Today I would like to welcome the fabulous paranormal romance author, Laurie London who is joining us with her upcoming release of Seduced by Blood!
The Interview
A Slice of Life Scene from SEDUCED BY BLOOD
(Not in the book)
By Laurie London
With his arms crossed, Santiago leaned against the kitchen counter and scowled, not bothering to hide the fact that he clearly was irritated as hell. “Why are we doing this again?”
His reaction didn’t surprise Arianna. He could be difficult to deal with sometimes. Really difficult.
Arianna glanced around, double-checking that no one else was present in the huge commercial kitchen of the Seattle field office before she started.
Cordell had both elbows propped on the island and was checking something on his tablet. Roxy Reynolds, the head trainer at Tracker Academy who was filling in for Lily up at Region Headquarters, stood near the sink.
Not surprising, Jackson was making himself a peanut butter and honey sandwich. The man she loved more than life itself was always famished, especially after sex. This morning she’d convinced him to leave his piercing in—okay, she’d begged—and some of her body parts were still tingling, though she did her best to ignore it.
Before she could answer, Jackson said, “You want everyone to buy into this whole relationship thing with you and Roxy, don’t you?” “Of course.” Santiago’s voice was rough like an unpaved road.
Although Roxy looked at ease in her low riding yoga pants and turquoise sneakers, there was a tenseness in her shoulders. Arianna couldn’t blame her. If she were suddenly told she had to masquerade as Santiago’s lover to help uncover a potential traitor here in the office, she’d be a little nervous too. It meant they had to share a room, which, given the fact that he had a hair-trigger temper and cursed in three languages, Arianna doubted it’d be very relaxing. She made a mental note to ask Roxy out for coffee sometime soon. The woman would probably welcome the break.
“This interview shouldn’t take long.” Arianna flipped through her paper to find the questions she’d jotted down earlier.
“Interview? What’s this all about?” Roxy shot Santiago a dark look.
The tattoos on his neck seemed a little more menacing, but for some reason, he didn’t flash fang or curse like Arianna would’ve expected.
“I was going to tell you, but you fell asleep on the drive down from Canada when I took the call.”
“Sure, you were,” Roxy said sarcastically, narrowing her eyes. “It’s obvious you enjoy popping these surprises on me.”
Jackson coughed. “Since he obviously hasn’t mentioned it, Roxy, I’ll tell you. Arianna runs a big blog called Paranormalish and she’s a great writer. Dom’s been wanting to put out a field office e-newsletter for awhile now, but Cordell here, our tech wizard, is a terrible writer.”
“Thanks a lot.” Cordell looked up from his tablet, a fake hurt expression on his face.
“Face it, man, you can’t spell.” Jackson took a bite of his half-sandwich.
“And you think you’re any better?”
“I never said I was,” Jackson replied, his mouth full. “You didn’t see me signing up for the job.”
“Boys, boys. Stop.” Arianna held up a hand. It never ceased to amaze her how men could insult each other like this and still be best of friends. “Roxy, I’m sorry you weren’t asked about this earlier. We can do it some other time.”
“I’m not opposed to it,” Roxy said, tucking a piece of her dark blonde hair behind her ear. “Can you just tell me what Santiago should’ve told me?” She turned her back to him, essentially cutting the Region Commander out of the conversation.
Arianna smiled inwardly. This woman had some serious balls. It was clear she wasn’t going to take any shit from Santiago.
“For the first newsletter, I was going to write an article about the awards gala coming up. Since we want everyone to believe the story that you’re in town to attend the ceremony with Santiago, I thought an interview with the two of you would be interesting. Everyone will be dying to know a little more about the Region Commander’s new girlfriend anyway.”
Roxy quirked an eyebrow and glanced over her shoulder at Santiago. An undercurrent passed between them, but Santiago said nothing. She turned back to Arianna. “Start your questions with him. Based on a conversation we just had out in the hallway with one of the other agents, I’ll follow up what he says and correct any errors.”
A laugh burst from Arianna’s mouth. God, she hardly knew the woman, but she liked her already.
Santiago glowered silently on the far side of the kitchen, while Roxy looked calm and unfazed, as if standing up to a powerful man like him was a routine occurrence.
Arianna consulted her notes and asked Santiago the first question, though secretly, she couldn’t wait to find out more about Roxy.
Then, as she scribbled Santiago’s clipped reply, Arianna thought to hell with the coffee.
She’d take Roxy out for a drink. Or ten.
Seduced by Blood
A graduate of Western Washington University with a BA in Business Administration and a former tester/programmer for a Fortune 500 company, Laurie London now writes from her home near Seattle where she lives with her husband and two children.
Seduced by BloodSweetblood Series #4
Release date July 24, 2012
E-books released August 1, 2012
Order Links
Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the battle for supremacy rages on between two vampire coalitions: Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors... Hot-blooded and hard-edged, Tristan Santiago has an uncanny ability to see beneath the surface-a power that serves him well as the Guardians' region commander. But when a deadly plot against his fellow vampires is uncovered, he must turn to the one woman he can't read: the beautiful yet mysterious Roxanne Reynolds, whose sensual presence soothes his tormented memories. Roxy had put love before duty once before, with devastating results. But to root out a dangerous traitor in their midst, she must put her faith in Santiago, the one man skilled enough to break through her defenses. Posing as lovers, Santiago and Roxy work side by side-and discover a powerful craving that threatens to consume them both.
A little about Laurie:
A graduate of Western Washington University with a BA in Business Administration and a former tester/programmer for a Fortune 500 company, Laurie London now writes from her home near Seattle where she lives with her husband and two children.Her debut book, BONDED BY BLOOD, A Sweetblood Novel, came out February 2011 from HQN Books. It was followed by HIDDEN BY BLOOD, an e-novella June 2011; EMBRACED BY BLOOD July 2011; “Enchanted By Blood,” a novella in the anthology A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS Oct 2011; TEMPTED BY BLOODMarch 2012; and SEDUCED BY BLOOD August 2012.
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.
She is a member of Romance Writers of America®, Greater Seattle Area RWA, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
When not writing, she 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.
Find Laurie here
~*Giveaway*~
Laurie is giving away a copy of Seduced by Blood and a set of Trading Cards to one US/Canada reader OR an E-BOOK of Seduced by Blood (Amazon or B&N only) to one International reader. To enter, just leave a comment or question for Laurie on this post and then fill out the rafflecopter below. Additional entries are available but not required. Good luck! And keep reading for more chances to win!
TOUR-WIDE GRAND PRIZE:
Seduced by Blog tour
Each stop will be giving away a signed copy of Seduced by Blood.
July 10th Hanging with Bells
July 11th Ramblings of a Chaotic Mind
July 12th Sizzling Hot Book Reviews
July 13th Paranormal Cravings
July 16th Reading between the Wines
July 17th Book Monster Reviews & Literal Addictions
July 18th Romance Book Craze Blog
July 19th Books-n-Kisses
July 20th United by Books
Do you have a set idea as to how many books you will rite in the series?
ReplyDeletedsadler53 at yahoo dot ca
Congrats on the new release. Do you enjoy writing anything besides paranormal? This book sounds fantastic. Can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeletee.balinski(at)att(dot)net
I loved that! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou've mentioned your horses and I was wondering if you live out in the country or closer to a city?
On the book front have you written any books for your kids while they're growing up? If so would you ever consider publishing them or are they personal?
Thank you.
vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for the giveaway. I love finding new authors and books .
ReplyDeleteluranker@hotmail.com
Hi Diane, thanks for your question! Given what happens in Seduced by Blood, there are some big changes on the horizon in the Sweetblood world. I'd like to write Mitch's story as well as Kip's (every time he's in a scene, I have to work hard for him not to steal it) as well as a few others you haven't met yet. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne, thanks so much! When you read it, I hope you enjoy it. I love paranormal romance--adult and YA. Anything where the world is slightly off-kilter from our own, whether people know it or not.
ReplyDeleteHey Viki! Yes, we live on a couple of acres, but we're only about 20 minutes from downtown Seattle (w/o traffic). One of the first books I wrote is actually a chapter book with a boy as the main character. I still love the premise and the story. My mom keeps asking when I'm going to finish it and do something with it. LOL
ReplyDeleteI can't say how much I love this series but seriously, it's just so good. I hope there are lots more books to come because I'm definitely not ready to say goodbye to anyone.
ReplyDeleteDo you ever plan of having any of the books set in any other location or will they all take place in Seattle?
Congrats on the new release. Who was the first person you told when you got "the call"?
ReplyDeletemanning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
Thanks for the giveaway. I would love to read this book. It sounds very good.
ReplyDeleteWhy vampires? What about them draws you in?
ReplyDeletekaylyndavis1986@yahoo.com
I always love finding new authors. I lood forward to looking into your books! Wonderful contest, thank you so much!
ReplyDeletecarol.byles@yahoo.com
I am very excited about the new release and think you are a very talented author. sdylion(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThis series sounds great. Laurie is a new author for me. What is your favorite genre to write? Do you prefer to write stand-alones or series? Thanks for the great giveaway.
ReplyDeleteChristinebails@yahoo.com
Great excerpt. I love it when the heroine can stand up to one of those alpha heroes.
ReplyDeleteI loved the exerpt, This is a new to me series. Is this the 1st, 2nd 23rd?
ReplyDeleteCarin mawmom(at)gmail(dot)com
Aw, thanks so much, Danielle! I'm thrilled you're enjoying the series so much. I'm definitely not done writing them, that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteRegarding other locations, yes! In fact, I've long toyed with Australia as a setting location. Remember Dom spent some time there with Mitch, setting up a field office? I might have to send story events down there to see what's going on because I have a feeling the Guardians have their hands full.
Also, I've had a long distance love affair with Prague, which is probably why I've got several scenes set there already. I haven't really explored what's going on between Guardians and Darkbloods there--just alluded to it. Which of course means I'd have to visit Prague in person, right?
Can't wait to read Santiago's story! CONGRATS Laurie on the upcoming release!!!
ReplyDeletecongrats on the new release! I've read such great reviews for your books, I feel like the only person who hasn't read them yet :) thanks for a fun post and giveaway!
ReplyDeleteHi June, thanks for stopping by! My husband was the first person I told then my sister, who, at the time wasn't published, but is now. She had much more writing experience than I had, so I just did what she told me to do. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tore!
ReplyDeleteKaylyn, more than any other paranormal character, I've always been attracted to vampires. Movies, books, tv shows, etc. A reader on my FB page described them as the gentleman's monster, and I thought that was perfect. He has to live among us but he's not one of us. It's the ultimate conflict when a human and a vampire fall in love. He's so powerful and if he's not careful, his lover could die. I say "he," but I did write a story (Hidden By Blood) where "she" was the vampire and "he" was the human. That was fun!
Thank you, Carol and SdyLady! So glad you stopped by.
ReplyDeleteChrisbails, thank you! Yes, paranormal is my first love, both adult and YA. I read a lot of both. I prefer writing series, or connected books, just because it's not as sad for me to finish a book if I know I'll be seeing the characters again as secondary characters in the next book. As a reader, I love when that happens. This isn't to say that someone will be lost if they haven't read the other books. Some paranormal worlds are so complicated, that you have to read them all in order and/or not skip one. When I'm writing, I try really hard to make the next book stand on its own. I've had quite a few readers tell me they learned about the series with book 3 or my Christmas short story (#2.5 in series order) and only after finishing did they realize it was a series. Then they went back and read the others. I love hearing that!
Thank you, Jen, for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteCarin, so glad you liked the scene! It's actually not in the book, but it happens right after one of my favorite scenes that IS in the book. That's why Roxy gives him that dark, withering look. You'll have to read it to find out why. ;-) Seduced By Blood is #4. There are two novellas set in the world as well.:-)
Yadkny, thank you! I'm so excited for readers to read this book. A lot happens that shakes things up in the Sweetblood world.
ReplyDeleteErin, I'm so thrilled you've been hearing lots of good things about the books!
Congrats on the new release.Sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway.
I can't wait to read this book. Santiago always intrigued me and it will be interesting to see who wins his heart!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this giveaway!
redfirewood888(AT)yahoo(DOT)ca
Ollie aka DarkBloodyVamp
I loved the excerpt and the book sounds really good. Can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteI really want to know what happened to Laurie's horse. I hope it wasn't something too serious.
I just got the first book in the series because it sounds so good. I really enjoyed this excerpt that wasn't in the book. The characters sound fun and the pots interesting.
ReplyDeleteHappy Release for this new one.
sophiarose1816@gmail.com
Congrats on the new release. Cant wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteElaing8, thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteHey Ollie, how are you? Santiago always intrigued me too. It took me awhile to figure out what his deal was. He wasn't really forthcoming.
Hi Lisa, glad you liked the "excerpt." :-) My horse is fine now, thanks for asking, but several days before the biggest show of the season, she spooked while at the trainer's barn, slipped, and tore a muscle. I had to bring her home and put her on stall rest for 3-4 months. Poor thing!
Cool, Sophia! I hope you enjoy Bonded By Blood! You'll meet Santiago there...but he can be kind of a jerk sometimes. ;-)
Thank you, Donna!!! Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks, Crystal, for having me on today! I had such a great time!
ReplyDeletexxoo
Laurie
From Cassie Hoffman-
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the NEW release. I can't wait to read your books :)
I have never read any of Laurie's books but this one looks amazing. Thanks for the opportunity to win.
ReplyDeleteThank you for a great contest and the chance to win!!
ReplyDeleteswkimbell@yahoo.com
I absolutely love this series and I can't wait to learn more about Santiago. He caught my interest in Jackson's book.
ReplyDeleteriverinaromantic AT aol DOT com
Hi Laurie
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new release!
I haven't read the other books in the series. Can I read this one alone or should they be read in order?
Books SIX?! wow...I better get reading! Sounds like a great book/series. How many more do you have planned? Going to purchase the first ebook NOW!!
ReplyDeleteI love that excerpt. I've waited a long time for this book! Thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeletesrbagby50@gmail.com
I just started the series, and so far I'm loving it. thx for give away.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new book. The excerpt is an interesting one.
ReplyDelete