Interview with Laura Kaye

Posted June 21, 2013 by Karen in Author Interviews / 5 Comments

Laura Kaye cropped

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

  • Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’d be happy to! And thanks for hosting me here for my last stop on the South of Surrender blog tour! I’m the author of a dozen novels of paranormal and contemporary romance. I have four series going currently: two paranormal: Hearts of the Anemoi, Vampire Warrior Kings, and two contemporary: Heroes, Hard Ink. I’m also a college history professor, wife, mom of two young girls, and total vampire lover!

  • Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?

There’s definitely a theme that runs through all my books – the idea that everyone longs to belong somewhere, that we’re all looking for a safe place to land and be loved and accepted. I know for sure I’d love to find the time to go back and write the sequel to Forever Freed. That was my first novel and the character remain lively in my head. It’s as hard saying good-bye to characters you’ve loved as a writer as it is as a reader!

  • At what point in your life did you realize that being an author was no longer going to be just a dream but a career you were going to turn into reality?

I started writing fiction in the summer of 2008 after a brain injury left me with a desire to pursue creative outlets. Once I started writing, I knew I’d never be able to stop, which meant I was going to pursue it until I was a published author. Now, I’m looking at leaving my full-time job, so I truly am living my dream!

  • Can you tell us about your upcoming book? After South of Surrender

I have two more releases planned in 2013: Taken by the Vampire King (Vampire Warrior Kings #3, 8/1/13) and Hard As It Gets (Hard Ink #1, 11/26/13). Taken by the Vampire King is a beauty-and-the-beast story about an aging, dying vampire king and the dying mortal woman he believes is his only chance for salvation. Hard As It Gets is gritty, sexy contemporary romance about a team of ex-Special Forces soldier who are trying to clear their names and end up running an outlaw operation against an organized crime ring out of the back of a tattoo shop.

  • Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Absolutely! First, BICHOK – butt in chair, hands on keyboard! You can’t revise or sell what you haven’t written. So write and finish that first manuscript, and then keep writing more manuscripts! Second, revise, revise, revise! You get one shot submitting a manuscript to an agent or editor, so don’t blow an opportunity by failing to present your absolutely best, cleanest work. Third, find critique partners who are other writers pursuing publication. They’re the readers most likely to give you the kind of feedback and criticism that will make your book stronger and more saleable. Fourth, join writers’ organizations to take advantage of the networking, workshops, resources, and friendships with other writers that you can find in them. And finally, develop a thick skin and have a lot of perseverance. You hear a lot more nos at the beginning of your career than yeses! But keep at it!

  • How did you choose the genre you write in? What led you to use a lesser known mythological figures.

It was all Owen Winters’ fault! LOL Owen is the hero in the first Hearts of the Anemoi book, North of Need. Originally I thought this story was just a fluffy feel-good Christmas story about a snow man who came to life to heal a grieving widow’s broken heart. But Owen wouldn’t cooperate when I tried to write him that way. He insisted he was a snow god. Which sent me looking into the mythologies of weather gods. When I found the Anemoi—wind gods the Greeks associated with controlling the weather and the seasons—I knew I had the perfect mythology for not only Owen, but also a series based on the Anemoi family. I really liked that they weren’t part of the Olympic pantheon because it was less trod ground!

  • If you could describe the Hearts of Anemoi series in 3 words what would they be?

Sexy, Magical, Romantic

  • What part of the writing process is the hardest for you, whether it’s first draft, rewriting, or editing?

My least favorite parts are revising and editing, mostly because it’s harder to shift a scene or a character from your original conception of what they would be. Plus, by then I’m antsy to move on to the next thing! LOL But I’m a big believer in trusting my editor and know my work always improves once my editor has had her hands on it!

Six Smooches 

Favorite Actor?

Hmm…just one? *grins* I definitely enjoy Robert Downey, Jr.!

  • • Favorite athlete?

Cal Ripken, Jr. – I went old school with this pick!

  • Favorite childhood toy you wished you still had.

My horse figurine collection

  • • Favorite city

Washington, DC

  • • Favorite color

Blue

  • • Favorite drink (alcohol counts)?

Iced tea!

5 responses to “Interview with Laura Kaye

  1. Amy Ryan

    Thank you for the great Blog Tour this year I absolutely loved reading the background on South of Surrender and getting to know the characters and you as an author better 🙂 Thanks to all the blogs for participating in the Blog Tour too 🙂
    Great interview, (BICHOK) LoL I’m gonna remember that 🙂 I love the Vampire Warrior Kings series can’t wait for the 3rd book and Hard As It Gets I’m really looking forward to!

    amieesnow@gmail(dot)com

  2. vampedchik

    Congrats on the new release! Im so excited to read this series! Thanks so much!
    -Amber
    goodblinknpark(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.