Moments after I finished reading Granville Street by Louis Lamoureux, I decided to reach out and share my heartfelt thoughts about the story. 

 

To say my life has changed would be an understatement. It now seems various times throughout the day, I think of what life must be like for an addict - knowing their life is spiralling out of control but feeling powerless to prevent it from happening.

 

Reading Granville Street has spurred me to write multiple book reviews as well as a blog post about the perils of addiction. I also reached out to Lamoureux to ask if he might be interested in an author interview, to which he agreed.

 

Norma: What does being an author mean to you?

Louis: "Quite simply, it gives me an opportunity to entertain and speak to people I don't know."

 

Norma: I can certainly attest to that being true for me, as well. With social media it isn't difficult to find people and, for me, some of my richest friendships are with people I first met online, then went on to meet in person. When did you first realize you wanted to publish a book, in hopes of speaking to these people you didn't know?

Louis: "I have always been interested in writing a novel, but only recently, I also felt I had something to say through the story," stated Louis.

 

Norma: From its inception, how long did it take you to write and publish your first book? Was the experience mostly rewarding or filled with varying levels of frustration?

Louis: "My first book was a non-fiction book; it took about eight months to complete. My second book was a novel which took about 18 months to complete. The writing experience was completely rewarding; there were not many minutes which I did not enjoy." 

 

Norma: I can attest to that being true with my own writing, as well. For me, I become caught up in my characters' lives and cannot help but be interested in what will happen to them. Also, since I never use an outline when writing fiction, instead letting the characters tell me their stories, it always provides the element of surprise which I thoroughly enjoy. Tell me, Louis, of your books, do you have a favourite?

Louis: "My two books are so different. The non-fiction was a work book, and writing it felt like work. The novel (Granville Street) was a more enriching experience, and I am proud of the end result." 

 

Norma: Who has been a major source of inspiration for you as a writer/author?

Louis: "So many. I loved the voice that Jeannette Walls was able to achieve in The Glass Castle. So many horrendous things are happening to the little girl, but the voice is uplifting. The purity and simplicity of the prose of Ernest Hemingway is beautiful. Blake Seller’s, Save the Cat, is great for understanding how a plot should unfold."

 

Norma: Was Granville Street inspired by true events?

Louis: "Granville Street was, indeed, inspired by actual events. I sometimes say that some of the scenes in the book are fiction, but all the feelings are real. I had a loved one who suffered with Opioid Use Disorder until he passed away. The stigma of that disease is horrendous and contributes to the deaths; I wanted to shine a light on that stigma."

 

Norma: Shine a light you certainly did; it has certainly opened my mind to a whole new way of thinking in terms of substance abuse and addiction. What about quotes, Louis; is there one you may consider to be a favourite?

Louis: "The smell of the flowers is killing us all," from the lion in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum warned us of the risk of opiates back in 1900 in a children’s book!

 

Norma: What are your future writing plans?

Louis: "I am not currently working on a writing project but hope to publish another book someday. I hope life will work out so I may be able to devote myself to writing on a full-time basis."

 

Louis added that he spends a fair amount of time working but takes time each day to check his book sales and spend time with his family. When he has an opportunity, he looks forward to writing, skiing and spending time at the lakehouse with his family.

 

Norma's closing thoughts:

I would like to thank Granville Street's author, Louis Lamoureux, for taking the time to appear here today. It has been a true pleasure and I look forward to catching up with him again at some future point in time.

 

Louis can be found on Facebook, Twitter and his website. You can see books he has published on Amazon. To read my review of Granville Street, click here.