Monday, June 25, 2012

Kristin Miller Author Author Interview & Giveaway



Vanessa: Would you please start by telling us a little bit about yourself?
Kristin: First and foremost, I’m a mother of two kids who shift into raging beasts at night and I’m married to the alpha of my local pack. Seriously though, I’m a stay at home mom to my two young children who are absolute angels. (I write fiction, remember? The truth is somewhere in-between.) I’ve been married to my leading man for 10 years this June!
I also write paranormal romance with fantasy elements for Harlequin Cravings and darker, hotter paranormal romances for Avon Impulse.






Vanessa: Where did the idea for the Isle of Feralon                                                     come from?
Kristin: I’d like to say the idea for the Isle of Feralon was entirely mine, but it wasn’t. I live in Northern California and the Farallon Islands lay right off the coast of San Francisco. I took “Farallon”, made it “feral” and added an “o-n” to the end. I tossed in all sorts of magical creatures and voila! I have an enchanted island that looks uninhabited to non-shifters, yet it’s a home to dragons, werewolves and merfolk. I’ve always been able to take things that are overlooked as being plain and find something special in them. Guess it came in handy this time.

Vanessa: Will the werewolves and merfolk have larger roles in later books in the Isle of Feralon series?
Kristin: While the hero in Claimed by Desire is a dragon and the heroine is a non-shifting empath, the heroine in Forbidden by Fate (Isle of Feralon #2—releasing July 1), is heiress to the Were throne. She’s werewolf to the bone, but her heart belongs to Damon, a dragon. I’m tossing around ideas involving the merfolk for Isle of Feralon #3.

Vanessa: Some of your characters include vampires, shifters, and even humans. Do you prefer to write one type more than another?
Kristin: Oh, that’s a tough one to answer. I love vampires. The sexuality of their bite. The contrast between the heat in their eyes and the coolness of their touch. But I’ve wanted to write dragons since I first started my writing journey. They are powerful and raw in their strength, but they’re also smart and cunning, making them the ultimate predator. I find their power exhilarating in the sexiest way.

Vanessa: Can you tell us about your current work in progress, perhaps you could share a favorite fact or piece of fascinating information it?
Kristin: I’m currently working on edits for Last Vamp Standing, Book #3 in the Vampires of Crimson Bay series. Where the Isle of Feralon is an enchanted world where anything can and will happen, the world I’ve created in the Vampires of Crimson Bay series is San Francisco with an otherworldly twist. Think Underworld meets the Matrix. The rules of the world are basically the same, but vampires and shifters run the streets.
As for a piece of fascinating information about the book…I chose the name of my heroine, Ariana, because it means “holy one”. Dante, the hero, is about as dark and tainted as tortured heroes come, feeding on the adrenaline and sexual energy of others. I chose the name Ariana so that her innocence would balance his darkness.

Vanessa: The genres that you write include paranormal romance, historical romance, and romantic suspense. Do you favor one genre over the others?
Kristin: Let me preface this by saying I only wrote historical romance because the novella, One Night to Remember, took place on the Titanic, and I’d been dying to write a book set on board the Titanic since I first started researching the tragedy in 1992. Historical romance is most definitely not my cup of tea. Hats off to you historical romance writers!
While my first novel, Dark Tide Rising, is romantic suspense, it’s about a girl who has a vision of her death before it happens. There’s definitely something otherworldly at work behind the scenes. Even when I tried to write something “normal”, the “abnormal” kept popping into my mind like a bad weed.
I’ll stay in the paranormal romance genre for as long as paranormal readers will have me.

Vanessa: What was your favorite scene or chapter to write, which book and why?
Kristin: My favorite? Of all the books? Wow. You’re killing me here. I’d have to say my favorite scene is the first flying scene in Claimed by Desire (Isle of Feralon #1)—the one where Misty rides Rafe (in all his emerald-scaled, muscle-rippling glory) and they take off into Timeless Gorge. Like I mentioned earlier, I wanted to write dragons for years, so when I finally had the opportunity to do it, I took flight with them. And I loved every minute.

Vanessa: If you could trade places for a day with one of your characters, who would it be and why?
Kristin: These questions are getting harder and harder! I love so many of them. I’d love to be Sasha, the heroine in Forbidden by Fate (Isle of Feralon #2), because she’s tough as nails, fighting to be respected among a pack of arrogant males. I’d love to be Ariana, the heroine in Last Vamp Standing, because she’s gentle and can soothe with a single touch, yet she’s strong enough to lead her haven in battle against Crimson Bay’s greatest threat. Not to mention, those two ladies get to cuddle up next to two of my favorite heroes!

