As seen in the March issue of Uncaged Book Reviews

Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about the Demons After Dark series? How many books are planned for the series?

Demons After Dark is set in the Primani world, but the main characters are demons who’ve been exiled from Hell. The demons are nicknamed “Trinity” by Raphael’s original Primani, Killian. While the Primani characters make occasional appearances, they’re not the center of these new stories. In the DaD books, readers get to know Lucifer and Raphael even more intimately because they are working together to prevent a fanatic secret society from overthrowing Lucifer and taking over both Hell and the human plane. Poor Raphael is stuck managing Lucifer’s Trinity demons as they learn to survive as humans and struggle to juggle their new lives and the women who turn them upside down. By the way, I love, love, love hiding Easter eggs so there are fun little surprises scattered in the stories. Readers who’ve fallen in love with the Primani world will spot these treats. Note, these books are funny, somewhat dark, and much, much hotter than my Primani Series. I’m planning eight books in this series, but am open to more if it seems right.

Uncaged: Your Primani series is the original series that the Demons series was born out of, is that series still ongoing and is there a set amount of books you have planned, or is it open-ended?

The Primani Series isn’t quite done yet. Each new book will be a standalone title so readers won’t have to go back and re-read the entire series. At this point, I have another novel planned and several novellas too. After that? I’m not sure. I adore the characters so much, but I’ve got several other projects that I’d like to work on. I have a contemporary romance spinoff I’d like to start and a paranormal buddy adventure I’ve already begun. And of course, I am pushing ahead with more Demons After Dark books in 2018 and 2019.

Uncaged: Will you be attending any events in-person this year or any conventions?

2018 is a little more relaxed than some years have been. I’m signing at the Wild Deadwoods Reads convention in Deadwood, SD, in June and am signing at the Alamo City Comic Con here in San Antonio, TX, in October. I think these are my two big events.

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

Yes, I absolutely read them. Glowing reviews lift my spirits while critical reviews help me see where I can improve my writing. It’s always amusing to hear how some characters or scenes are perceived so differently from how I wrote them. I love that!

Uncaged: Can you tell us what you have coming up next?

I’m really excited to say that I’m finishing up “Derick (Demons After Dark Book Four)” and plan to release it in April. Later in 2018, I’ll release “Hayden (Demons After Dark Book Five)” and another Primani Series novella. Possibly a full-length novel but I’m not promising that just yet. It depends on how quickly I can write.

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

A lot of my readers tell me they feel as if they’re in the story with the characters. They say it’s like being immersed in a movie. I love to hear that! That’s exactly the experience I hope for. BUT, BUT, BUT, the nicest thing anyone has ever said was pretty funny. One reader recently said, “Your mind is a very weird place. I love it.” Best compliment ever!

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

I love creating the world and the lore that goes with it. My stories are meant to be an escape for readers. What better way to forget your problems than to lose yourself in a world that may or may not exist alongside our distressing one? Each book builds on the lore and the backstory so it unfolds in real time as you read. I love giving my characters unique psychic abilities that give them an edge on the bad guys and in the bedroom too–telepathy, telekinesis, energy exchange, teleporting… Imagine the possibilities! My paranormal world includes Primani (immortal soldiers), psychics, angels, and demons (both good and bad). Oh, and just because this is PNR, there’s no reason to leave out the occasional kinky character, is there? These guys have needs too! Now, isn’t that more fun than cowboys and bikers? Wink, wink!

My least favorite part is managing advertising and marketing strategies. Writing an awesome story isn’t enough. Authors have to become marketing savvy if they want to find readers to actually read their awesome stories. Managing ads and marketing campaigns in an ever-changing marketplace is exhausting and downright daunting some days.

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

When I’m not writing, I putter in my yard, go for hikes with my dog, and explore new restaurants with my best girlfriends. My life is pretty quiet these days. I’m focused on getting healthy this year so I’m exercising and eating clean foods. I’d like to be able to travel more so getting my body in good condition is important.

Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write? What is the easiest? From start to finish, how long does it take to finish a complete book?

A book’s middle portion is the hardest part for me. It’s important not to fill it up with fluff. The center of a story has to keep the reader engaged; it has to propel a reader through the meat of the plot and still be exciting and necessary. It’s easy to inadvertently drag things out here so I always end up editing with a scalpel. The beginning is always the easiest! Once upon a time… comes easily to me. I’m not the fastest writer around so it usually takes me around four months to finish a book.

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

I love hearing from my fans via email, Facebook, Twitter…really, I just love to hear from people! Nothing brings a bigger rush of happiness than chatting about characters and their adventures. Please, please feel free to reach out to me anytime! The best way to get a quick response is by posting on my Facebook page. I usually check it throughout the day even when I’m working at my day job. If fans want to see what I’m up to, sign up for my newsletter. Also, I try to keep my Pinterest boards current with images pertaining to my works in progress and inspiration for books. I love the visual aspects of Pinterest!

