Welcome… Author, Laura Oliva!

Good Morning Everyone,

Today I am pleased to welcome romance author, Laura Oliva, to the blog. She kindly agreed to participate in an interview today. I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing her book, All That Glitters. You can read the review here.

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Hi Laura! Thanks for participating in this short interview. Can you please tell the followers here a little bit about yourself and your work?

Hey Nicole! Thanks so much for having me over.  So, about me: I’m a wife and mom.  I have a garden.  I love to cook.  I also write romance novels starring people who would were probably voted “least likely to fall in love” back in high school.

I have always dreamed of living in Alaska. Your book, All that Glitters, takes place in Alaska. Have you ever been there? If not, what made you want to use that beautiful setting as the background of the story?

While I have never been to Nome, Alaska (which is where All That Glitters took place), I was lucky enough to cruise through the interior when I was younger. Granted, it was a cruise, so my exposure to Alaska proper was limited at best, but I still fell in love with the harsh beauty and absolute big-ness of the place.  It struck me as the perfect place for a love story.

Valentine’s Day was just a few days ago. As a romance writer, do you have any special Valentine’s Day traditions?

As a romance writer, I would love to.  However, as the mother of a toddler, reality often interferes.  I usually make something yummy for dinner, followed by chocolate (for me), and an early bedtime.  Let me say, though, I am lucky enough to be married to an amazing man who spoils and loves me every day of the year.  So Valentine’s Day is really just another day in our life together.

Who are some of the authors that helped inspire your desire to write?

I have been influenced by a lot of different writers.  I love Janet Evanovitch for her use of humor.  I love Sue Grafton for the way she spins a character and writes a mystery.  Lately, though, I’ve been exploring more “noir-ish” themes in my work, so I’ve been reading a lot of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.  I know: weird list of mentors for a romance novelist.  But then, I pride myself on not writing “typical” romance novels.

If you could live in one of your books, which one would it be and why?

I would probably live in the book I just finished (and the next six I have planned, since it is part of a serialized romance series).  It is set in present-day San Francisco, but not the San Francisco you’ll see as a tourist.  My San Francisco is a steamy maze of burlesque clubs, back alleys, and crime-ridden neighborhoods.  I love it so!

Where can readers find you?

God, I’m everywhere.  But if you’re looking for me, you might start here:

On my Website

On my Blog

On Facebook

On Twitter (@writermama)

 What can readers expect from you this year?

I have quite a line-up, well, lined up.  I’m publishing the second book in my serialized noir romance series this summer.  The series is called The Devil’s Playthings, the book is called The Devil’s Kitchen.  I am planning to publish Book Three before Thanksgiving, and I also have a holiday anthology starring the series’ minor characters planned for around that same time.  So I basically will be living in San Francisco, even if it’s just in my head.  Anyone who wants to join me is welcome!