Special Guest - Author Laura Daleo

Today I'd like to welcome a special guest to The Farm - Laura Daleo.  Laura is the author of several vampire books, including "Immortal Kiss" which I reviewed last year.  She has also been kind enough to send me finished copies of "The Vow," the book I'm currently reading and "Bound by Blood," the sequel to "Immortal Kiss."  What better time to celebrate vampires than during the month of October so please welcome Laura to my blog!

1.  I've already read "Immortal Kiss" and have started "The Vow."  You seem to have an affinity for  vampires.  Can you explain why you like writing about them so much?  Are there any other "monsters" or  supernatural  beings you hope to write about one day? 

Since Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, I have been fascinated by these creatures.  For my vampires, I love taking being that's wicked and feared and giving them a human quality to make them likable. I have a ghost story, The Soul Collector, in the queue and will probably do a werewolf at some point as well.    

2.  In "Immortal Kiss" you shared that centuries ago, 10 powerful vampires Gods ruled the world.  Will we see more about these Gods in future works?  It looks like this premise could really open up the world you've created for expansion. 

The 10 vampire Gods are also in Bound by Blood.  I have their story, The Ten, in the queue along with The Old Ones, their children. 

3. Who are some of your favorite authors and what books have you recently read? 

Anne Rice and Stephen King are my all time favorites.  Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice and The Stand by Stephen King are my top picks by these authors.  What I'm reading right now is The Passage by Justin Cronin.  Any auto-buy authors on your shelves? No, not really.  I have to like the cover, the back blurb, and the first page before I buy a book.

4. Tell us a little about your writing process and how you got your start. A creative writing class in junior high school got me started, but it was Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles that pushed me to write my own story which was Immortal Kiss.  I started in back in 1996 and then got interrupted by life so it sat on a shelf until 2010 when I found it packing to move.  It needed modernizing so I did a rewrite and in 2014 it was picked by World Castle Publishing.

5. Do you feel authors need to embrace social media and outlets such as Booktube/Twitter and blogs in order to be successful nowadays?  Have you had any positive or negative experiences with these outlets? 

I feel social media is very important to authors these days.  It's a great tool for exposure.  I'm not familiar with Booktube; however, I posted my book trailers on YouTube.  I use Twitter on a regular basis.  I also use a service that tweets about my books.  My experiences have all been positive.

6.  Halloween is quickly approaching which I feel is a great time to read scary and creepy books (who am I kidding, I like reading them all the time).  Do you have any Halloween traditions or do you prefer other holidays? 

Halloween is my favorite holiday!  It always has been ever since I was a kid.  I love decorating and dressing up in costume! 

7.  Finally, this question is from Booker T, my co-blogger.  "I know you are an advocate for animals and that you have quite a few of your own.  My Mom couldn't function without me and my brother, so will you share some information about your 4-legged friends? Also, my brother is still looking for a girlfriend so maybe you can send some pics if any are female?"

 I love all animals and always have.  They are a huge part of my life.  When I was a kid, I used to bring home every stray I found and beg my parents to let me keep them.  As an adult, it didn't stop and I began to take in the animals no one wanted, the ones with medical conditions.  Currently, I have 3 basset hounds, Stuart, Morgan, and Dexter each with their own set of health issues. They are my furbabies and I love them dearly.  Sorry, Booker T, no girls for your brother.  My furbabies are all boys. Here they are!

You can find my review for "Immortal Kiss" here and look for reviews of "The Vow" and "Bound by Blood" later this month.  I want to thank Laura so much for stopping by and encourage you all to check out here books!

ABOUT LAURA: I was born and raised in Sunny San Diego, California. A creative writing class in junior high sparked my desire to tell stores. I’ve been a hostess, bookkeeper, accountant, manager, and animal advocate, but writing anything paranormal has always been my passion. Throughout my professional career, I squeezed in writing whenever I could. I camped out late at night in front of my computer, with my basset hounds,  my toughest critics asleep at my feet. Now I’m living out my dream as an author.