Interview and Giveaway: Laura Bradley Rede

Hi guys, today I'd like to welcome author Laura Bradley Rede to my blog. She is the author of YA novel Darkride, and has very kindly offered to give away e-copies of her book to three lucky readers. First off, lets get to know her book.

Ander McNair used to be the favorite son of a great monster-hunting family – until he was bitten by a werewolf and the hunter became the hunted. Now anything that makes his pulse race, even a kiss from his girlfriend Cicely, is enough to turn him into a monster. When he finally gets a chance to earn his cure by killing a vampire prince, he finds he has to choose between his own past and the future of the girl he loves. Can a guy who’s not even human learn what it means to be a man?

Luke Marianez used to be an immortal vampire prince – until the witch he loved betrayed him and cursed him with the ability to die. Now he lives in the world of vampire blood bars, where the waitresses are the drinks, and dreams about killing the last of the witch’s line so he can live forever. But revenge doesn’t just mean breaking the curse. He wants to break the girl’s heart, too. Can Luke seduce Cicely without falling in love himself?

Cicely Watson doesn’t believe in werewolves or vampires. She’s not even sure she believes in true love. But she’s about to discover what every werewolf knows:

People change

 You can see my review here.

Now, lets get started.

Tell us a bit about yourself. 
I grew up the oldest of nine kids in a small town in Maine, and I now live with my partner and our three awesome kids in Minneapolis. I love art, both making it and admiring it. I also love animals – my three pet chickens are some of my favorite “people.” I own a Great Dane because it’s as close as I can come to having a horse in the city. I’m also a compulsive thrift shopper. I don’t know how many pairs of Doc Marten boots I own, but its well into the double digits.

What inspired you to become a writer? 
My mother was Irish and she had that Irish gift for storytelling and a love of all things supernatural, so I grew up with paranormal stories. I always wrote for fun when I was a kid, just filling up notebooks with stories and journal entries, so it just seemed natural to pursue writing as an adult.

Why did you choose the young adult genre and why write about vampires and werewolves? 
I write young adult because that’s what I love to read! I love YA readers because they are really willing to throw themselves into a story completely, and I love YA characters because they are at an age when they aren’t afraid to take risks or to really wrestle with who they are and who they want to be. They feel everything with such intensity! Being able to access that as a writer is exhilarating. And I write about werewolves and vampires because I think writing about non-humans is a great way to get at some of the big questions about what it means to be human: How am I going to use my power? What would it be like to live forever? What would I kill or die for?  Plus, werewolves and vampires are sexy and dangerous. Who can resist that?

If Darkride was turned into a movie, who would you like to see play Cicely, Ander and Luke? 
Oh, don’t I wish!  For Luke, I would love someone like Ethan Peck, with those intense dark eyes. As Ander I could see someone like Zach Roerig (who plays Matt on the Vampire Diaries) because he’s such a boy next door. As Cicely, I might go with someone like Lilly Collins, but I might just go with Sage Aurora Magee, who “plays” Cicely on the book cover, because she did such an amazing job at our cover shoot!

I am completely torn between Ander and Luke, who is your favorite? 
I love them both, but I would probably fall for Luke because I’m a sucker for old-school romance. Cicely may feel differently, though!

Crossfire, the second instalment is coming soon, how many books do you plan to write as part of the Darkride Chronicles? 
I originally conceived the Darkride Chronicles as a trilogy, but I’m keeping an open mind. I want see these characters through to a good place, whether that takes two books or ten.  

Quick Questions

Favourite song? “Come to My Window” by Melissa Etheridge - so romantic!

Favourite book? It changes all the time! Recently, “The Daughter of Smoke and Bone” by Laini Taylor.

Favourite colour? Cranberry red.

Vampire or werewolf? Vampire! I’m a thrall at heart.

Tea or coffee? Tea. I love my chai lattes.

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much Laura for dropping by to answer a few questions and for your generous giveaway.

You can find Laura on Darkride's blog, her blog and Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon/B&N/Smashwords