Blog Tour: Guest Post by Laura Bickle

Falling In and Out

by Laura Bickle

Writing a novel is like falling in and out of love. It's a relationship with stages. There's bliss, angst, reconciliation, and letting go. There are beginnings, middles and ends. And also sometimes shouting and tears. 

Beginnings are tough for me. Nothing intimidates me more than staring at a blank page. There's absolutely nothing there but a sea of white. I chew on my lip and doubt myself. Can I conjure something from nothing? What if it never comes together?

I reluctantly tap out a first line. A hook. I squint at it, chew on my lip some more. 

Is this concept worth pursuing? Is it attractive enough to chase through the next several months, through research and dreams and the flu? Is it going to be one of those easy relationships, with effortless flow? Or will this one be like pulling my own teeth?

There's no way to know. I futz and mumble to myself and stare at the first five pages, dawdle around the first chapter. I fret aloud and talk to the cat about the new relationship. 

The cat usually ignores me. I screw up the courage to take the plunge. I decide that I like the idea. I flirt with it a bit, chase it around like a butterfly. I court it. Sometimes, I can be trusted to even put on a clean T-shirt while typing. I'm trying to impress it. I even make an outline. 

And it flirts back with me...with snatches of phrases. Images. I type and scribble notes, fearful of losing anything. Typing, typing...

And then I'm suddenly at the middle. I'm all of a sudden in a committed relationship with the book. I can feel it taking shape, developing a life of its own. It starts to have its own moods.  Sometimes, it's cloying. Sometimes distant.

But we fall into a rhythm, greet each other at the same time every day. A standing date. 

We talk. We do more than that. The book and I have discussions. In the middle, there are multiple ways for things to go. I try some things that work. I try some that don't. I pull out the note cards, fuss with my outline. I spread cards out on the floor all around me, trying to analyze and dissect what's working, what's not. 

Sometimes, it's a test of endurance, pushing through. But I can see to the end. When I have the ending firmly structured, the last ten thousand words fly. It's bliss. I see where all the tendrils of thought and plot threads I had developed in the beginning curve back around. I think I understand the story, now: the hidden symbols, the growth of the character. I understand what it is about the story that attracted me to it. 

I understand what I'm afraid of about it.

The end is the best part. It gathers momentum, takes wing.

And flies right out of my hands. I type THE END on the last page. 

And I feel a pang of sadness. It's gone. It's moved out of my life, out of my mind and my heart. There's still some tweaking to be done. Editing. Smoothing. But that part feels like the post-mortem of the relationship. 

The story's gone. I did what I needed to: I gave the story a voice. And it left me. The nest's empty. Lonely. 

And the only solution is to fill it again, with another egg of a story. Another beginning.

 

For more information, Find Laura Online:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads 

Blog | Amazon | Twitter

Buy The Book:

• bn
• nook
• amazon
• kindle
• indiebound
• powells
• bam
• pocket

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#BHSV – WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT! {25 Winners}

 

 

Hey Everyone! They’re here! The Winners of the Bookish Have Summer Vacation Event, that me and the girls from Paranormal Haven Hosted, are here! All 25 of them! YAY!

If you entered the giveaways at Paranormal Haven, you need to check out there winner announcement, to see if you’ve won.

PARANORMAL HAVEN

Before we get to the good part, I wanna take a minute to thank my fellow bloggers, Athenna and Stephanie from Paranormal Haven for hosting the event with me and of course, ALL the awesome authors that contributed to make this event so awesome!

Alice Clayton
Carolyn Crane
Dakota Banks
Eileen Wilks
Gini Koch
Jeaniene Frost
Jeanne C. Stein
Jess Haynes
Jocelynn Drake
Kelly Gay
Lara Adrian
Larissa Ione
Vicki Pettersson
Laura Bickle / Alayna Willams
Linda Robertson
Michele Barsdley
Michelle Rowen
Nancy Holzner
Seanan McGuire

 

THANK YOU!

