About the Author:
Ashlynne Laynne has always had a soft spot in her heart for vampires but grew tired of the garlic fearing, sun-loathing creatures of old. An avid horror movie fan, she tends to enjoy media and music that is of a younger, more eclectic nature. This was the catalyst for her writing The Progeny. The vampire/witch pairing is unique and different when most books pair vampires with werewolves.
Ashlynne loves writing on the edge and teetering between the erotica and romance genres, and thinks of Ascher and Shauna as the wicked, damned version of Romeo and Juliet. She is currently working on book four of her Progeny Series, book one of her upcoming Rocker Series, and an untitled novella WIP. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with her family. She juggles the hats of wife, mother, full time employee and part-time writer, hoping to write full time one day soon.
Ashlynne lives in North Carolina with her husband and teenage son. First off, I’d like to thank Annette for hosting me today. I’m absolutely thrilled to be here. My name is Ashlynne Laynne, and I’m the author of the Progeny Series. I’ve been writing almost two years, and I live in the States with my husband and teenage son. Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
I start each project with a loose time line that never completely holds up. The deeper I get into writing this series, the less control I, as the writer, seem to have over my characters.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
(chuckles) Ascher and Shauna are both very stubborn characters and they want their story told. Good for them...bad for me. I often dream about them and wake from my sleep to write down things that I dream. The series started with a dream about my hero, Ascher, and the unique amulets that he and his brothers wear.
What is your favourite food?
I have so many, but one of my all-time favourites is deep dish pepperoni pizza.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I’m a night owl, which doesn’t bode well for me considering the fact that I have to be to work at five in the morning. I’ve been doing it for fifteen years, and it still takes me until nine to completely wake up every morning.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
I’ve written about two places that I would really love to go. The first is Paris. I took French for four years in school. I love the food and accents. I made Ascher French because of this. The second place I’d love to see is Hawaii. While researching Hawaii for book three, I fell even more in love with it. The last place I want to visit is Ireland. A character I’m writing for another series is part Irish and I love writing him. I’ve always been wild for anything Celtic. I love the culture, the dancing and the music. I wear a Celtic knot ring on my right hand to remind me of my character and to convey my love for the culture.
Do distant places feature in your books?
Ascher is French, and he and Shauna do quite a bit of travelling in the books. They visit Paris and Romania in book one. They visit Saint-Tropez in book two, and they visit Hawaii and New York in book three. Shauna grew up with little money and sheltered, so Ascher joys in showing her new places.
Do you listen to music while writing?
I’m a confessed alt rock fan and love nothing more than a little Rob Zombie, Evanescence or Muse to get my blood pumping while I’m writing an intense fight scene. I also love listening to smooth and mellow music while writing love scenes. The words just seem to flow better with music.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
My latest release is entitled Blood Promise, and it’s the third book in my Progeny series. At its elemental core, this series is simply about a man and woman who fall in love, and the fact that he’s a half-blood (half-human, half vampire) and she’s a Wiccan human complicate their situation. Quite a few revelations and the final part of an ancient prophecy come to light in this book. Ascher and Shauna have had to fight tooth and nail for their relationship, and this installment is no different. The threads holding the clan together are definitely tested in Blood Promise. This book picks up hours after the second book ended. This series encompasses a family dynamic of which we’ve never seen. The Rousseaus share a common mortal and immortal bloodline, but loyalty bonds this clan. Shauna and Ascher’s dissuaded love only strengthens the family bonds. Their unique union transcends bloodlines and completes the prophecy, defying the archaic beliefs of centuries old covenants while shattering the wall between the Wiccan and vampire worlds that has existed for ages. This series is erotic paranormal romance intended for adults, as it contains adult sensuality, language and themes.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?
The person who’s had the biggest influence over me and my writing would have to be my dear friend, and fellow erotica writer, Leanore Elliott. She took me under her wing and practically taught me what I needed to know about the business and writing. She also gave me the soundest advice anyone has ever given me. She told me, “The story always comes first, little Ashlynne. Always protect your story.” This is advice that I take to heart.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
I would tell them to write every day, even if they don’t feel like it. Also, get a good editor. As writers, we are too close to our characters and the story to be objective when it comes to a thorough edit. You need a fresh, unbiased set of eyes to catch the problems that you might overlook in your manuscript. After an unfortunate editing mishap with book one, I commissioned Leanore as a second edit, and I’ll never release another book without her. She’s awesome.
What are three words that describe you?
observant, quiet, loyal
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
Stephen King is my favorite writer.
Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book
Blood Promise (The Progeny Series #3)
“Their love is fated by an ancient prophecy. Now the promise is fulfilled.”
Ascher Rousseau is a half-human, half vampire whose life has been a series of prophecies and predictions. After finding incredible love and passion with Shauna—a Wiccan with powers beyond anything he’s ever known—he seals to her and hopes for happiness. But his enemies seek to destroy all that he loves, and he finds that happiness never lasts for long.
Darkness is descending and a vampiric revolution is nearing. A new brood of hatchlings is born to join their darkling brothers, in preparation for war. A preordained chain of events is set into motion that could lead to the rise of the demonic “cloaked one” and his half-human fallen children, while ending humanity—as we know it.
Can a supernatural love and the loyal bond of a family save the Rousseaus and the world from certain extinction?
List of previous books if any
The Progeny
Blood Bonds
Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.
Manic Readers ~Blog ~Website ~
Thank you, Ashlynne and good luck with your books!
Thank you for hosting me today, Annette. :)
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