I am so incredibly excited to have Laura Kaye here today! She is the author of North of Need (review here) a steamy contemporary fantasy romance novel that I am in love with! After the interview I have an awesome giveaway, courtesy of the publisher and Laura, so make sure you read all the way through. Now onto the interview.
A Bookworms Haven (ABWH): Can you start out by telling us a little bit about North of Need for those who might not have read it yet?
Laura Kaye (LK): I would love to! And thanks for hosting me here! North of Need is the first in a four-book contemporary fantasy romance series featuring the Anemoi, directional wind gods the Greeks associated with the seasons. North of Need features Owen Winters, son of the Supreme God of the North Wind, whose been in a centuries-long state of self-exile from the Realm of the God until his father calls him back to consider a very tempting proposition. Here’s the blurb:
Her tears called a powerful snow god to life, but only her love can grant the humanity he craves…
Desperate to escape agonizing memories of Christmas past, twenty-nine-year-old widow Megan Snow builds a snow family outside the mountain cabin she once shared with her husband, realizing too late that she’s recreated the very thing she’ll never have.
Called to life by Megan’s tears, snow god Owen Winters appears unconscious on her doorstep in the midst of a raging blizzard. As she nurses him to health, Owen finds unexpected solace in her company and unimagined pleasure in the warmth of her body, and vows to win her heart for a chance at humanity.
Megan is drawn to Owen’s mismatched eyes, otherworldly masculinity, and enthusiasm for the littlest things. But this Christmas miracle comes with an expiration–before the snow melts and the temperature rises, Megan must let go of her widow’s grief and learn to trust love again, or she’ll lose Owen forever.
(ABWH): Do you have a favorite scene from North of Need? My
personal favorite involved the igloo and snow cones made of snow, chocolate and Gatorade. 
(LK): Oh, yeah, that’s a fave for sure! I think I’d have to add two others. I was completely moved by what Megan and Owen share one night on the mountain at Wisp Ski Resort. All right now, settle down. It’s not what you think. Okay, it is what you think, but it’s also something else!!! LOL And, yes, I’m being purposely cryptic—I get that from Owen! The second is the book’s black moment, when something really, really horrific happens to Owen. Gulp. Sometimes writers just have to do bad things to good characters. *insert evil laugh here*
(ABWH): If you could describe Megan and Owen in just three words each, what would they be?
(LK): Ooh, interesting challenge!
Megan: Widow, Nurturing, Hopeful
Owen: God, Passionate, Playful
(ABWH): If North of Need became a movie who would your dream cast for Megan, Owen and Boreas be? I had to ask about Boreas too because he has a big role to play as well.
(LK): Oh my god! Okay, thinking cap is on! And…survey says:
Megan: Naomi Watts
Owen: Henry Cavill
Boreas: Sean Connery
(ABWH): I am a huge fan of Greek mythology, so I love that your books are based on the Anemoi who are the four wind gods from Greek mythology. Is this a myth you grew up loving or is there another reason you chose it to build this series around?
(LK): I’ve always been interested in Greek mythology, too, but I have to admit, I didn’t start out with a plan to write about the Anemoi. When this story first came to me, it was a cuter, fluffier story about a snow man come to life. Period. Fun, right? Nice, light holiday vibe. But when I went to write the first scene in which Owen is conscious, I couldn’t get it to work that way. He just wouldn’t cooperate. And then he told me quite firmly that was because he wasn’t a snow man, he was a Greek snow god. That set off a day’s worth of research into various cultures’ winter mythologies and led me to the Anemoi, who were a perfect fit and gave me a basis to create a series!
(ABWH): In your biography on your website, you talk about
growing up with a family that loved to tell stories about encounters with the paranormal. Do you have a favorite story or experience you can share with us?
(LK): Oh, my, there are so many to choose from! The most compelling is probably this one: when I was seventeen, I ran an errand for my mom and cut through our back yard to walk to the store in our small town. As I did, I passed my neighbor, an elderly woman named Miss Betty. I said hello, she smiled, and I was pretty pleased to see her because she’d been in the hospital for over a week with a serious illness, and her housemate, her equally elderly sister, Miss Patty, was pretty lost without her. I rushed back to my tell mom the good news that Miss Betty was home and looked fine, and my mom turned me, shocked look on her face, and said, “That can’t be, Laura. Miss Patty just called to tell me Miss Betty died at the hospital this morning.” True story.
(ABWH): Can you give us any hints about the next book, West of Want? I am so excited to read it! If not, can you share what you are working on right now?
(LK): Book 2 in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, West of Want, features Zephyrus Martius, Supreme God of the West Wind, and Ella Raines, a woman adrift in her life after a series of recent losses. He’s the most powerful of the Anemoi, and he’s in a pretty bad emotional place. Things are a bit rockier and darker in book two, but this story is so hot! You are going to love Zeph and Ella! Currently, I’m writing more in the Anemoi series and also in the editing stages in the first book in a dark paranormal mini-series with Harlequin Nocturne entitled In the Service of the King (releases Feb. 2012).
(ABWH): What types of books do you like to read in your free time? Are there any authors/series that you must have when they come out?
(LK): My first and ongoing reading love is paranormal romance. J.R. Ward is my main autobuy author, and I’m totally in love with her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I also read just about everything Sherrilyn Kenyon and Lara Adrian write, too.
(ABWH): Are you a plotter or a panster? Do you plot your stories ahead of writing? Or do you write and see what happens? (Writing “by the seat of your pants”.)
(LK): Total, complete, unapologetic pantser. When I start a story, I usually know parts really well, but all the connective tissue in between? I have no clue about that until the words appear on the screen. Sometimes I’m totally surprised, but it’s really cool too because it’s like experiencing that same process of discovery readers have the first time they read a book.
(ABWH): Do you have anything you would like to add?
(LK): Just a huge thank you for hosting me, and great big thanks and smooches to the readers for reading and bringing my characters to life!
Thank you very much for taking the time to stop by Laura! I cannot wait to read West of Want. Now for the giveaway details. The publisher and Laura have been kind enough to offer up two awesome prizes. First prize is an e-book copy of North of Need by Laura Kaye. This part of the contest is open internationally. Second prize is a set of trading cards for North of Need. This part of the contest is open to US & Canadian residents only. I will choose two winners, the first will get the e-book and the second will get the trading cards. I have put a picture of the trading cards below so you can check out what they look like. Make sure you fill out the form to enter the contest which will run from now until midnight Friday November 25th, 2011. I will use random.org to pick a winner. I will give you a bonus point if you tweet or link to this contest (Twitter, sidebar, facebook, etc.) and be sure to put the link in the form. You can also get bonus points for following Laura on Facebook, following her on twitter or subscribing to her newsletter. I have put all her information below for you as well. Good luck to everyone.
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WANT TO WIN NORTH OF NEED? The North of Need Book Launch Blog Tour runs October 25 – November 20. A giveaway everyday!
About Laura Kaye
A multi-published author of paranormal, contemporary and erotic romance, Laura Kaye’s hot, heartfelt stories are all about the universal desire for a place to belong. Laura is the author of the bestselling contemporary romance and award-nominated HEARTS IN DARKNESS and the bestselling and award-winning paranormal romance FOREVER FREED (NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011), as well as an erotic romance novella, JUST GOTTA SAY. Her fourth book, contemporary fantasy romance NORTH OF NEED, is the first in the 4-book Hearts of the Anemoi series. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
. Every creature has its downsides. So while I’d love to be able to shapeshift, if it was the painful, uncontrolled, George-from-Being-Human type shift, that wouldn’t be cool. Using magic would be fun, but is there a price?
