Romance Book Casting Call with Laurie London and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome to the Casting Call Laurie London. Laurie is no stranger to RFTC and I am so happy to have her back for the blog party. She is definitely one of my favorite authors and I am obsessed with her Sweetbloods series.

A graduate of Western Washington University with a BA in Business Administration and a former tester/programmer for a Fortune 500 company, Laurie London now writes from her home near Seattle where she lives with her husband and two children.

Her debut book, BONDED BY BLOOD, A Sweetblood Novel came out February 2011 and EMBRACED BY BLOOD, the second book in the series, came out July 2011 from HQN. You can also find her novella HIDDEN BY BLOOD, for free on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble right now. 

Her writing has won and been a finalist in several prestigious contests including the Beacon, the Emerald City Opener, the Marlene, and the Orange Rose.

She is represented by Emmanuelle Morgen of Judith Ehrlich Literary Management and is a member of Romance Writers of America®, Greater Seattle Area RWA, RWAOnline, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, FF&P (RWA chapter devoted to all things paranormal), and two book clubs – one of which she helps coordinate live online author chats with readers from around the world.

When not writing, she can be found running, reading, or riding and showing her horse. Someday she hopes to qualify for the Quarter Horse World Show – that is, if her horse doesn’t get hurt again.

Places to find Laurie:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Congratulations Dani, Kati and Jamie on your blogoversaries! This past year, you’ve done a lot o’ reading, reviewing, and dishing about books. So, to celebrate this momentous occasion, we’re talking movie stars, books and drinking cyber cocktails. Please grab a glass of bubbly. Cheers!

The first book in the Sweetblood series, Bonded By Blood, came out just over a year ago, so let’s talk about who I’d cast for Dom and Mackenzie. Guardian team leader Dominic Serrano is forced to choose between the vengeance he craves and the woman (Mackenzie Foster-Shaw) he can’t live without.

Here’s Mackenzie’s impression when she first sees Dom:

***

The man lay on his back, half-hidden under the leaves and branches, his clothes covered in dirt. Given his disheveled appearance, he looked like a vagrant. But as she raked her eyes over him, she noted his expensive-looking boots and pale blue dress shirt, and he, too, was wearing leather pants. Most definitely not homeless.

Torn and muddy, his shirt was unbuttoned, ripped open actually, revealing a dirt-smeared but well-defined chest. Some of his shoulder-length dark hair, tangled with bits of leaves and debris, seemed to be partially captured in a ponytail, but she couldn’t be sure from this angle. His eyes, an electrifying shade of ice blue, pierced through her. She stopped a few feet away.

“What happened to you? Are you hurt?”

“I need...your help.” His voice, slightly accented, was clearly laced with pain.

At that moment, the wind picked up and swirled at her feet as if urging her to move. The leaves around him danced on the air and settled slowly back to the ground. Stepping closer, she heard his sharp intake of breath. His eyes widened at first then narrowed to slits, and he shrank backwards into the leaves.

He couldn’t be scared of her, could he? He was a tall man, athletic and powerfully built.

Why would he be afraid of her?

***

So for that reason, I’m casting Rodrigo Santoro. And look, in this picture, he’s wearing rings, just like Dom does.

Here’s Dom’s view of Mackenzie when he first sees her:

***

He called out to her and licked his dry lips. With that long hair cascading past her shoulder blades, it would encase his face as he drank from her, tickling his nose and giving his hands a luxurious anchor. He’d take just enough of her blood and energies, then send her away with memories of nothing. God, he was parched.

Although he sensed her fear, she came toward him with purpose in her stride. She moved with confidence, stepping over obstacles with a strong, even pace, unaccustomed to being afraid. Her curious green eyes locked onto his and he could think of little else except the mesmerizing sway of her hips. She stopped several feet away and appraised him.

He was about to ask her about her phone when his world caved in around him. The wind picked up and with it came her scent, swirling innocently in the leaves at first, then bashing him across the forehead like a lead pipe.

Dios mio. Sangre Dulce.

He wanted to pump his legs. To scramble away from her. But his muscles were like stone. He was virtually paralyzed.

She was more than just vulnerable, he realized. She was in terrible danger. Not just from him, but from the Darkbloods. She had to run. Get away. Now.

***

So for Mackenzie, I’m casting the tough yet gorgeous Eliza Dushku. Mackenzie often wears her hair this way too.

So what do you think? Good picks or not?

Happy Blogoversary, ladies!

Some cravings are too powerful to resist...

Movie location scout Mackenzie Foster-Shaw has always known that she’s cursed to die young. No one can protect her from the evil that has stalked her family for generations—vampires who crave her rare blood type. Until one afternoon in a wooded cemetery, she encounters an impossibly sexy stranger, a man she must trust with her life.

For Dominic, a man haunted by loss, Mackenzie satisfies a primal hunger that torments him—and the bond they share goes beyond heat, beyond love. She alone can supply the strength he needs to claim his revenge. But in doing so, he could destroy her…

Places to Purchase:

| Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | The Book Depository |

Want to win some goodies from Laurie? 2 winners (US and Canada ONLY) will win a copy of one of Laurie's books + trading cards. 

Up for grabs:

Bonded by Blood + Trading Cards

Tempted by Blood + Trading Cards

To Enter:

• Leave a comment answering the question: What do you think of Laurie's choices? Good picks or not? 
• Fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please answer the question below or leave a meaningful comment. 

Good Luck =)

**Don't forget to stop by Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance and check out who Laurie chose to cast for her book Tempted by Blood.

A HUGE thank you to Laurie London for providing the giveaway copies.

a Rafflecopter giveaway