Interview with Lauren Dawes, Author of Half Blood: The Complete Collection

by grant

in Author Interviews, Fantasy & Science Fiction, News

17 Nov 2020

What can you tell us about your new release, Half Blood: The Complete Collection?

This is the complete collection of my Helheim Wolf Pack Series. The whole series follows a different member of the Helheim pack, and each book offers their story of finding their true mate. It’s a great mix of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and if you love J.R. Ward’s style of writing, you’re going to love this series.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

This will probably make everyone laugh, but Stephanie Meyer, but probably not for the reasons you all think. I’m a vampire purist at heart. As far as I’m concerned, Anne Rice is the Queen of the vampire genre. What Meyer did with the Twilight saga still makes me cringe to this day. So, I can say, in part, it was a combination of Stephanie Meyer’s creation and a drive to write creative fiction that I’ve had since I was about 8.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward, Stray by Rachel Vincent, The Book Thief by Marku Zusak, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

J.R. Ward and “Can I live inside your head?”

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

The freedom of creativity, of getting lost in a world of my own creation.

What is a typical day like for you?

I get up at 5am, make tea, then hit the computer until about 7am when the rush to get my daughter ready for school is on. I’m still juggling a day job of sorts so after I get all my work done for clients, I write. I sprint, getting about a thousand words every thirty minutes, so even a couple of hours in addition to my morning time, I’m getting between 2 and 5 thousand words a day.

What scene from Half Blood: The Complete Collection was your favorite to write?

I love any of the fight scenes. The more blood, the better!

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

“Do the things that terrify you.” It builds confidence and makes you see that you can achieve anything you put your mind to.