The Writers Who Read series continues this week with author Lisa Barr.
Who are you?
Hi — I’m Lisa Barr, author of the award-winning debut novel FUGITIVE COLORS, a suspenseful tale of stolen art, love, lust, deception, and revenge on the ‘eve’ of WWII. I’m also the editor and creator of the popular parenting blog, GIRLilla Warfare, and a working journalist for the past 20 years. I always say I’ve covered everything from “terrorism to cleavage.” I’m also happily married, a mom of THREE teenage daughters (talk about REAL drama) and two dogs. I’m addicted to coffee (my home motto: ‘Give me the coffee and no one gets hurt’). I also treasure my time with my besties, biking, and love (as in, must-have) a great Cabernet.
What are three beloved books you first read before the age of 12?
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume (and pretty much EVERYTHING else by Judy Blume), and Fear of Flying by Erica Jong (I read it at 10 years old; snuck it from my parents’ bookshelf).
What is one book you are always recommending to friends and family (and maybe the local barista) as an adult?
There are so many books I love, but I always recommend keeping your own journal (that’s NOT on your phone), that you actually have to write down your thoughts and feelings inside a beautiful hard-covered blank-paged book. I have kept a diary since I was nine … and the first line is “I love David” (a young boy from my fourth grade class … ahhhh those curls, those dimples). How ironic that I married a man named David years later (another story, a better story). Your journal is who you are, and truly it is THE book that will always be remembered and treasured.
What is your book kryptonite–those unique elements in a book, beyond just great writing and three-dimensional characters, that make you unable to resist reading?
I love relationship-y books, romance with suspense; a delicious love story no matter the time period gets me every time. I need a happy ending, but I love it when a novel takes twists and turns to get there …
What is your ideal time and place to read?
My ideal time to read is of course while traveling, but in my reality, it is the one hour BEFORE I pick up my kids from school — just before my Me-Time is over and Mommy-Time kicks in. I also love hearing my husband snore next to me while I read into the wee hours of night. When my world — kids, hubby, dogs — are sleeping, it is truly precious, stolen time.
Which books have had the biggest influence on your writing? 
All Judy Blume (she raised me), Ken Follett (art of suspense), D.H. Lawrence (forbidden love), William Shakespeare (everything else — love, tension, conflict, character development, the music-in-words).
How do you balance reading and writing in your life?
If you are attempting to balance motherhood, wifehood, writer life, and reading — forget it. There is no such thing as balance (a made-up concept), so I don’t even try. I take My Time wherever and whenever I can get it to read and write.
Choose your preferred book form: ebook, physical book, or audio book?
I’m Old School — I love to hold a real book, feel pages, and underline a beautiful word or phrase, and I like looking at the author photo and think about his/her life and how it impacted the novel.
Do you consciously plan your future reading–i.e., set book goals, keep a TBR list, participate in book challenges or book clubs? Why or why not?
Definitely. I make lists all the time (I’m a Yellow Sticky Note Junkie) — and I pick and choose my future reading lists, depending on what I need at that moment — lighter fare, or the deep, dark and dirty. As for book clubs etc., I’m a member of one. But I join others when they are reading my book. I pop in if they are local, and I SKYPE with book clubs from coast-to-coast. I’ve been on an extensive book tour all year, so I have to be in a state of consciousness and planning on everything. I also am part of a fabulously talented network of authors, called the Tall Poppy Writers Group. So their books are on the top of my reading list. For me, the TPs are literally group therapy on a daily basis — it truly helps all of us pump one anothers’ works, navigate The Biz, and set book goals. But as one who juggles Mom/Wife/Writer/And Everything Else — I give myself a break when my lists don’t pan out. Writing and reading are breathing for me — aside from my family, it is what makes me the happiest. So yes, I plan away, and I delve in, whenever and wherever I can.
What are you reading now?
I just read Every Fifteen Minutes by Lisa Scottoline on a 12-hour plane ride over to Israel. And about to start my friend and fab writer Anita Hughes’ French Coast …
You can find out more about Lisa on her book site, Twitter (@lisabarr18), or Facebook, and you can email her at lisafrydman@aol.com.