Author's Interview: Laurel O'Donnell.

                                                   

                                          Synopsis/Blurb

Damien is an assassin, a man with no home and a tortured past. Sold into slavery as a young boy, he is trained to kill with cold calculation, without remorse. As a reward for his ruthless success, he is given a chance to earn his freedom from his cruel master. One last mission. One final person to slay… Lady Aurora of Acquitaine is the epitome of purity and goodness, beloved by all her people. She lives her life trying to atone for her mother’s cruelty by being a fair and just ruler. Secretly she fears that one day her mother’s murderer will return for her. When Damien enters Aurora’s life, tempting her with promises of dark passion and forbidden lust, he threatens to tear her peaceful world apart. Can Aurora’s light heal Damien’s dark spirit or will his evil consume her? The eternal battle of good versus evil, love versus hate, dark versus light, all come to a shattering climax in this historical romance set in medieval England.

INTERVIEW:

If you had to sum it up (title of book) in 30 or less words, what would you say?

Damien is an assassin.  Aurora believes in the good in people.  Can she heal his dark soul or will his evil consume her?

Tell us about your favorite character in this book!

Damien is tortured and troubled.  He was sold into slavery when he was 12.  He thinks he doesn’t need anyone.  He is strong and confident.  Trained to be an assassin, he has done some horrible things.  He thinks he is beyond redemption.  When he is assigned to kill Aurora to obtain his freedom, he finds himself drawn to her.  And for the first time in his life, likes the person he is when he is around her.

Of the books you’ve written, which is your favorite?

Angel’s Assassin.  It’s the book of my heart.  I love the theme that you can be the person you want to be.  Aurora sees Damien as good and he resists for a long time.  I rewrote the ending 4 times before I got it right.  I really think the readers will agree.

What do you have in store next for your readers?

My newest Lost Souls episode is coming out soon, titled Deception.  These Lost Souls books are meant to be episodic, like an episode from a television show.  They are quick paced short stories that follow ghost-like Souls Sam and Ben (sister and brother) through their mission to save humans from the Changed (Souls who have succumbed to anger and changed into beings of evil). 

After that, I have another full-length medieval I’m working on entitled Cursed With a Kiss.

What has been your greatest pleasure or personal success as an author?  

My greatest pleasure has been finaling in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart contest with my first novel, The Angel and The Prince.  That really kicked off my writing career.  I sold The Angel and The Prince to Kensington because of that.  It was truly an honor and an experience I will never forget.

What type of hero do you like best?

Alpha Hero.  Strong, confident man that needs the touch of a woman. 

Do you write your friends or family members into your books? If so, did they figure it out? 

I once found out that my sister didn’t read my books, so she became the villain in my next novel.  J  That would be her, Beth, in The Lady and The Falconer.  But really, I use names, but not personalities. 

Is there any place and time in the world and in history that you would like to visit?

A castle in medieval England at the height of its glory.  I would love to see a Jousting Tournament.

Which authors and books have most influenced your writing style? 

Steven King.  He always left chapter endings where you had to keep going.  I try to use that in my own writing.

Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?

I love the theme in Angel’s Assassin.  That you could be the person you want to be.  Hope.  I think that is a strong theme.  Of course the theme that love conquers all is good…

Quick Answer Questions: 

Favorite place?  Disney World

Best Christmas present?  My husband once gave me a real medieval coin.  That was really cool.

Favorite author?  Victoria Alexander

Favorite smell?  Rose

Favorite movie?  Changes all the time, but right now it is Titanic

Favorite dish?  Calamari

Favorite color?  Maroon

Favorite quote?  “Life is not measured by the number of breaths that you take, but by the moments that take your breath away”

Your best trait?  Patience

Your worst trait?  Procrastination

Is there anything else you’d like to share with your reader’s today?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read a little bit about me and my writing.  I hope you enjoy my stories.  Feel free to drop me a line at my website www.laurel-odonnell.com and let me know what you thought of my novels! 

Book Information

Release Date: June 26, 2012

​Genre: Medieval Romance

Formats: eBook (Kindle, Nook, etc) Kindle, Nook, Smashwords, All Romance, Omni Lit, Kobo, Diesel, Ibooks, Sony

Author Bio

Laurel O’Donnell has won numerous awards for her works, including the Holt Medallion for A Knight of Honor, the Happily Ever After contest for Angel’s Assassin, and the Indiana’s Golden Opportunity contest for Immortal Death. The Angel and the Prince was nominated by the Romance Writers of America for their prestigious Golden Heart award. O’Donnell lives in Illinois with her four cherished children, her beloved husband and her five cats. She finds precious time every day to escape into the medieval world and bring her characters to life in her writing.