Q&A Interview and Contest with Laurie London

Laurie London Interview Intro:

Happy Monday everyone!  LITERAL ADDICTION and Book Monster Reviews are very happy to welcome the incredibly talented Laurie London to our sites today!  

Laurie is a graduate of Western Washington University with a BA in Business Administration and a former tester/programmer for a Fortune 500 company.  She now writes from her home near Seattle where she lives with her husband and two children.

Her writing has won and been a finalist in several prestigious contests including the Beacon, the Emerald City Opener, the Marlene and the Orange Rose.

When she’s not writing, Laurie can be found running, reading, or riding and showing her horse.  Someday she hopes to qualify for the Quarter Horse World Show – that is, if her horse doesn’t get hurt again. 

Laurie is the proud creator of the SWEETBLOOD series.  SWEETBLOOD currently has 3 full length installments and 2 associated novellas.  The reading order is as follows:  “Bonded by Blood”, “Hidden by Blood”, “Embraced by Blood”, “A Vampire for Christmas” anthology (includes SWEETBLOOD #2.5), and “Tempted by Blood” which was just released on 2/21/12. 

For those of you not yet familiar with Laurie’s SWEETBLOOD series, we thought we’d give you the synopses of the books to get you up to speed.

“Bonded by Blood”

 SWEETBLOOD Book #1:

Movie location scout Mackenzie Foster-Shaw has always known that she's cursed to die young. No one can protect her from the evil that has stalked her family for generations—vampires who crave her rare blood type. Until one afternoon in a wooded cemetery, she encounters an impossibly sexy stranger, a man she must trust with her life.

For Dominic, a man haunted by loss, Mackenzie satisfies a primal hunger that torments him—and the bond they share goes beyond heat, beyond love. She alone can supply the strength he needs to claim his revenge. But in doing so, he could destroy her….

 

“Hidden by Blood”

 SWEETBLOOD Book #1.5:

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, two vampire coalitions battle for supremacy—Guardians who safeguard humanity and Darkbloods, rogues who will stop at nothing to satisfy their craving for the sweetest of human blood.

Now, former Army Ranger Finn McKentry finds himself imprisoned as a blood slave, forced to submit to an enemy more powerful than any he's encountered before. Only Brenna Stewart, the woman he'd loved and lost, can set him free—but the secret she harbors might lead them down the most dangerous path of all…

 

“Embraced by Blood”

 SWEETBLOOD Book #2:

Alfonso Serrano is a hunted man. For months he's managed to elude the Darkbloods, vengeful foes who won't rest until he's dead. But he still craves one dangerous temptation: Lily DeGraff, the sexy Guardian agent he'll risk anything to protect.

Lily is a wanted woman. Her talent for tracking Sweet—a rare blood type that's addictive to vampires—makes her a prime target for enemy capture. Her only hope is the stealthy vampire operative who stole into her bed…then left her in despair. Danger aside, Lily won't let Alfonso near her heart again—until an irresistible hunger threatens to draw them back together… and into an assassin's snare.

 

“Enchanted by Blood”

 in the A Vampire for Christmas Anthology, SWEETBLOOD Book #2.5:

A Sweetblood connected short - Trace's destiny didn't allow for the love of a human, so he erased Charlotte's memory of their love together, but fate has other ideas...

 

“Tempted by Blood”

 SWEETBLOOD Book #3:

He might be known for his effortless charm, but Guardian Jackson Foss is hiding a terrible secret. For months, he has battled the emergence of his dark nature—deadly urges that threaten to consume him. And those cravings only intensify when he meets Arianna Wells, the human he's been assigned to protect.

Smart and perceptive, Arianna doesn't seem like a dangerous temptress. Yet she awakens in Jackson an unstoppable need that, if left unchecked, will brand him a traitor…a crime punishable by death.

But soon their bond may be Arianna's only hope. For stalking her in the shadows is a merciless enemy—one who will stop at nothing to claim her completely….

They sound completely amazing, right!?  They are!  While we know you want to be online at your favorite bookseller ordering and/or downloading right now, take a break and join us to learn some more about Laurie and her wonderful series.

 

Laurie London Interview

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  Hi Laurie!  We’re so proud to have you here today, and are very excited to help you promote “Tempted by Blood” and the entire SWEETBLOOD series.  Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down and chat with us.

LAURIE: Thanks so much for having me on today! I’m excited to be here.

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  We always like to start out by getting to know our guest authors a little bit better.

                                                                Coming July 24th

Q1): Can you tell us 3 things about yourself that we couldn’t find out easily on the Internet?

LAURIE: 1. I just learned to how knit in the round. 2. I’ve passed out at the sight of blood before. 3. I’m married to a real-life Clark Griswold (from Christmas Vacation) who just broke through the ceiling of the laundry room from the attic.

Q2):  If you were told the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do with your remaining 24 hours?

LAURIE: I’d go streaking through the Quad with my friends.

Q3):  What are some of your hobbies and/or things that you enjoy doing when you’re not writing or taking care of other author business?

LAURIE: I have a horse and I’m getting ready to put her back into training because I want to show on the Quarter Horse circuit again this summer. At the urging of some friends, I just joined Ravelry, which they described as Facebook for knitters. I’m seriously not much of a knitter, but I was very envious when I saw the cute sweaters they knit for themselves so I decided to try it myself.

Q4):  What are 3 things that always make you smile?

LAURIE: 1. Salt caramels 2. My barn kitty who jumps down from the hayloft to see me 3. The feel of my husband’s arms around me

Q5):  We know that this is a tough question, but who are some of your favorite authors, and what are a couple titles in your TBR pile/list right now?

LAURIE: Some of my favorites are books by Jeaniene Frost, JR Ward, Larissa Ione, Virginia Kantra, Alexis Morgan, Thea Harrison and Cherry Adair. I just finished Delirium by Lauren Oliver and loved it. One of my TBR books is Deadly Obsession by my plot group buddy Kristine Cayne. I’m so thrilled for her and can’t wait to read it.

Q6):  If you could spend the day with any of your characters, who would you want to spend it with and what would you want to do?

LAURIE: It totally depends on my mood. Right now, because I just emerged from deep inside my deadline cave, I want to make a spa appointment. I’d take Lily from EMBRACED BY BLOOD with me.

Q7):  What are the best and worst parts of writing for you?

LAURIE: Drafting the story is the hardest part. The best part is stuff like this. I love meeting and talking to readers. I still pinch myself that people I don’t know read and enjoy my books. It’s almost like I’m living someone else’s life, stepped into someone’s skin.  Hey, there’s a story idea in there somewhere…

Q8):  With Fantasy being such a popular genre these days, what made you choose it, and what about it fascinates you personally?

LAURIE: I’ve always been fascinated by the secret lives of people around me, which is probably why I’m drawn to paranormal stories where the worlds are hidden from humans. What if that hot guy in the produce department at 10 pm is really a vampire? Is he looking at me because he smells my blood? What if that normal-looking guy in the white panel van next to me on the freeway is a serial killer and he has a girl tied up behind his seat? Is that why he’s got a smile on his face?

Q9):  What is a typical writing day like for you?  Do you have a routine that you follow?  Are there specific things that you have to have with you to get the creative juices flowing, etc?

LAURIE: In the morning, I check email, Twitter and Facebook, before I use the Freedom app and turn off the internet. I make myself a latte (I live in Seattle and have my own Starbucks home barista machine), sharpen my Ticonderoga pencil (even if I’m on the computer), then I get to work. I used to go running in the morning, but I’ve been really bad lately and need to get back in the routine.

Q10):  What are 5 words that you would use to describe yourself?

LAURIE: listener, friendly, crafty, animal-lover, sensitive

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  O.K, now we’ll ask some questions directly related to books and your writing…  

Q11):  Was there any specific inspiration that led to the concept and creation of the SWEETBLOOD series?

LAURIE: It all started from the first scene in the first book. I kept seeing a man hidden under the leaves at an old cemetery. He was hurt and I knew he was a vampire but it was daylight. Why was he outside and who did this to him? Then I saw a woman ride in on a white motorcycle and I wondered who she was and why she was there. The man didn’t want to attack her, but he did. Why? When I answered these questions, I had the framework for the whole Sweetblood world.

Q12):  Do you have a personal favorite book/story of the series so far; maybe one that had deeper meaning for you when written, etc?

LAURIE: Since my first book came out just over a year ago, the thrill of being an author is still very new and amazing to me. So I’d have to say my first book, BONDED BY BLOOD, is the most special. I wrote that book to please myself first and had no idea that anyone else would even like it. My sister (also a published author now) read it and said she had a really strong feeling about it-that someone would want to publish it. Of course, I didn’t believe her. This was my little indulgence and I wrote it just to please myself, but it turned out she was right.

Q13):  What were some of the challenges (research, literary, psychological, logistical, etc) in bringing the SWEETBLOOD series to life?

LAURIE:  I had to learn to trust my instincts. I second-guess myself with every story decision I make, but my editor tells me to go with my gut, that my instincts are good. Hopefully, as I continue to write, I’ll trust my process and myself a little more.

Q14):  Are there any underlying messages in the SWEETBLOOD series that you’re hoping your readers grasp?

LAURIE: My books seem to revolve around themes of redemption and forgiveness. We’ve all made mistakes in our past. It’s what we choose to do afterwards, how we handle it, that’s the true measure of the person we are inside.

Q15):  How many books do you have planned for the series?

LAURIE: Right now, I’m just contracted through Santiago’s book, which comes out in August. But if my publisher wants more, I know exactly whose books I’d like to write next. 

Q16):  What can we expect as the series progresses?

LAURIE: Santiago’s book, SEDUCED BY BLOOD, reveals more about the Sweetblood world than what we’ve seen before. Just like my fascination with things hidden in plain sight, there are things that aren’t what they seem to be.

Q17):  Do you have anything else in the works outside of the SWEETBLOOD series that you can/want to share with us?

LAURIE: I do have a few things up my sleeve, but nothing that I can share right now. *twists my Snidely Whiplash mustache*

Q18):  What’s in the works for Laurie London in the immediate future; what do you have going on in the next couple of months?

LAURIE: Santiago’s book, SEDUCED BY BLOOD, comes out in August. I’m working on revisions right now.

Q19):  Is there a question that you’ve thought it would be great to be asked in an interview but have never been asked?  How would you answer that question?

LAURIE: Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? My answer: The hardest working person is the fairest of them all.

Q20):  Is there anything special you would like to say to your readers while we have you here today?

LAURIE: Just that I appreciate each and every one of you!  I love chatting with those of you who’ve found me on Facebook and Twitter, so if you haven’t found me there yet, please don’t be shy. I’d love to “meet” you.

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  Laurie, thank you so much again for being with us today.  We’re excited to chat with you more later in the Live chat and we’d love to have you back to promote the next installment of the SWEETBLOOD series if you’re willing.

LAURIE:  Thanks so much for having me on today! And like I said in the acknowledgments of TEMPTED BY BLOOD, I’m continually amazed at the creativity, professionalism, dedication and love of books of sites like yours. You make it fun to be an author and a reader. Thank you! And, yes, I’d love to come back!

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CONTEST:

Laurie is graciously offering up a signed copy of TEMPTED BY BLOOD to a winner from Book Monster Reviews and another winner over at the LITERAL ADDICTION Website. 

TO ENTER:

Make sure you are a member of the Book Monster Blog (by clicking on the “JOIN THIS SITE” button at the top left hand corner of blog page), and then post a comment on the interview with your email address. 

*Any comments without an email address will NOT be entered into drawing.

Don't forget to drop by the LITERAL ADDICTION website (http://www.literaladdiction.com/) and follow the directions and links to enter their contest for an extra chance to win!!!