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Yesterday, I told you about Laurie’s Primani Series. Today, we’re going play “Getting to Know You” before we delve into the crossover world of Demons After Dark. Don’t forget that she’ll be here on Thursday to take over. It’s going to be great! Enjoy!
Laurie Olerich Interview
Short Bio:
Laurie Olerich is an ex-military, adopted Texan, bourbon swilling romantic fantasy novelist. Her action packed urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels are inspired by her thirst for exploration of the metaphysical and occult. She is an avid world traveler, always delving deeper into her research of demonology, old cemeteries, and otherwise creepy places.
Long Bio:
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.
Questions:
How do you come up with the locations/settings for your books?
I’m a woman with a serious need for excitement and adventure. I thank Uncle Sam for that! My first duty assignment in the USAF was Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York. I was blown away by the beautiful tranquility of the Adirondack Mountains. It was there that I fell in love with snow and snowboarding. The forests, lakes, and mountains fed my soul and made me who I am today. On the flip side, I spent a ton of time in Manhattan because it’s filled with the constant hum of energy from millions of souls. I adore the feeling of excitement that surrounds me when I’m there. Nearly all of my books are set in Plattsburgh, Manhattan, or Brooklyn because these are places that have shaped me and still thrill me today.
What’s on your nightstand? Oh, nothing too exciting! There’s a tablet for middle of the night notetaking, a well-worn copy of the Kama Sutra for research, and a tarnished halo that hangs from the end of Raphael’s sword.
Is it challenging to write male characters? Whether it’s my immortal spec ops Primani, exiled Trinity demons, or Machiavellian archangels, my guys act like men! I think I was a man in a former life because their natural aggression, sexiness, and total badass warrior spirits make me super happy! All of my books have tons of action and the guys are usually fighting, blowing stuff up, or having wild monkey sex with the women they’ve fallen hard for. Is it challenging for me to write male characters? Not even a little bit!
Are any of your characters’ adventures based on real life experiences? Oh, absolutely they are! All of the snowboarding, hiking, and rafting adventures come from firsthand experiences—though I exaggerated the rafting trip through the tropical jungle in “Benn.” I’ve got a deep, dark obsessive love of creepy and abandoned places so the Roman catacomb scenes, crypts, and abandoned subway tunnels were natural settings for life and death events. I’ve explored all of these places and more. As you can see, I didn’t mention any of the crazy places my characters have sex. I WISH I could say those adventures were based on personal experience, but I haven’t ever blown up a building with a supernatural orgasm. At least, not yet. I’m still living, so there’s still time.
Where do you get your ideas for your novels?
Most of my ideas come from my own desperate need for a good time! I love all things supernatural and have been known to explore creepy cemeteries, caves, and abandoned stone circles. I’ve even been a Ghost Hunting 101 panel member at ComicCon. I’m fascinated with the human mind so I like to play with telepathy, telekinesis, and other psychic abilities. I’ll research a particular concept like reincarnation or remote viewing and base a book or character on that. Take that concept, add a ton of action in really cool places, throw in hot bodies and crazy good sex, and there’s a story!
How is the Demons After Dark Series related to the Primani 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.
How much influence do your readers have on your books? Over the years, I’ve worked hard to create a team of beta readers and a reader group. My beta readers are irreplaceable. They provide a sanity check before I publish. I rely on their input to help me put together a story that’s exciting, surprising, and satisfying. I love getting emails from readers too. I’m gradually putting together some really fun Primani novellas featuring the children and their powers. This project is a direct result of reader feedback. The kids are adorable and I’ve gotten a ton of requests for their stories.
Does any music/situations/media inspire your writing process? If so, what?
Music probably inspires me more than any other external stimulus. I’ve created entire character personalities based on the edgy, gritty, raw lyrics of bands like Seether, Staind, and Shinedown. Lead singers Shaun Morgan, Aaron Lewis, and Brent Smith have the kind of voices that rasp over my ears and sink deep into my mind while I’m gazing into space looking for inspiration. I love my complicated male characters and these singers speak to me of damage, vulnerability, and anger that fit perfectly in my Primani and Demons After Dark worlds. Sometimes only a single verse ignites an entire chapter. Maybe that’s weird, but it works for me.
How does your adult son feel about the sex in your books? My son’s very proud of me and has been super supportive over the years. We are really close and talk honestly about everything, including sex and relationships. That being said, he’s not even remotely interested in hearing about the details of the sex scenes in my books! He does, however, steal all condoms that I bring back from writer/reader conferences!
What drew you to the urban fantasy and paranormal romance genres? 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!
Do you champion any causes?
Over the years, I’ve rescued and rehabilitated 26 Dalmatians. There are so many abandoned and unwanted animals out there and I’m glad I was able to find new homes for these beautiful dogs. At any given time, we usually have two or three Dals in the house. Although now we’re down to only one since my favorite girl died last year. Princess Domino was 15. She may be gone, but I immortalized her in my Primani books in the years before she died. Yes, she really did play hacky-sack with us! Luckily, we’ve still got Rambo. He’s my writing buddy now. We rescued him from an abandoned crack house. Once we got him cleaned up and healed from terrible injuries, he’s been a wonderful, loving member of the family. I recommend adopting a rescued animal to anyone looking for a new furbaby!
