About the Author:
Born in South Africa and raised in Sydney, Lauren Dawes is an urban fantasy/paranormal romance writer and the author of the Dark Series. In 2009, she quit her full-time Teaching English as a Second Language job to finally begin writing “that book”, letting her over-active imagination pour out onto the digital pages. She currently lives with her husband and daughter in whatever city the army happens to post them to.
Genres: Paranormal – Urban Fantasy
Lauren’s Books:
A FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES
A battle for werewolf territory and rights has Rhett fighting for his life and for the survival of the pack. The last Half Blood –a half human, half vampire hybrid–has been found and Rhett has been chosen as her unlikely Guardian. The pack’s survival hangs on her completing her transformation, but a Sicarii–a vampire assassin–is hunting her to ensure that never happens…
A DARK SECRET REVEALED
Indigo’s hard exterior is nothing compared to the dark secret she carries within her. Her haunted eyes alone tell of her struggle and desire to live. But what she doesn’t know is that she is hard-wired for survival; the very blood in her veins and the legacy of her father demands it. But when her life takes a violent turn, her heritage and her fate may be the very thing to get her killed…
If you love vampires, werewolves and a bit of intrigue, “Half Blood” is the book for you!
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Length: 230 pages
Price: $2.99
The time of Odin is over. The Aesir gods now live among the humans in their bustling modern cities. Their brutal dominion over the other gods and their eradication of the entire dark elf race may have ended, but their actions have not been forgotten.
Korvain is one of the last full-blooded dark elves, and is feared like no other. His ruthlessness and cold heart are legendary, but when he is given the task of killing one of the most fabled goddesses of all time, he is left with an undeniable desire to make her his own. Failure in his task means only one thing: death. Will he follow his orders, or will he follow his heart? 
Bryn’s whole world crumbled when she left Odin’s service to protect the other valkyries. Now living with the humans, she is the only thing standing between them and total destruction. But her beliefs are about to be shaken to the core when she meets Korvain—a volatile, completely irresistible dark elf who threatens to take away more than just her innocence …
At the time of posting – this book is FREE at the publishers website! 
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The time of the Aesir gods is over. Now they live amongst the humans in their bustling modern cities. Their brutal dominion over the gods and humans may have ended, but their actions have not been forgotten.
With the death of Adrian still haunting Taer’s every waking breath, she dreams of getting revenge on the dark elf responsible for her brother’s murder. But when the one person she’s depending on to train her in the art of weaponry refuses to help, she has no other choice but to get instruction from the most unlikely of people. Driven by an undeniable desire, Taer finds herself learning more than just how to fight.
Eir, the goddess of healing, has had her spirit destroyed with the death of her twin at the hands of a deranged god. Still struggling with her loss, she is merely surviving each day. That is until a chance encounter with a human shows her that her broken heart can be mended in the simplest of ways.
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1. How would you describe the writing to publishing process? Any fun analogies?
My writing to publishing process is like being in a relationship. Sometimes you love the book, sometimes you want to stab it in the heart for mistreating you, but at the end of the day you stick together and see it through because that’s just what you do. For many authors, they can knock out a book in about a month. I, unfortunately, am not one of those people. Urban fantasy takes a little more research and world building in order to make it good. At the minimum, writing a book will take me six months, and another six months of editing, editing, editing and then proofreading. Maybe then it’ll be ready for some beta readers. I don’t rush the process. I’m putting my name to the story. I want to be known for having great, well-thought out stories, not just hastily thrown together ones. The day you hit the publish button is a good day though because you know you’ve done all you can.
2. Are you a plotter or a fly by the seat of your pants type writer?
I’m definitely a plotter. The first book I ever published was written without a plan and it took me three and a half years because I kept changing things to make it better. If I’d taken the time to plot, it wouldn’t have taken so long. I’m also meticulous when it comes to characters and the geography of my books. I have notebooks filled with character descriptions and maps to make sure I don’t have any plot holes.
3. Do you listen to music or are you a silence in the library writer?
I listen to music, but what I listen to changes with the tone of the scene. For example, if I’m writing a love/sex scene, the music I like is more ballads and love songs. If I’m writing about a murder scene or a fight (definitely more my style) then I listen to something heavier, or something with a faster beat and usually with a lot of swearing.
4. You’re going to a deserted island and you’re allowed 3 books to read for the rest of your life… which books and why?
I’d probably take Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” because it’s a classic. I’d also take any two randomly chosen books by J.R.Ward. That woman can do no wrong.
Thanks so much to Lauren for joining me this week. Have a fantastic week everyone – I’ll post some reviews this week – don’t forget to send me your Teasers for Tuesday – and join me next week for another Author Spotlight…
He was manipulative and cruel—more than a thief. A beast.
If you’re looking for a fast fiction read that doesn’t compromise on story, then this is for you. Reading this book was actually stepping out of my realm a bit. I’ve got to say, I loved every step of the way! The darkness of the original story is explored in this re-telling, and done is such a fantastical sort of way. The prose is dark and imaginative and I was immediately immersed into the world created by the author. It was a page turner that I thoroughly enjoyed. Not is all as it seems, in the magical world of Beauty…and The Beast. A really great quick read for the paranormal fantasy readers. 
Thank you to the author for generously providing a copy of the book for an honest review.
Bought to you by:
SydneyGen Reads 