 

Remember…

 

 

ALL winners and have 72hrs to contact me at:

larissa@larissaslife.com

*please state in the email your prize choice if it’s the case.

 

 

Now to the winners:

 

Giveaway	Winner	email {1st part}
1of3 "Redhead" eBook Sets by Alice Clayton	Anne Reeths	areeths
1of3 "Redhead" eBook Sets by Alice Clayton	blodeuedd	blodeuedd1
1of3 "Redhead" eBook Sets by Alice Clayton	Melliane	delhia_1
Signed "Mind Games"	Pam S /pams00	pams00
Signed Copy of "Sacrifice" + 25$ Amazon Gift Card	jc	yumihamano
"Blood Challenge" by Eileen Wilks	SweetShenanigans	girl23rocks
A SIGNED "Alien" Book by Gini Koch	Meredith Miller	meredithfl
Signed "This Side of The Grave" or "One Foot In The Grave"	Brittany Gale	quixoticdreamer
Full set of the Anna Strong series by Jeanne C Stein	JenM	jen
H&W 3Book set {Signed} by Jess Haines	Christy M	practimom
1 of 2 SIGNED Copies of "Wait For Dusk" by Jocelynn Drake	Dovile	spamscape
1 of 2 SIGNED Copies of "Wait For Dusk" by Jocelynn Drake	Midnite	lady.midnite
SIGNED Copy of “Darkness Becomes Her” + NEW Copy of “Natural Born Charmer” from Kelly Gay/Kelly Keaton	Kristen My Bookish Fairy Tale	mybookishfairytale
Signed Taken by Midnight/Bk1 Audiobook/Bkmarks	Nanni Clover	nanniclover
SIGNED Larissa Ione Book (winner's choice)	Naty Gry	natygry
Signed Neon Graveyard + Poker Chip	Naty Gry	natygry
Signed "Embers" & "Dark Oracle" by Laura Bickle / Alayna Willams	Mish@	misadevilgirl
1 of 2 SIGNED Copies of "Arcane Circle" or "Fatal Circle" {US}	Ash	ashley.mckinsey
1 of 2 SIGNED Copies of "Arcane Circle" or "Fatal Circle" {US}	Anne	acm05
SIGNED Copy of "Arcane Circle" or "Fatal Circle" {Intl}	Nanni Clover	nanniclover
25$ Amazon Gift Card from Michele Bardsley	Bethany C.	b.cardone
1 of 2 SIGNED Copies of “Bloodlust" by Michelle Rowen	erin	efender1
1 of 2 SIGNED Copies of “Bloodlust" by Michelle Rowen	Cathy M	caity_mack
Pair of Sea Glass Earrings from Nancy Holzner	Leni	lenikaye
SIGNED "Late Eclipses" by Seanan McGuire	Rachel Leigh	TheOneRing111

 

 

 

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xoxo,

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BHSV – Laura Bickle Guest Blogs + International Giveaway!

 

The Alchemy of Summer
By Laura Bickle

Summer is some weird alchemy.

The sun shines fully upon where I stand in North America, chasing away the short, grey days of winter. I can expect a full twelve hours of glorious sunshine. I’m awoken by birds and go to sleep when the frogs and cicadas do. It’s buzzing and teeming with life, light, and sultry green plants.

The seasons have their own alchemy and magical associations that mimic the ebb and flow of life. I use the Tarot a good deal in my work, and those correspondences are present every time I shuffle the deck.

Take fall. Fall is tied to cups, water, blue skies and oceans that mirror that blue. Fall is associated with water, with tides of emotions. I tend to fall in love in autumn, more than any other season. I also associate writing with school (which always began in fall), and try to participate in National Novel Writing Month in November. It helps keep my mind
off of shortening days and draining daylight. But the daylight eventually wanes, and I find that my work creeps along. It changes, even as the fields go fallow.

