Thanks for being here Karen. It’s a pleasure.
#1- Tell us a little about yourself outside of your writing career…
Well, I’m a wife to a wonderful man and mom to two daughters. I have a dog and two cats and we all live in sunny Florida. When I’m not writing I treat myself to mini-marathons of Law & Order, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Stargate. I’ve been an engineer, a computer programmer, and a high school teacher. Now I’m blessed to be able to write full time!
#2- You are quite an accomplished author, a New York Times best-seller, and an award-winner. What was it like to accomplish that, do you have any new goals for yourself, and do you ever find yourself at mundane places, like the grocery store, and discover people recognize you?
When I saw my first book, DON’T TELL, on a bookstore table in 2003, it was an emotional experience. I have to admit, I cried. When my seventh book, DIE FOR ME, hit the New York Times bestseller list four years later, I was euphoric, excitedly celebrating with my agent and editor on the phone. Then I turned to my husband, who sat on the sofa beside me, and saw he was teary-eyed. It was sweet and sobering at the same time as I thought of how far we’d come – he’s been with me every step of the way.
My goal is to make each book better than the last – to leave readers with the sense that they’ve been a part of story and to write characters that live on in readers’ minds after the last page is turned.
No, nobody recognizes me! Especially at the grocery store, LOL. I’m not a make-up kind of woman and I usually run through the grocery store on my way home from the gym – my grocery shopping self rarely resembles my photo!
#3- As you know, I reviewed your title Kill For Me, for Bookpleasures, and loved it. But how do you handle the negative reviews and critiques you receive?
Thank you! I usually think about the wonderful readers who write me to tell me how much they’ve enjoyed my books and try not to dwell on the negative critiques. Luckily, most readers and reviewers are very positive.
#4- How did you know that you wanted to be a writer, and what was the process like working with an agent, editor, and publisher?
I didn’t want to be a writer at first. I was an engineer for fifteen years and writing was something I did as a hobby. I was traveling a lot then and my stories kept me company in countless airports and hotel rooms all over the world. It was many years before I had the courage to let others read what I’d written.
I sold my first book to an editor who loved my stories and believed in me. She edited that first book eight years ago and she is still my editor. I’ve just finished my tenth book with her and my work is always better and sharper after she’s taken her pencil to the manuscript! My agent is one of the most positive, energetic, fun people I’ve ever met. Just talking with her makes me smile. I’m a fortunate author to be surrounded and supported by these wonderful women!
#5- Some of your material can be very dark, and then there is the strong romance element. Where do you get your book ideas, and does your life outside of life influence you?
Ideas come from different directions, depending on the book. Sometimes it’s a topic I’ve seen/heard on the news, sometimes the idea starts with a character – I think about the worst possible thing that could happen to them, then I make it worse still.
Sometimes, as with KILL FOR ME, the idea comes from a personal experience. The hero in KILL FOR ME has worked for the past year to stop internet crimes against children. When I began writing this book, I’d recently visited a police department in the Midwest. On a tour of the crime lab, I saw a windowless office with a closed door and was informed that the only people who could enter were the detectives who investigated internet child pornography. I was told that they kept family photos on their desks so that they could remind themselves of what they were fighting for. I wondered about the toll that kind of job would take on a good soul, and the character of Luke Papadopoulos was born. He’s dedicated, but haunted by the faces of the children he’s been unable to save.
I got the idea for the video game element of DIE FOR ME when my daughter and her friends were gathered around the TV playing Final Fantasy to get to the cut scenes, so often events from my life morph into book plots!
#6- Are there any upcoming releases we would like to know about, and could you give us your web site so readers can check it out?
KILL FOR ME is my newest release. The finale to the Vartanian family trilogy, it was released in early February, 2009. My next release is I CAN SEE YOU, out in August, 2009. The heroine is Eve Wilson, who was first introduced in DON’T TELL and later played a major role in NOTHING TO FEAR. Eve had been stabbed and left for dead years before. Afraid to face the world, she retreated into the virtual world of the internet, but has since forged a new life – only to find her worst fears come back to haunt her. I CAN SEE YOU introduces homicide detective Noah Webster and a new police force, located in Minneapolis. I’ll be posting more on this story as we get closer to summer!
My website is www.karenrosebooks.com.
#7- This about concludes it. Thank you again for joining us. Is there anything else you would like to share?
I’d like to thank you for letting me talk with your readers and I’d especially like to thank all the readers who’ve invited my characters and stories into their lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment