It's Monday again and this means time for you to meet yet another new author. I'm happy to welcome Laura Bailo to the blog today. She is a debut author with Dreamspinner Press and her novella The Sun Still Rises which is part of the World of Love series. 

Meet Laura

Hi, I’m Laura, though if you’re reading this I guess you already know that. I’m Spanish and I mostly write things in English. As for my decision to become a romance writer, it just kind of happened? I’ve always loved reading – to the point where when my parents had to ground me when I was a kid they took my books away – and I discovered romance novels a few years ago. From then on, I was lost in their worlds. That was about the time I was coming back to writing too, and I decided to try my hand at writing something in English. The first thing I wrote was a little flash fiction story thatyou can find on my blog
(https://laurabailo.wordpress.com/2016/04/03/he-was-there-i-remember/). 

And then Dreamspinner Press issued a call for a series called World of Love, in which each book would be set in a different country. That was when the proverbial light bulb that lives above my head turned on; I could write a story set in Spain, I know the country pretty well after all. So I claimed it, and they gave me the go ahead, and a few months later, The Sun Still Rises was born. 

2. Can you share some of your favourite books and authors?

I definitely can! I’ll even restrict myself to romance and to choosing just one book from each author, so you all don’t get bored. Let’s see: I love Alexis Hall, and while I love everything he’s written, I have to say that his little nerdy book Looking for Group will always have a special place in my heart. Then there’s KJ Charles, who does historical as if she’d lived those times herself. As for a favourite book, I adored everything about An Unseen Attraction. Eli Lang’s Half is so far one of the best books I’ve read this year – and it’s a debut! Another favourite of mine is Elliot Cooper, and I keep telling him to write faster because I’ve already read everything he’s written. I particularly liked his take on zombies in My Boyfriend’s Back. Amy Rae Durreson does scary so well I sometimes feel compelled to close my eyes while reading her books. A Frost of Cares is probably my favourite of hers. I love Antonia Aquilante’s Tournai series, and if I had to choose a favourite it would be The Sorcerer’s Guardian, because of the slightly older leads. I could go on forever, but I think it’s better for you if I stop here. 

3. Who/what do you consider your writing influence/inspiration?

I honestly have no idea how to answer this. I think I learn from every book I read, and I keep picking things up here and there. I would love to be able to say one day “my style will remind you of…” but right now I can’t do that. 

As for inspiration, it can come from the wildest places. Sometimes a small sentence strikes me and I need to write a full character from it, or I can wake up with a new idea for a story. I don’t really understand how it works, but so far I’m not complaining. 

4. What kind of stories can the readers expect from you (contemporary/historical/sci-fi, adult/NA/YA, etc)?

I want to write everything! I contracted a short story with Nine Star Press for a FF anthology, and that one is paranormal and also set in Spain. Right now I’m working on a story with 17 year old MCs (asexual and bisexual boys). And then I also started a fantasy story a while ago that so far has been abandoned, but I do plan on getting back to it sooner rather than later. So I’m pretty much all over the place. 

5. Please, introduce your latest/upcoming release.

My upcoming release is also my first, and it’s called The Sun Still Rises. It’s the story of Erik, a man mourning his father that finds himself in Pamplona during the San Fermín festival with nowhere to sleep. But then he meets David, who kindly offers him his guest room. The two get to know each other quite quickly, and there’s a connection between them that Erik’s not sure he wants to acknowledge. You’ll have to read it to see what happens next.

Author Bio and Links

Laura Bailo is a veterinarian and a teacher in training who can do surgical sutures but can’t sew on a button to save her life.