses, because it’s given me this great introduction to the world of being a published writer. I’m having so much fun meeting readers and other writers, and it’s opened up my world in so many ways. Besides that, I can’t think of a book that has moved me more than Fools Rush In – I know I will be a better writer and human being from having read that book. I cried at one part while reading Elizabeth Berg’s We Are All Welcome Here, and it’s really rare for a book to move me to tears, so that certainly puts it high on my list. Angela’s Ashes is another book that’s stuck with me.

For a review of Veil of Roses, click here.