Winter is often associated with swords, with grey days and ice queens, with the element of air. Air traditionally corresponds with winter, with movement of the mind and intellect. I can incubate some pretty good writing ideas in winter, when the snow’s on the ground and night falls fast…well, when I’m not tempted to go to bed early and hibernate.

Spring belongs to pentacles, to earth and things that flower. It’s the smell of freshly-upturned earth in a garden, the smell of cherry blossoms, the shaking off of snow. It’s about planting and cultivating new possibilities, prosperity. I’m an optimist in spring.
After the sluggishness of winter, I’m ready to implement the new ideas I dreamed about while I was hibernating in winter.

Summer is the season of wands. Wands are associated with the power of creation, with fire. The sun blazes down on a green and verdant earth at the peak of its power. The grass is warm under my bare feet, and I luxuriate in being able to hang laundry outside.

I write a lot about fire, and I was born in summer, so it’s not surprising that it’s my favorite. I love the light, the shimmer of heat on pavement, everything about it. I look forward to driving with my windows down, letting the wind scrape through my hair. I
love wearing sandals and painting my toes.

Most of all, I enjoy writing during summer. It feels like it did when I was back in school, scribbling on summer vacation. This time of year, I’m usually juggling more than one project in summer, watching drafts ripen along with the tomatoes in the backyard.

Everything is lush, bursting with sweetness. And I find that it’s the best time for me to create.

How does summer affect of your creative projects?

Do you read more in summer?

Read different things?

Or is another season your favorite?

-

Laura Bickle has worked in libraries, criminology, and technology for several years. She lives in the Midwestern U.S. with her chief muse, owned by four mostly-reformed feral cats. Writing as Laura Bickle, she's the author of EMBERS and SPARKS for Pocket - Juno Books. Writing as Alayna Williams, she's the author of DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE. More info on her urban fantasy and general nerdiness is here:

www.salamanderstales.com

-

EMBERS
By Laura Bickle
Anya Kalinczyk #1
Pocket Juno Books
Mass Market Paperback, $7.99
ISBN: 978-1439167656
April 2010

“One of the most promising debut novels I’ve read in a great while… I’d highly recommend this book to anybody who reads fantasy. It reminds me in many regards…of another exceptional first novel…Emma Bull’s seminal War for the Oaks, and there’s not much higher praise that I can give.” —Elizabeth Bear on Tor.com

Unemployment, despair, anger--visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit's unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city.

Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya--who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern--suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil's Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya--with the help of her salamander familiar and the paranormal investigating team --can stop it.

Anya's accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss. But this time she's risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she's ever faced.

A free excerpt is available here.

EMBERS is available now from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

-

DARK ORACLE
Delphic Oracle #1
Pocket Juno Books
Mass Market Paperback, $7.99
ISBN 978-1439182796
June 2010

DARK ORACLE is a scientific, paranormal read that takes readers on a wild chase. A subtle romance lends to the entertainment this read offers. Tara is a strong female who has many stories till waiting to be told. An interesting new series that is not quite like anything else! (4 stars) -RT Book Reviews

Can an oracle change the future she sees?

Tara Sheridan swore off criminal profiling years ago. By combining Tarot card divination with her own intuition, she narrowly escaped the grasp of a serial killer who left her scarred for life. She put down her cards and withdrew from work and society. Now, Sophia, a member of an ancient secret society connected to the mythic Delphic Oracle, asks Tara to find a missing scientist who has unlocked the destructive secrets of dark energy. Tara resists— she fears reawakening her long-buried talents and blames Sophia’s Daughters of Delphi for the death of her mother. But, grudgingly, she agrees to search for the missing scientist, Lowell Magnusson.

Tara travels to Las Alamos National Laboratory, the location of Magnusson’s disappearance. She meets the serious, impatient, and highly attractive Agent Harry Li— and re-encounters her old partner, Richard Corvus. Corvus is now chief of the Special Projects Division, a position Tera might have held, had she not dropped out of investigative work. Corvus considers Tara mentally imbalanced and not to be trusted—but it may be Corvus who is untrustworthy.