Vanessa: What was your most challenging book to bring to life?
Kristin: Surprisingly, the Isle of Feralon was easy to bring to life. It may sound corny, but the isle revealed itself to me. I didn’t have to dig for details. They were already cemented in my brain the moment my fingers hit the keyboard. The most challenging book to write was Dark Tide Rising because I had to keep checking facts to make sure they were right. Does that street really exist? Is there a house on that cliff or a restaurant on that corner? Would a police station with two officers call someone in to investigate murders (like a Sheriff, for example) or would they handle it on their own? I let myself be bogged down by the mundane details that the actual writing moved much more slowly than the others. However, I do feel like the book was more precise because of all the research.

Vanessa: I’m a bit of an author stalker and I love going to signings and conventions. Do you have any upcoming appearances?
Kristin: Yes! I’ll be signing InterVamption and Vamped Up at the “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing in Los Angeles Wednesday, July 25th. For more information on the event visit www.rwa.org.
If I add any signing dates, you’ll be able to find them on my website: www.kristinmiller.net
Hope you can make it! 
I’d love to meet some fans! 












Kristin in all of her awesomeness is offering an awesome winners choice giveaway! An eCopy for Kindle or Nook of Claimed by Desire or Forbidden by Fate (winners choice). Comment below with email address and tell us what your favorite paranormal being is. I will announce the winner on Sunday July 1st.

23 comments:

  1. Love shifters. They all seem to have this intense aura.

    Ashley

    smartmouthtexan(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by! Shifters are some of my favorite characters in paranormal too and they're so much fun to write!

      Delete
  2. Thanks for a fun interview and giveaway! It's always fun for me to "meet" new to me authors!

    I really like 'em all. Angels, demons, shifters, vampires... as long as the story is engrossing, the characters real, you could sell me on a shapeshifting turtle vampire!

    efender1(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Erin!

      "shapeshifting turtle vampire"--HA! You got me choking on my coffee on that one...though I don't think I'll try writing that hero. ;)

      Delete
  3. I like werewolves. I don't know why, there's just something about them. And Alcide on True Blood is hott!! :-) emily joy drake at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Emily! Surprisingly, I didn't like werewolves much until I started writing them. I definitely get the appeal now. They're so powerful and exude raw sexual energy. What more does one need? :)

      Delete
    2. Alcide brings new meaning to hot!

      Delete
  4. Well i would say 1st it is Vampires ;) love my some hunky biters!
    Then shifters, there is something about them:)
    great post, thanks for the giveaway.
    elliott2668(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you so much for the giveaway! Kristin, all of your books look amazing!

    My fav paranormal being has to be weres! I used to be a vamp girl, but weres just seem to have more of that sexy, bad boy quality that I love! They are so damn hot!! And I agree with Emily...Alcide...oh he makes me wanna do things! *sigh*

    Roxy18@mtn.blackberry.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's a tie for me now it used to be strictly vampires but I come to love Were's just as much. I agree Alcide just ... I have no words for that man :).

    vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm an equal oppurtunity lover...I love all paranormals from angels to demons and everything in between. If the story is engaging I will fall in love with the hero/heroine.

    mmafsmith at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Kristin!
    I've read Intervamption and really loved it!!! Now I've got to start reading on all your other stories:)

    My favorite paranormal being are weres, but more specifically the big cat kind.

    yadkny@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for the giveaway and great interview! I got to tell you I prefer any shapeshifter as long as they turn into warm blood...LOL Snakes, etc don't do it for me.. Tigers, wolves, any of that type ..oh yeah!! Panthers, etc.... I would be real interested in reading your books! Thanks again.

    mrsworldwidewebbATcoxDOTnet

    aka Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  10. First off I'd like to add my 2 cents on Alcide..Can we just say yum? Especially this season because he has turned on the alpha...It actually makes him hotter!! Am I alone in this? As for my favorite being...I'm a big demon fan..Vanessa I know you share my love of Larissa Ione. But I I pretty much love all my supernatural freaks..I think the only thing that I couldn't get into would be a hot zombie..Thats just a little freaky!! All of your books sound amazing! Thank you for the fun interview!!

    viajeradelmar@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Shifters have got to be my favorite. I'm not saying I don't like Vampires, Angels, Demons, Gargoyles or other paranormal being! I love them all. Thanks for a great interview!
    suz2(at)cox(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love reading about shifters. I love vampires, angels, wolves, etc. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I really do like them all as long as they are well written. I like to see new and fresh ways to tell the same ideas. Give me a new reason as to why something exists and make me believe and you have me sold ;)

    sionedkla@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I like vampires.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love shapeshifters.

    Megblod@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. wow, shifters and vampire I am not sure which one to read first :O)
    mawmom@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Can I just say how much I love paranormal romance readers? You guys are the best. I'm having a problem with my computer--couldn't see these comments until *just now*--and now it seems the computer has consipired against my pushing the "reply" button beneath your posts. Let me just say I'm so excited that you all love shifters! The Isle of Feralon has unique, sexy shifters galore!
    xo
    Kristin

    ReplyDelete
  18. Witches and werewolves with a few sorcerers thrown in.
    divavixenqueen(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete