Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in North Central Iowa, almost at the Minnesota border, in a small, rural faming community. For the past five years I have worked for my town’s weekly newspaper. In my spare time, I love to travel and go hiking, swimming, fishing, or wandering in the woods. Being close to nature is important to me. I’ve written twelve books, nine of which are published, the remaining books are set to be released this year. The published novels are: Burning Luck, Guitars and Cages, Guitars and Choices, Desolation Angel, …And All Shall Fade to Black, Broken Prince Mismatched Eyes, Midnight Musicals and Coffee Ice Cream, Racing the Sky and Serpent’s Kiss.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Serpent’s Kiss, the first of my shapeshifter novels, was inspired during an author takeover, when I started asking readers if there were any unusual animals they would like to see used in shifter books. Coupled with a writing prompt that read ‘Your character comes home and someone or something unusual is sitting on the couch’ Serpent’s Kiss was born. An MM Paranormal Romance with tons of political intrigue, my focus was on creating their own society, rather than having them try and blend in with humans.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When the weather is nice, I love to lay in the bed of my pickup truck, stare up at the sky, and watch the clouds roll by, drawing inspiration from them and other things I encounter out in the woods. I tend to take my notebooks and sit on a moss covered log overlooking a creek and just write until it’s time to go home again. I almost always hand write my first drafts before they end up on a computer, and on rainy days, a dusty old book store or library is my favorite place to read or write.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders was the first big influence in my life. Through her characters, she portrayed a world I knew nothing about, during a time when I hadn’t even been born yet. I could feel their pain, their anxiety, their love for one another, and their struggles as I read the book, and when I learned how young she was when she first published it, just fifteen, I got the idea to write my first novel. While I didn’t quite complete it, the desire never went away, and now, I am focused on making a career of it.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I am expanding what was initially intended to be a very short story. Slowly, it is being shaped into an MM Rock Star romance where the rocker and his soon to be bodyguard fall for one another while also helping each other move past some of the trials and traumas they’ve experienced in the past. I’m also working on the third book of a five book series, Guitars and Canvasses, which I expect to release in time for Christmas 2019.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now, it’s facebook, but I am slowly learning about different websites that authors can promote on and have begun to branch out.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep at it, don’t ever let anyone take your dream away. Tell the story YOU want to tell not the story others try and tell you that you should be telling, and when it gets hard, remember that nothing worth doing ever came easy.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never settle for being normal, celebrate being you.
What are you reading now?
Social Sinners Book #1 By TL Travis. It is an MM rocker romance and WOW, has it been absolutely stunning.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have five storyboards on the walls of my office, so once the third Guitars book is done, I will be switching gears and returning to the world of my motorcycle club to write the second book there. The first book, Burning Luck, featured Lucky, Thorn and Cain as they came together despite a rather rocky start. The runner up in the LGBTQ category of the 2018 Golden Flogger awards, Burning Luck blends bikers and BDSM with a healthy dose of romance and a dash of smuggling. In the new book, two very headstrong characters will be butting heads and I expect the sparks to fly and the sparkplugs to be firing on overdrive.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Lords and The New Creatures, Wilderness, and An American Night, all three by Jim Morrison, of the Doors, they contain the poetry he wrote during his lifetime. Of course the final book I would take would be The Outsiders. I have worn out two copies of it and am currently close to having to replace the third.
Author Websites and Profiles
layla dorine Website
layla dorine Amazon Profile
layla dorine’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account