Tara’s investigation and Tarot cards tell her Magnusson’s daughter, Cassie, may hold the key to her father’s plans, and that they both are in grave danger. Meanwhile, Corvus and the Daughters of Delphi have their own plans...and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Read a free excerpt here.

Available now from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

-

Win a SIGNED Copy of “Embers”

+

A SIGNED Copy of “Dark Oracle”

To Enter:

Answer all or any of the questions Laura asks in her guest post.

Fill Out THIS Form!

Extra Entries in The Comments WILL NOT COUNT!

INTERNATIONAL!

*please read my Contest policy*

Extra Entries:

• +50 Write a Blog Post about the event
• +25 Add the event button to your blog {Grab the Button HERE}
• +10 Google Friend Connect Follower {Follow Publicly}
• +10 Networked Blogs Follower
• +10 Subscribe to The Blog by Email {Form near the top of the Right Sidebar}
• +7 Follow me on Twitter {@larissa_sarah}

• +5 “Like” Larissa's Life on Facebook
  
• +5 Be my friend on Goodreads
  
• +1 For spreading the word {+1 per link - Twitter, Facebook, etc – Please add links to the Form of the Giveaway you are entering}
  
• +1 Add all your entries! {including this one!}

Don’t Forget to Vote for the Theme for

My TOP 5 Sundays Post on the Poll at the left sidebar!

Check Out The OTHER BHSV GIVEAWAYS:

 

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Great Anti-Piracy Badge Up for Grabs!

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Thanks so much for tuning in and I’ll see you soon!
xoxo,

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6th & Last Update! - 1027+ Followers & Bday Blow Out! {It’s My Birthday and I’ll Giveaway LOTS OF BOOKS If I Want To} – Extended to Oct. 18th!

 

This Giveaway is over!

Winners will be drawn when I’m back in Brazil, since a lot of the prizes are there =D

Thanks so much for participating!

 

*Please read ALL the info carefully before entering!

 

Hey Everyone! It’s my birthday tomorrow {August 11th} and I have been planning this HUGE blow out for a while now. I am so happy it’s finally the day to unveil the biggest giveaway i have ever hosted!

There are 11 Prize Packs and for starters there will be 4 Winners! The amount of winner can grow up to 11 Winners throughout the Giveaway =)

Oh, if you’re wondering why i chose the number 1027, it’s because I’m turning 27 today… YAY!

Before I unveil the AMAZING Packs I have for all of you, I need to thank all the people that have made this Contest Possible:

 

Authors:

Gini Koch	Stella Price	Aline Hunter	Elizabeth Isaacs
Laura Bickle	Gena Showalter	Vivian Arend	Jordan Deen
Alayna Williams	Dakota Cassidy	Carolyn Crane	Angie Frazier
Jocelynn Drake	Leslie Dicken	Joely Sue Burkhart	Larissa Ione
Kelly Gay	Sydney Somers	Cynthia Eden	Cari Quinn

 

Blogger / Twitter Buddies:

Ivy {Book Reader Times}

Paperback Dolls

Insane Hussein

 

Publishers:

Angela from Penguin Group

 

You have all been so freaking amazing and this

Giveaway could never happen without you!

Thank you for making my Birthday so much sweeter!

 

Now for the Giveaway =)

 

Since I have just passed 2100 twitter followers…

There will be 11 winners! Each winner will Choose one of

the prize packs from the list bellow…

 

The Prize Packs:

 

Urban Fantasy Prize Pack #1:

• Embers by Laura Bickle {Signed}
• Dark Oracle by Alayna Williams {Signed}
• Dead In The Family by Charlaine Harris {Signed}
• & Eric Northman Inspired Jewelry!

 

Urban Fantasy Prize Pack #2:

• Embers by Laura Bickle {Signed}
• Dark Oracle by Alayna Williams {Signed}
• The Darkest Edge of Dawn by Kelly Gay {Signed}

 

Urban Fantasy Prize Pack #3:

• Pray For Dawn by Jocelynn Drake {Signed}
• Wait For Dusk by Jocelynn Drake {Signed}
• Mind Games by Carolyn Crane {Signed}

 

Historical Romance Prize Pack #1:

• Beauty Tempts The Beast by Leslie Dicken {eBook}
• To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt {Signed}

 

Historical Romance Prize Pack #2:

• The Duke and I by Julia Quinn {Signed}
• To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt {Signed}

 

Young Adult Prize Pack #1:

• Hearts At Stake by Alyxandra Harvey {Signed}
• Morganville Vampires Inspired Jewelry
• & Swag!

 

Young Adult Prize Pack #2:

• Hearts At Stake by Alyxandra Harvey {Signed}
• & Swag!

 

U.S. Only Prize Pack:

• Changes by Jim Butcher {Signed}
• The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter {Signed}

 

Funny Ladies Prize Pack:

• Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch {Signed}
• My Way To Hell by Dakota Cassidy

 

Naughty Prize Pack:

• Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden {Signed}
• The Rose of Shanhasson by Joely Sue Burkhart {Signed}
• Dear Sir, I’m Yours by Joely Sue Burkhart {Signed}
• The Bloodgate Guardian by Joely Sue Burkhart {eBook}
• Tidal Wave by Vivian Arend {eBook}
• Ex Appeal by Cari Quinn {eBook}
• Eternity and A Day by Aline Hunter {eBook}
• & Swag!

 

Paranormal Romance Prize Pack:

• Masquerade by Stella and Audra Price {Signed}
• Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione {Signed}
• I’ll Be Slaving You by Cynthia Eden {Signed}
• The Chosen Sin by Anya Bast
• Stripped Away by Sydney Somers {eBook}
• Unbreakable by Sydney Somers {eBook}
• Demonica Series Bag & Book Light!

 

Phew! Those were a lot of prizes! I so wish I could enter this giveaway, damn!

Well, I bet you are all wondering how you can enter the contest…

All you have to do is answer the following question in the comments and fill out one of the forms bellow:

*All Extra Entries are listed in the forms!

Question:

What is your fondest Birthday Memory???

~~~

U.S. Residents Please

Fill Out THIS FORM!

International Residents

Please Fill Out THIS FORM!

 Disclaimer: I have two forms, one for U.S. residents Only and one for International readers. I will pick a winner for all the Prize Packs from both of them, except for the U.S. Only Pack and will pick a winner for the U.S. Only pack from that specific form.

Attention:

1 - Answering the Question without filling out the form

will NOT enter you in the contest!

2 - Filling out the form without answering the contest

will NOT enter you in the contest!

3- Listing entries in the comments

will NOT enter you in the contest!

4- You are NOT  required to do any of the extra things to enter,

you can just mark NO to all of them. It’s your choice!

5 - You are required to follow the blog, fill out a form

and answer the question above. That’s All!

 

BONUS:

Top Commenter Extra Entries!!!

Ok so, by the end of the contest, if you are part of the

TOP 5 commenters of the blog, you will get +1 extra entry

for EVERY COMMENT listed next to your name!

1 comment per post please!

*You can respond to comments, but please don’t post 10 comments in one post just to get the points!

 

Giveaway Button:

 

<a href="http://www.larissaslife.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="1027 Followers Giveaway" src="http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu95/lalabristow/1027followersandbdaygiveawayBUTTON.png" /></a>

 *Worth +10 Extra Entries!

 

Any Problems or Questions please email me @

 larissa@larissaslife.com

 

 

Thanks so much for tuning in and I’ll see you soon!
xoxo,

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Giveaway Winners! {Catch Up, Part I – 5 Giveaways} – Sam Hilliard, Terry Spear, Jaime Rush, Laura Bickle & Jeanne C. Stein!

 

 

Ok Guys, I’m not going to delay this any longer LOL So sorry for taking so long to drawing the winners, but I’m catching them all up tonight! YAY! =D

 

Winner of a Signed Copy of “The Last Track” by Sam Hilliard:

sRy

 

Winner of a Signed Copy of “Seduced by The Wolf” by Terry Spear:

Leni

 

Winners of a Copy of “Touching Darkness” by Jaime Rush:

debbie

Barbara E.

jellybelly82158

 

Winner of a Signed Copy of “Sparks” by Laura Bickle:

latishajean

 

Winner of a Signed Copy of “Chosen” by Jeanne C. Stein:

PamK

 

Congratulations everyone!

I’ll be emailing you all shortly, if you see this post before I do, please email me at:

larissa@larissaslife.com

 

You have 48hrs to respond!

 

Thanks!

 

Don’t Forget to Vote for Next Week’s {Oct 17th} Theme for

The TOP 5 Sundays Post on the Poll at the left sidebar!

 

Don’t Forget to check out My Giveaways:

Win 2 SIGNED Books Of YOUR Choice on My NYCC Challenge!

Click HERE to Enter!

International!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Win a SIGNED Copy of “Me, Myself and Why?” by MaryJanice Davidson!

Click HERE To Enter!

International!

Ends October 18th!

Good Luck!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Click on the image above for more info!

&

My HUGE 1027+ Followers & Bday Blow Out:

Click HERE or on the image above to enter!

Extended Until October 18th!

Good Luck!

 

Thanks so much for tuning in and I’ll see you soon!
xoxo,

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Author Interview & SIGNED Book Giveaway w/ Laura Bickle! {Happy Release Day!}

 

This Giveaway is over!

Thanks so much for participating! 

 

 

 

Hey everyone! How are you all doing this lovely Tuesday?

I am so happy to say that I have one of the the nicest and sweetest authors I’ve met to date. Not only that, but she also writes great Urban Fantasy books, is there any doubt as to why I’m her fan?

There is also a great Signed Book Giveaway, the detail are au the end of the post!

Sparks is Coming out TODAY! Check out my review of Sparks HERE!

My review of Embers HERE!

Enjoy…

 

When did you first start writing?

I’ve been writing as far back as I can remember, scribbling down stories or drawing pictures of different worlds. I had a pretty magical childhood – my mother was a school librarian, so I spent summers in a sunshine-filled nook in the back of the library. I read about mythology and legends, dragons and things that go bump in the night. I wanted to create something that would speak to other people like those books spoke to me.
As an adult, I kept scribbling. I was initially pretty shy about submitting my work, but I gradually discovered that other people were enjoying what I’d written. It’s a wonderful affirmation of that childhood dream.

Have you always enjoyed Fantasy?

When I was a kid, I read Robin McKinley's HERO AND THE CROWN and THE BLUE SWORD. I'd never read any fantasy before with strong female heroines, and I was instantly in love with the genre.

Why writing Urban Fantasy?

I love the idea that there's something beneath the everyday world, something invisible and magical. Writing about the supernatural is a way to touch that unseen world, to imagine what our reality would be like if there were just a few different rules, and magic was the hidden law.

Were there any Books, Movies or Writers that have inspired you?

Many...Patricia McKillip, Wonder Woman comic books, Peter S. Beagle, Robin McKinley, Forever Knight, C.S. Friedman...

Tarot cards are a big inspiration for me, especially for my work as Alayna Williams. I literally wrote DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE with a deck in hand for story prompts.

What is your favorite subject in the Urban Fantasy Realm?

Lately...dragons. I picked up a new Tarot deck, the Celtic Dragon Tarot, that has whimsical dragons on all the cards. I've been inhaling all things dragon for the last couple of months.

How did you come up with such a fresh "species" of supernatural being?

I try to approach myths in ways I haven't seen before. For example, I use fire salamanders as familiars in EMBERS and SPARKS. There's not much to find about salamanders in the literature, beyond their origins. They're rumored to be capricious, destructive, and unpredictable as fire itself. That made a salamander a perfect sidekick for Anya, the arson investigator heroine of EMBERS and SPARKS. And Sparky hopped out onto the page, wiggling his tail and looking for trouble.

Writing as Alayna Williams, I used the myth of the Oracle of Delphi to create a society of oracles in DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE. I wanted to write about a criminal profiler who uses Tarot cards to solve crimes, and the old myth of the priestesses of Delphi provided an exciting history for a modern oracle.

I really enjoy seeing Anya and Brian together, is a Happily Ever After is the cards for them?

One of the things I find most exciting about Urban Fantasy is that a Happily Ever After isn't guaranteed. I'm quite fond of Brian, because he's an ordinary guy, a computer programmer who happens to love a woman who sees ghosts. As a nerd, I'm a big fan of geek love.

However, just because Brian is human doesn't mean that he doesn't have a dark side. We get an inkling of that in SPARKS. My lips are sealed on the future, though!

Favorites:

Favorite Paranormal themed Movie?

Constantine

Favorite Paranormal themed TV Show?

The X-Files

Favorite Paranormal themed Book?

Robin McKinley's SUNSHINE

Favorite Author?

Robin McKinley

Favorite Paranormal Romance Author?

I have a lot of favorites...it's impossible to choose just one! Some of my favorites include Ann Aguirre, Linda Robertson, Stacia Kane, and Jeri Smith-Ready.

Favorite one of your Books?

SPARKS is my favorite. It'll be released by Pocket-Juno Books in August 30. In SPARKS, Anya’s investigating a rash of spontaneous human combustion cases. With the help of the ghost hunters and a soul collector from the Underworld, she must track down the supernatural source of the fires and keep her fire salamander familiar's newly-hatched newts safe from a malicious psychic. Chaos ensues - and I love writing chaos.

Who is your favorite of your own characters?

Sparky, Anya Kalinczyk's fire salamander familiar in EMBERS and SPARKS, is my favorite character. When he's taking a nap or disinterested in Anya's work, he's housed in a salamander-shaped torque she wears around her neck. When he's feeling peevish, or in the presence of danger or ghosts, he's unleashed from the necklace. Most often, he takes the form of a five-foot speckled hellbender. Only Anya and ghosts can see him, but he makes his influence felt in the physical world: he can disrupt electrical fields. He's prone to chewing on cell phones, shorting out fire alarm systems, blowing up microwaves, and wreaking havoc on nearly anything he can get his paws on. He's not a bad salamander...he just manages to find trouble, wherever he goes.

Which was the hardest to write?

Anya, the heroine of EMBERS and SPARKS, can be emotionally difficult to write. Anya has her roots in the myth of Ishtar. Ishtar was the Babylonian goddess of war and sex. Anya has a very strong dark side to her personality. When she's possessed by a demon, that dark side is given free reign.

What would you be if not a writer? Why?

I've worked a day job in and around criminal justice since 1996. If I could choose anything else...I'd be a veterinarian. I've got hopes of someday owning a feral cat ranch or otter sanctuary. Weird, huh?

Maybe I could be a veterinarian for dragons...

If you Could be a Paranormal Being, Which one would you be?

Most paranormal beings have pretty extensive drawbacks, as part of the price of magic. I suppose that if had to choose, I'd want to be an elemental. Salamanders seem to have the most fun, and usually have the advantage of immortality.