[symple_box color=”black” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]For as long as she can remember, Laurie Olerich has been fascinated with all things paranormal. From the time she was a little girl, her vivid imagination led her on ghost hunting missions with her invisible friend. As an adult, Laurie has evolved that rich fantasy life into a love of travel and exploration that has sent her on expeditions from New England to Rome in search of old cemeteries and underground burial sites. Along with her studies of demonology and angelology, she uses inspiration from her travels to write action-packed urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels full of wickedly sexy characters and creepy places. An unhealthy love of hockey and a 20 year military career give her a penchant for strong men and big guns.[/symple_box]

laurieolerich.com

As seen in the February issue of Uncaged Book Reviews

Uncaged: Can you tell readers about your Caked with Pleasure series? How many books are you planning for the series?

Someone once said “in order to write well, you must write what you know.” Well, here’s what I know. Baking and racing. With my love of writing, the two seemed to come together naturally.

Jacqui and Nick were supposed to be a one-off, however, her friends had other ideas. Peri and Cami insisted I give them their own stories. There are 2 books currently available in the series, with the third in progress.

There are possibilities for more, but for now I’m sticking to three.

Uncaged: On Track with Icing was your first full length novel, and honestly, I never thought about the pairing of a bakery owner and a racecar driver, but it works. What was the inspiration for these characters?

I drew on my own personal experiences when I created these characters. I’ve been a race fan for as long as I can remember, and I come from a family of bakers. I even worked in my family’s bakery for a few years, and drew on that experience to create Jacqui’s Bakery.
NASCAR brought me together with my husband, who spent many years working with a female driver at our local track, and he was a wealth of information when it came to getting the mechanics of the cars and accuracy of the on-track action.

Uncaged: You also have a “day job,” do your co-workers know about your books?

I honestly don’t think my coworkers are interested in reading my books. Or if they are, they haven’t approached me. I have the covers on my desk, but as yet no inquiries about them.

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

Of course I read reviews! I want to know what my audience thinks of my books, good or bad. If I don’t know where my mistakes are, I can’t fix them. Being a part of an amazing critique group, I see every review as an opportunity to improve both my craft.

Uncaged: Can you tell us what you have coming up next?

I get asked frequently about when Cami’s story, Knotted Up with Passion, will come out. I still have a huge, gaping hole in her timeline that I need to fill (because she’s in captivity and I don’t want to bore my readers when she’s stuck in her cell), and I need to get her reunited with her man (whom I have not officially announced yet, though readers will probably pick up on it pretty quick. I kinda left a trail of bread crumbs in the first two.)

In addition to Knotted Up with Passion, I’ve also started a massive project I call my Romantic American Tour. One romance story for each state. One of my favorite authors created her Americana series back in the 70s and 80s, and she inspired me to write my own series.

I’ll be writing my own stories, using different locations of the states as backdrops. I have Wisconsin and North Carolina done, with Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Maine currently in progress. I also have outlines for Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, and Virginia. Without outlines I would probably go stark raving mad with this project!

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

Someone told me once that Jacqui’s story made her cry, that she could relate to Jacqui’s inability to have children. Hearing how someone else, even if she’s just a fictional character, dealt with endometriosis and the subsequent consequences, helped her cope with a similar situation.

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

My favorite part about being an author? Writing of course! Creating fascinating characters in exciting locations. I also love meeting fellow writers and readers. Encouragement from the readers helps keep me going.

My least favorite part? Probably everything else. Promotions are the hardest thing, because I’m extremely introverted. I’ve always hated drawing attention to myself, and now I’m forced to in order to promote my work. And there’s no magic formula for instant readership, so it’s constant trial and error.

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

I love reading, of course, which inspired me to get into writing. I read a number of badly-written romances, and had the “brilliant idea” (said with a sarcastic smirk) that I could write better. So I put my pen where my mouth was, so to speak. On Track with Icing was the first novel that I felt was worthy of publication.

When I need a break from writing I enjoy crafting. Crochet, loom-knitting, counted cross-stitch, sewing. Last year for Halloween I made my own Ursula costume from a pattern I had left over for a different costume. I even turned my front porch into Ursula’s Lair, which was a huge hit with the kids.

Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write? What is the easiest? From start to finish, how long does it take to finish a complete book?

The hardest part for me is probably just sitting down to write. Between the day job and other demands on my time, I have to make time to write. The easiest, I’d say, is the actual writing. Once I get in my zone, I can easily get several chapters written.

As for how long it takes to finish a complete book, well, it varies. On Track was 3-year project, however Icing the Competition was written within a few months. Knotted up with Passion is currently going on 2 ½ years from the first moment I started the first chapter.

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

I want to thank the readers. Without them no author, me included, would be where they are. So please, show them your appreciation by leaving a review and passing along the word about their books.

[symple_box color=”black” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]Reading and writing have always been a part of CJ’s life. Ever since she can remember, she’s been putting pen to paper, creating complex characters in rich environments. She lives in Western Wisconsin with her husband and fur-baby. When she’s not working or writing, she enjoys baking, cake decorating, and of course, watching NASCAR. She picked up her first piping bag at age fourteen and started decorating full-time at age twenty-three. Using the experience she’d gained while working in her family’s bakery, along with her love of racing, she created the setting for her first series of novels. She also enjoys volunteering at the local animal rescue shelters and advocating for those who are unable to speak for themselves.[/symple_box]

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