Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome back Laura Kaye!!!!!!

Laura, we always love having you here.  Can you please share with us a little about yourself

I’d love to! And thanks for having me back at Books-n-Kisses again! I write paranormal and contemporary romance and current have four series: Vampire Warrior Kings, of which Taken by the Vampire King is the third book; the Greek-mythology-inspired Hearts of the Anemoi series; the Heroes series, and my new Hard Ink series that debuts this November. I’m also a mom of two young girls, owner of a cute-but-bad dog, and total vampire nut!

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Not exactly. From a young age I knew I wanted to research, write, and teach history, so that’s what I did. I have a PhD in American history and have taught at the college level for the past 15 years. As part of that work, I am a non-fiction author. But it wasn’t until I suffered a minor traumatic brain injury five years ago that I developed an insatiable creative streak that most manifested itself in writing fiction. Now I couldn’t live without it.

Are you a plotter or a pantser or combo of both? And you explain the difference?

I used to be a total seat-of-my-pants writer (i.e., a pantser, someone who doesn’t do much or any advanced planning for a book), and I still prefer that. But once you start selling books on proposal and having back-to-back deadlines, plotting becomes more and more important and necessary (i.e., a plotter, someone who to varying degrees plans and outlines what’s going to happen in the book before they start writing). So now I’m a combination of both.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

LOL! Hmm… For most of my recent books, I’ve listened to one song on repeat hundreds of times while I wrote that particular book. A different song for each book. After a while, it becomes the best white noise!

Can you please tell us about your latest book? 

I’d love to! Taken by the Vampire King is a beauty-and-the-beast story set in Tromso, Norway, featuring a dying vampire king and a terminally ill human woman determined to pursue her dreams for however long she has left. Here’s the blurb:

Henrik Magnusson is supposed to be immortal, but a mysterious ailment leaves the vampire king near death, and not even the blood of the Proffered, human virgins trained to serve the elite, can sustain him. Then he rescues a beautiful young woman from his enemies, and is filled with blood lust and desire he hasn’t felt for centuries.

Photographer Kaira Sorenson’s life takes a nightmare turn when she’s attacked by blood-thirsty creatures—and saved by a vampire. She should be afraid of Henrik, but she can’t deny her intense attraction to this regal, enigmatic being—nor the fact that her blood may be his only salvation. Now she must decide if she’s willing to be his forever… (order links below)

How did you come with the idea for this story?

I’ve always wanted to include the Northern Lights in a story! LOL And I’ve always loved the Beauty and the Beast set-up. And I always knew this king was dying. Those were the germs for the story and from there, it took shape.

 Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

I am currently writing Hard as You Can (Hard Ink #2) – hot, hot, hot contemporary romance about the survivors of a Special Forces team who run an underground mission out of the back of a tattoo shop.

 Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

J.R. Ward. Because she is my favorite author and I admire her writing very much. And to say thank you in person for recently providing me with a cover quote for my book, Hard As It Gets!!!

 What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Keep working at it, keep writing, keep believing, even when things are hard. And read. A lot.

 Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

A lot of my bucket list is travel related. I MUST see the Northern Lights before I die. And I have to travel to Ireland, Russia, and Egypt.

 What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

My TBR pile is ginormous! I want to read Emily McKay’s The Farm, Jennifer L. Armentrout’s new YA series, and I need to start Jessica Andersen’s books, to name a few.

 What is one book everyone should read before they die?

I don’t think such a thing exists. Reading is such an intensely personal and intimate experience, so I would assume that a book that deeply meant something to me would impact everyone that same way.

 What is your favorite time of year & why?

I love summer because you can be outside and I’ve always loved the beach.

Who is your Celebrity crush?  And what would you do if you ever meet them?

Chris Hemsworth. I would probably be so star struck that I just grinned ridiculously the whole time and meeting him would be over before I knew it. LOL

 Is there anything else you would like to add?

Huge thank you to the readers who make this all possible! Love you guys!

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Henrik Magnusson is supposed to be immortal, but a mysterious ailment leaves the vampire king near death, and not even the blood of the Proffered, human virgins trained to serve the elite, can sustain him. Then he rescues a beautiful young woman from his enemies, and is filled with blood lust and desire he hasn’t felt for centuries.

Photographer Kaira Sorenson’s life takes a nightmare turn when she’s attacked by blood-thirsty creatures—and saved by a vampire. She should be afraid of Henrik, but she can’t deny her intense attraction to this regal, enigmatic being—nor the fact that her blood may be his only salvation. Now she must decide if she’s willing to be his forever

Excerpt:

“So, what? You want to drink my blood again?” Kaira drew her knees up under the hospital blanket.

At least her directness saved him the trouble of figuring out how to tell her what needed to happen here. “Ja.” He dragged a hand through his hair. Suddenly, an idea took shape in his mind. As much of a monster as this probably made him, he had to find out how feeding from her fully would impact his malady. But perhaps he could do something for her in return.

What if she fed from him, too?

His body snapped to attention, heartbeat pulsing in his fangs, cock hard and aching. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had elicited these reactions. Blood lust and physical lust usually went hand in hand for a vampire, so he hadn’t craved the tight heat of a woman’s body in a very long time. Too long.

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say? Because, you know, I’m kinda using this blood over here.”

The angered heat behind her words did nothing to rein in his physical reactions. He swallowed hard, forcing down his hunger for her blood. And her body. “I know how this sounds, Kaira, and I am sorry. If there was another way…well, there isn’t. I’ve tried everything. I wouldn’t take more than you could afford to lose at one time. I don’t know if your blood will definitively cure me, but I do know without it…I’ve no chance at all.” He shook his head, still grappling with his thought of offering her his vein in return.

Usually, such a privilege was reserved for a vampire’s mate, especially given his rank and station. Not that he’d ever been successful at finding a blood match that might’ve led to his joining with a mate. For a single moment, he let himself imagine the immense satisfaction of Kaira’s lips at his throat, her tongue coaxing his blood into her mouth, her body clinging tightly to his.

His cock punched at the zipper to his jeans and his fangs stretched out against his bottom lip. And that reaction was another consideration. Could he feed her and not make it about sex? He wasn’t even sure it was possible.

Kaira gasped, her eyes trained on his mouth.

He almost turned away. But then he thought better of it. It would be good for her to see his true nature now and have the time to wrap her head around it.

At first, looming panic filled her expression. But then it shifted into what he would’ve sworn was abject fascination. Her respirations quickened, her heart rate thrummed, and the rich scent of her adrenaline filled the air—along with something else. Something hotter, sweeter, more feminine.

She was aroused. By the sight of his fangs.

He was merely a shadow of the male he’d once been. No delusions about what he looked like here. Was it really possible that someone as beautiful as Kaira could find him attractive?

“Kaira,” he said in a rasping warning. If she didn’t stop looking at him like that, he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions. She blinked and licked her lips. Which didn’t help his restraint one damn bit. He pushed onto his feet and braced his hands on each of the bedrails, a predator stalking her, boxing her in. “You need to understand how weak my restraint is right now.”

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A little more about Laura:

Laura Kaye is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 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.

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