Rock This! Thursday Interview with Laurie London + GIVEAWAY!

Through the wonderful site that is Twitter, I've gotten to talk to debut author Laurie London a bit. She's super sweet and I'm very excited about her debut novel, Bonded by Blood! Today she's hanging out at the blog and answering a few questions about books and music.


How does it feel being a debut author?

Exciting and a little frightening, actually. I still pinch myself that a big publisher liked my story and story world enough to want not just one book, but the series. Other than the few contests I entered and the handful of agents I sent the manuscript to, this will be the first time people I don’t know will be reading what I’ve written. My published author friends tell me that you get used to it, but for now it’s all pretty surreal.

Can you tell us a little bit of what gave you the idea for Bonded by Blood?

Although I’ve always been drawn to vampire stories, both on the screen and in fiction, I didn’t consciously set out to write one. The first scene, set in a cemetery, just came to me and it created a lot of questions in my mind. Who is this man and how did he become injured? Why is he hiding under a pile of leaves and branches? Who is this woman? Why does he attack and almost kill her if he’s not the villain? The answers to these questions form the basis of the book.

Given my obsession with the movie Fright Night as a teenager and my romance reading habits (chances are, if there’s a vampire in the book, I’ve read it or have it in my TBR pile), it was an obvious conclusion to me that the guy in the cemetery was a vampire. A really hot one.

As I was going through my playlists, I noticed that two of my favorite songs have tie-ins to vampires, but they didn’t when I bought them. The first is Jace Everett’s Bad Things. I’ve had it on my Ipod forever, so when it became the song for the opening credits of True Blood, I thought it was perfect. The second song is Are You Afraid by Rooney, my favorite band. I’d been listening to it for awhile when they made the music video. In it, they’re all vampires trying unsuccessfully to live normal lives with human girls. It’s really funny. http://tinyurl.com/ckjqm6

So, see? I’ve got a thing for vampires.

You're walking down the street - what song is following you?

I’m in love with Magic by B.o.B. featuring Rivers Cuomo. I first heard it when someone made a tribute video for the amazing racehorse Zenyatta, a mare (yeah, girl power!), and now it’s a song on my running playlist. It puts me in an instant good mood.

If Bonded by Blood was made into a movie, who would you cast for it?

What a fun question! For Dom, I’d have to say Rodrigo Santoro in this picture, because he served as my inspiration. Just looking at him makes my heart beat faster. For Mackenzie, I’d cast Stana Katic.

I know some authors like to make playlists to their novels. Did you have one for yours? If so, can you share a few songs with us?

Although I can’t listen to music with lyrics when I write—I get too caught up in the stories of the songs—I listen to playlists for my books when I run. Here is the playlist for BONDED BY BLOOD.

Violet Hill – Coldplay
It’s About Time - Barcelona
Back in Your Head – Teagan and Sara
Come Back When You Can - Barcelona
I Will Follow You into the Dark – Death Cab for Cutie
Nothing In My Way – Keane
Satellite - Guster
When We Die – Bowling for Soup
Easy Way Out – The Pink Spiders
Believe in Me – Rooney
A Glorious Day – Embrace

Can you think of a song that would make a good book?

Sometime Around Midnight by Airborne Toxic Event because the music has an epic feel to it and the lyrics are descriptive like a scene from a book. I want to know what happens to the guy and the girl at the end. He loves her, but I don’t think she loves him.

What are some of your favorite books?

I’ve got so many, it’s hard to single them out. Here are few off the top of my head.

The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Lover Awakened by JR Ward
Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Highland Sinner by Hannah Howell
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

What was the publishing process like for you?

I’ve written middle grade fiction, YA, and contemporary romance, but it wasn’t until I started writing paranormal romance that I guess you could say I found my groove. I read a lot of YA and paranormal romance, so it makes sense that my writer’s voice would be stronger in those areas. Things happened fairly quickly after I finished writing BONDED BY BLOOD. It did well in the few writing contests I entered. In a roundabout way from one of those contests, I found an agent and within a few months, the series sold.

Is there a song out there that instantly just makes you tear up?

Yes! Show Me What I’m Looking For by Carolina Liar “Save me, I’m lost. Oh Lord, I’ve been waiting for you.” I’ve written a few chapters of a YA ghost story with this as the theme song. Makes me teary-eyed just thinking of it.

Have you experienced any 'rock star' writing moments?

I’ve had so many ‘rock star,’ ‘pinch me this can’t be really happening’ moments that it’s hard to pick just one. From one of my author-idols, Cherry Adair, shoving her phone number into my hand with instructions to call her the minute I sold my book to my agent texting me that she’d closed my book deal at a cocktail party. Oh, and my first fan letter. I totally cried when I read it.

GIVEAWAY

One winner will get:


- Signed copy of Bonded by Blood
- Revlon Lip Balm of Just Bitten

- Must be 13 years or older to enter
- Must have a US or CANADA mailing address
- Giveaway will run until February 10th 

FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER!