Tuesday, August 28, 2012

5 Questions of a Paranormal and Science Fiction Romance Author, Kris Norris

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Today I have the honor of hosting paranormal and science fiction romance author Kris Norris with her newest release Between the Veils: After Dark! I met Kris at Authors After Dark 2012 in New Orleans, which is apropos because Between the Veils: After Dark takes place in New Orleans. Kris is an amazing woman, half author, half superhero (she flies helicopters! SQUEEEE!) and her storytelling style grabs you from the very beginning and holds on until the final word. Ms. Norris is graciously offering an e-copy of her newest release After Dark to a lucky commenter.

Welcome, Kris. Thank you for being with me today.

Now it’s my turn to Squeee! I just think it’s amazing that we met in New Orleans and it felt like we’d known each other forever…and since you’re an honorary Canadian, (yes, folks, she speaks my language, eh J) I’m thrilled to be here. Now brace yourselves, I tend to be…chatty.

You, chatty? Nah! LOL What started you on the path to becoming a romance author (since you already did something so cool like flying helicopters)?

Ah yes, why the sudden career shift. I know it sounds as if being a helicopter pilot would be the ultimate job, but…I’ll confess. I had kids. While I loved flying, pregnancy kind of sidelines you for a while and after having three fairly close together, it became evident that I needed to consider a different career path, at least for the time being. I know this might come as a shock, but…flying isn’t a 9 to 5 job! And one that’s hard when you have small kids.
So…I had this story idea running around in my head. One day I decided to try writing it down. It was on and off for a few years, yes years…having three young kids doesn’t give you a lot of spare time…then I finally finished it. But…I didn’t actually put that story out there. I wrote another, then another—fairly quickly—and those were the two I got published pretty fast. Deadly Vision was accepted a few months later by Total-e-Bound and Checkmate by Resplendence. And that first book…it’s Hard Target, which came out last year with Resplendence (and the female lead is a helicopter pilot turned guide…think there’s any of me in there?).

Can I just say that I love love love being a writer…and the main reason…I love being able to imagine I have different jobs, lol. I’ve had a number of ‘jobs’ over the past 20 years (helicopter pilot, I was in the military…yeah, I know…boat captain, 911 dispatcher) all of which tells you I like trying different things (that or that I can’t stick to anything for long, lol). Writing allows me to pretend I do different things, though I confess I tend to write about the stuff I’ve done already, lol…and you can see that’s definitely varied.

Woot! Hard Target is next on my TBR list! :D Congratulations on your recent release of After Dark. Introduce us to the main characters and premise of your story.

I have to say, the hero in this story is one of my favourites. Why? Because he starts off as an asshole. Yup, my heroine has him pegged…arrogant asshole. I actually wasn’t going to have Avery Smith as the main character, but then while writing Chapter One, the damn guy popped in out of nowhere and saved Temperance (my leading lady). It was like…wow, I didn’t know he was going to do that…damn, this means redemption. But I’m glad he did because I think they’re well suited. Writing their dialogue was way too much fun.

Oh, right, you’d asked about the premise of the story. See, I have ADS…attention deficit squirrel. The premise is simple. Temperance Dunnigan and Avery Smith are paranormal investigators. Avery, being independently wealthy, has arranged for a weeklong retreat in New Orleans for what everyone else thinks is a regular ghost hunting expedition. But, it turns out there’s something much more sinister going on…and in true fashion, Temperance walks straight into the middle of it and finds herself targeted by a demon. It then becomes a race to discover the truth behind the demon and how they can stop it. Oh and some hot loving just might happen along the way, wink, wink.

I still have my fan from NOLA. I'll be using it for this. Did anything in particular inspire this story?

This was actually inspired by a blog post I wrote. As part of being a featured author at AAD NOLA, there were a number of promo opportunities, and on one blog, we were asked to do either an interview or a story behind one of our characters, who was either from or worked in New Orleans. Since I didn’t have any characters that fit that bill already in existence (other than Kyle from Hard Target, but his views on NOLA weren’t exactly good ones, lol), I decided to write the first chapter of a story, which would be based in New Orleans. From that, Chapter One of After Dark was born…and I have to say it hasn’t changed much at all from the original post. Then, when discussing the book idea with my editor, we decided that it warranted a series and that the names of all the books would correspond with a particular time…this one After Dark, lol.

Okay, I just have to know. What got you into flying helicopters (and can you teach me how :D)?

I actually started off flying small planes when I was 16 (a family friend got me hooked with trips in his plane)…and I honestly thought that would be my career path of choice. I chose helicopters because there’s just something incredible about hovering. It might sound crazy, but holding this magnificent machine stationary above the ground…yeah, it’s sexy. And I guarantee you that once you get a taste of it, you never want to go back to planes. Hell, I’d take a chopper over a jet any day. And yes, I could teach you. Much of my time as a pilot was as an instructor…so I got paid to have people try to kill me… cause yeah, learning to fly choppers is pretty damn hard—way harder than planes.

Unfortunately, being a helicopter pilot is not an easy road for a mother…shifts take you away from home for months at a time and even if you get a job where you don’t travel, the hours are ridiculous. So I had to make a decision, and fortunately, I found something just as amazing as flying…writing. And while I miss it, my kids are so worth being around to see grow up…wouldn’t change it for anything.

What other projects are on the horizon for you that we’re likely to see?

I seem to be spreading myself a bit thin, lol…as I have a lot projects in the works.

I’ll be finishing this series… Between the Veils. The next book, High Noon, is due out late October (bearing any schedule changes, lol) then the other two (4 in total) by early 2013.

I’m also halfway done my next ‘Til Death book… the third in the series, which will complete it. Partway in on the next Dark Prophecy book, also book 3, and I have a zombie series I’ve started…oh, and don’t forget, when the zombie apocalypse happens, you’ll want to head north… to Canada, eh. That cold has got to slow them down with parts freezing and falling off…just saying.

Freeze them all! :D Thank you for joining me today, Kris, and we look forward to all your upcoming releases!

Woo hoo. I had a blast. Thanks for inviting me (like I gave her a choice, folks, lol) You know us Canadians are secretly planning an invasion, so this is all part of the infiltration…muhaw. (waves hand in the air) These are not the droids you’re looking for and resistance is futile. (yes, I’m a sci-fi girl at heart)

Kris Norris is graciously offering an e-copy of Between the Veils: After Dark to one lucky commenter. To win a copy of Between the Veils: After Dark, just leave a comment with your views on ghosts…are you a believer, non-believer or somewhere between? Oh, and if you’ve had any ghostly encounters, feel free to tell me… I love the paranormal and hearing about personal experiences with spirits. Leave a valid email address or Twitter handle with your comment so we can notify you when you win. The contest ends at 8:00 pm PDT on Thursday, August 30th. You must be 18 years or older to win and please void where prohibited. The winner will be announced here Friday, August 31st.

If you can't wait that long, you can find a copy of After Dark at:



You can find Kris at…

And be sure to check out Kris’s other releases from Total-e-Bound and Resplendence Publishing.

Or you can get all the titles at All Romance eBooks on my author page…

EXCERPT of Between the Veils: After Dark:

Avery pulled into the hotel parking lot, shoving his car into first gear as he yanked on the parking brake. He didn’t miss the loud pounding of his heart in his head or the way his hands trembled on the stick. He could still hear the bellowing voice of the demon and feel the searing heat it had directed at Temperance. God, if he hadn’t learned of her plans and headed for the cemetery...
    He glanced over at her, watching as she stared out the window. She seemed lost in thought, her deep blue eyes reflected in the glass. He’d never realized how beautiful she was, her unruly hair hanging in a tangle of curls around her face, her pale skin hued with a deep pink blush. Her worn sweater hugged her curves, accentuating pert breasts and a lean waist. And her jeans—fuck, they skimmed over an ass better than any fantasy he’d ever imagined. She wasn’t skinny, but firm and athletic, with a strength that had surprised him. Being several inches taller than her, he’d expected to have to drag her behind him when they’d run down the aisle between the tombs, but she’d matched his every step, nearly beating him to his car.
    Avery sighed and ran a shaky hand through his hair. He wasn’t quite prepared for the sudden shift of his feelings toward her, not that he had any real idea how he felt. All he knew was that he wasn’t ready to let her out of his sight just yet.
  Temperance turned toward the windshield, startling when she realized they’d stopped. She looked over at him, those perfectly sculpted lips pursed into the cutest damn pout he’d ever seen. They were all pink and shiny, and he wanted nothing more than to sink his hand into her tousled hair and taste that smooth skin with his tongue. His cock jerked in his pants, and he cursed the cruel humor in the situation. He’d invited her because of her skill. Because she was the one investigator who showed true talent and a natural chemistry for uncovering the paranormal.
    He’d had absolutely no attraction to her, until she’d shown up on his doorstep, bag hooked over her shoulders, a hesitant smile on her face. He knew what she thought of him...that he was nothing more than a rich, arrogant prick who’d used his money to further his career. But the fact she’d still agreed to be part of the team had told him everything he’d needed to know about her. She was here to hone her craft, plain and simple. And he’d been more than happy to keep it that way...at least that’s what he’d thought.
    Then she’d smiled, and his damn heart had done a somersault in his chest. He’d found himself staring at her. Watching her work, hell, watching her eat. Every movement, every small gesture was like a caress to his body, and he’d spent the better part of the past twenty-four hours cursing his ever-present hard-on...just like now.
       Temperance looked away for a moment then sighed, glancing back at him. “I suppose I owe you an apology.”
    He raised an eyebrow. That wasn’t what he’d been expecting, and he couldn’t help but be intrigued by the unusual comment. “What for?”
    Her gaze shifted before she made direct eye contact. “I had you pegged as the kind of guy who only saved his own ass.”
    “And not those of my guests?”
   
    A hint of a smile touched her mouth. “Exactly.”
   
   He chuckled. “You know, Temperance, calling me a self-centered ass isn’t really an apology.”
   
   Her smile widened. “I never called you an ass.”
   
   “Not to my face.” He resisted winking at her. “You really should be more careful about talking on your cell around here. The walls inside are obnoxiously thin.”

    Her eyes widened, but she didn’t flinch as she continued to watch him. “And your reputation precedes you.”

    “You can’t believe everything you see on television.”

    “So you’re telling me you’re not an arrogant ass?”

    He flashed her a genuine smile. “Guess you’ll just have to wait and find that out for yourself...if you manage to stay alive long enough.”

Thank you so much for stopping by and don't forget to leave Kris a comment to win. Happy reading. :)

5 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great story. I'd love to win a copy and am very happy to meet you!!! authorangelicadawson at gmail

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  2. I think it sounds amazing, Kris. Thanks so much again for coming on my blog. After seeing New Orleans, I'm looking forward to reading this story. :)

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  3. Wonderful interview and an intriguing story.

    As to ghosts I'm a believer

    @tollykit

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  4. I love Kris Norris!!! She is the bomb-diggity. As for ghosts, I believe, I work in a museum that is haunted and have seen and heard too many things not to believe.

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  5. Congratulations, Elaine! You've won the ebook copy of Between the Veils: After Dark from Kris Norris. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and commented. :)

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Comments are on moderation, so they'll become visible once I've read them. Words, words, words. I love them. Have you a few to lend?

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