Or a dragon. Yeah, a dragon. I like shiny things, and dragons get to hoard a lot of loot.

If you could meet any Urban Fantasy Character, which one you'd like to meet?

Though it's not strictly Urban Fantasy, I'd love to meet Don Simon Ysidro from Barbara Hambly's THOSE WHO HUNT THE NIGHT and TRAVELING WITH THE DEAD. He's my favorite vampire. She used a very subtle touch to humanize him. One of the most unforgettable scenes she wrote was about Don Simon in his nightshirt late at night, feeding the neighborhood cats scraps of meat from butcher paper. That scene still sticks with me as an example of how a master writer creates a character.

Quickies:

Coffee or Tea?

Tea. I never developed a taste for coffee! But Coca-Cola in the morning is my all-time favorite.

Up or Down?

Up. Down would probably make me motion-sick!

Virtual or Real?

Virtual

Right or Left?

Right

Day or Night?

Day. I can't get enough sunshine.

Here or There?

There. I'm always thinking about the next thing.

Sooner or Later?

Sooner. I'm an impatient girl!

Light or Dark?

Dark. Dark shirts don't show spaghetti stains.

Fast or Slow?

Slow. Savoring is good.

Vampires or Werewolves?

Vamps. I don't know that a were would get along with my cats.

Angels or Demons?

Angels. They're more of a challenge. ;-)

Lanterns or Ghosts?

Lanterns get indigestion while digesting ghosts, but they're pretty tenacious. Lanterns.

Reading or Writing?

Writing

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Editing. Yeah, I know that's perverse, but I get a sick sense of accomplishment from it.

What is your least favorite part?

Staring at the blank page. It's intimidating as hell.

The Anya Kalinczyk Series in your own words?

By day, Anya Kalinczyk is an arson investigator for the Detroit Fire Department. By night, she's a ghost-hunter who uses her powers as a medium to devour malicious spirits. With the help of her fire salamander familiar, Sparky, and an eccentric team of ghost hunters, she must face dangers from Detroit's hidden supernatural underbelly.

Any plans for more Books in the series?

I'd love to do more books, and have plenty of notebooks full of ideas. Time will tell if they come to fruition!

You also write the Oracle series as Alayna Williams, Why did you decide to write that series under a pseudonym?

Same genre, and the release dates were close together – hence the use of a different name! DARK ORACLE has a slightly different tone. Tara Sheridan swore off criminal profiling after narrowly escaping a serial killer who left her scarred for life. By combining Tarot card divination with her own intuition, she must help an intense federal agent find a missing scientist who has unlocked the destructive secrets of dark energy. The agent, Harry Li, draws her out of her self-imposed exile and back into the world.

What is coming up next for you?

I'm finishing up on copy edits for ROGUE ORACLE, the sequel to DARK ORACLE. ROGUE will be out in 2011, under my Alayna Williams pseudonym. In ROGUE ORACLE, Tara’s destiny becomes further enmeshed with Delphi’s Daughters, and ancient secret society of oracles. With the help of federal agent Harry Li, she’s trying to stop a Chernobyl survivor from selling nuclear secrets on the international black market.

What are you working on right now?

I've got a couple of projects I'm working on at the moment, also in the urban fantasy genre, but pretty far off the beaten path. I've also had a yen to do an epic fantasy for awhile...we'll see how the cards fall!

Do you have any advice or tip to those like me that want to become a published Author someday?

I always suggest that writers try. National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo challenges participants to write 50,000 words in a month. I highly recommend the experience for all writers – it really tests the boundaries of what you think you can accomplish. It helped me integrate writing into other aspects of my life, and definitely made it a priority.

The single most important step along the path to getting published is finishing. The next step is having the discipline to do it again. And again. Wash, rinse, repeat. It’s the whole learning-by-doing thing.

Anything you would like to say to your fans out there?

Thank you so much for giving my books a try. I know that there are a lot of choices in the urban fantasy section of the bookstore, and it means a lot when folks take a chance on me.

Thank you so much for being here!

Thank you very much for having me!

 

Find Laura Online:

Website | Blog

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Amazon | Barnes & Noble| Book On Board

 

 

 

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