Interview and International Giveaway with Alayna Williams

Welcome to this stop on Alayna Williams' ROGUE ORACLE Book Tour!  Alayna is here to answer some questions about her latest release.  After the interview, look for details on a chance to win a paperback copy of Rogue Oracle! 

Hi, Alayna!  Thank you for being with us today!  Please tell us about your new release, Rogue Oracle.

Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around - and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn't need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards - and Tara's increasingly ominous dreams - suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationships with the mysterious order known as Delphi's Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen.

If you had the ability to see the future, is there one thing you'd love to know?

I wonder which Philip K. Dick dystopia will come to pass: Blade Runner, Minority Report, or Total Recall. We already have clear raincoats and LED umbrellas: http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/d163/

But, seriously, I wonder what I'm making for dinner. That's probably at the top of my list.

Do you have a special formula for creating character names?

I tend to choose names that have a symbolic tie to the story. "Tara," for instance, means "star"...and the Star is a card in the Tarot deck. Her last name, "Sheridan," means "searcher." I thought that would be a perfect name for a criminal profiler.

Her romantic interest, Harry, has a name that means "leader of an army." And his last name, "Li," is roughly equivalent to "reason" or "logic." Harry is a skeptic, and he makes a good foil to Tara's intuitive powers.

In your opinion, what is the difference between urban fantasy and paranormal romance?

Paranormal romance requires that a romance be the primary plot structure. A happy ending is also generally expected.

UF plots can include romance, but romance is in the backseat. And a happy ending isn't required.

What are a few of your guilty pleasures in life?

Oooh. Let's see...reality television. My favorites are Tosh.0, the Soup, and Man versus Wild. Eighties music. Spoiling my pets. Cheeseburgers. Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network. My Wonder Woman action figure collection. Comic books. Accruing fines on my library card.

My vices are varied and odd.

Thanks so much for having me! :-)

Alayna Williams aka Laura Bickle

About the Book:

The more you know about the future, the more there may be to fear.

Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around - and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn't need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards - and Tara's increasingly ominous dreams - suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationships with the mysterious order known as Delphi's Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen…

ROGUE ORACLE is available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:

Alayna Williams has an MA in sociology-criminology (research interests: fear of crime and victimology) and a BA in criminology. She has worked in and around criminal justice since 1997. Although she does read Tarot cards, she's never used them in criminal profiling or to locate lost scientists. She recently took up astronomy, but for the most part her primary role in studying constellations and dark matter is to follow her amateur astronomer-husband around central Ohio toting the telescope tripod and various lenses. Like the Pythia in Dark Oracle, she's been known to belly dance. Unlike the Pythia she'd never consider herself a professional.

Writing as Laura Bickle, she's the author of EMBERS and SPARKS for Pocket - Juno Books. Writing as Alayna Williams, she's the author of DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE.

More info on her urban fantasy and general nerdiness is here:
http://www.salamanderstales.com/

Laura/Alayna’s blogs:

http://www.salamanderstales.blogspot.com/
http://delphisdaughters.blogspot.com/

Alayna's Tour Schedule:
http://bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.com/2011/01/alayna-williams-rogue-oracle-tour.html

Giveaway Details:

Alayna is giving away a paperback copy of Rogue Oracle to one random commenter!  Please leave a way to contact you in your comment.  Contest is open internationally.  Ends Tuesday, 3/15/2011 at 11:59 pm CST.  Good luck!