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Saturday, August 25, 2012

PSC: Interview and Giveaway with Kristen Callihan

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I am super excited to welcome author Kristen Callihan here on the blog today! I LOVE her Darkest London series, so I had to invite her for summer camp!

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1- The first book in the Darkest London series is a fantastic historical retell of The Beauty and the Beast, how did you come up with that idea?

Honestly? My daughter was watching Disney’s Beauty and the Beast while I was tying to come up with a story. I started to wonder, what if the “beast” wasn’t outwardly ugly but hid behind a mask? And what if the “beauty” had power of her own, instead of being some helpless victim? And so it went from there.

2- Unless I’m mistaken, Moonglow isn’t a retell of any story, was it different to write this book because of that?

Well it was different in that I didn’t have to follow any preset story markers. But it was the same, in that I always write characters first. Meaning, the characters, how they interact, what they feel about life, is what guides me.

3- How would you introduce Daisy and Ian?

Daisy and Ian are both bright, irreverent people with a joie de viv. But they both use their humor and insouciance to hide deep, personal pain. Apart, they are a bit aimless and fractured of heart and soul. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with.


4- I’m assuming the third book in the series, Winterblaze, will feature Poppy, the third sister, who will be featured in the fourth book, due September 2013?

Yes, Winterblaze features Poppy and her now estranged husband Winston Lane. Book 4, which I hope to have a title for soon, will feature Jack Talent and Mary Chase, who dislike each other immensely. But you know what they say about the thin line between love and hate.

5- Is it important to you to be true to the time period when writing your novels?

As true as I can be. I research, look up the etymology of words to make sure they were in use during the day, and fact check. For all that, however, I do think that the characters, and their situations, have to appeal to a modern audience. Which is why I chose characters  who would be atypical of the time.


6- What would a day camp be like in old London?

A lot like our camps, in that they would advertise vigorous exercise, fresh air, and training of body, mind, and spirit. Just like us, the Victorians were big on self-improvement, and tended to self congratulatory about it as well. ;)  But you can read about an example for yourself! Here is a bit about the Wimbledon Camp in 1867:

“The principal spectacle of the day was now commencing. The four public schools of Eton, Harrow, Rugby, and Marlborough, had each sent its contingent of eleven apiece to contend for the Ashburnham Shield. Each school had its own volunteer uniform, and all seemed full of anxiety and esprit de corps. The mothers and sisters of these young gentlemen mustered also in great numbers, and their heightened colour and eager eyes not only betokened the interest they felt in the juvenile riflemen, but were also exceedingly becoming. Chairs where allotted to the ladies in the best places, to command a view of the proceedings, and behind them stood the vast throng of male spectators.” (Lights and Shadows of London Life [by James Payn], 1867 - Chapter 5 - Wimbledon Camp [external link: http://www.victorianlondon.org/publications8/lights-05.htm])


7- What kind of campers would Daisy and Ian be?

Ian would be an awesome camper. He’s part wolf, so he loves the wild –and can hunt like the beast he is. ;)

Daisy, however, would hate camping. The bugs? The dirt? And where is her soft bed? Ironic, isn’t it, seeing as nature is her gift. Then again, once she got over complaining, she’d likely enjoy being her element and gain much strength from it.

Together, I’m pretty sure Ian would come up with plenty of activities to dissuade Daisy of her discontent. Lol.

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More about Moonglow:

Moonglow

Once the seeds of desire are sown . . .
Finally free of her suffocating marriage, widow Daisy Ellis Craigmore is ready to embrace the pleasures of life that have long been denied her. Yet her new-found freedom is short lived. A string of unexplained murders has brought danger to Daisy's door, forcing her to turn to the most unlikely of saviors . . .

Their growing passion knows no bounds . . .
Ian Ranulf, the Marquis of Northrup, has spent lifetimes hiding his primal nature from London society. But now a vicious killer threatens to expose his secrets. Ian must step out of the shadows and protect the beautiful, fearless Daisy, who awakens in him desires he thought long dead. As their quest to unmask the villain draws them closer together, Daisy has no choice but to reveal her own startling secret, and Ian must face the undeniable truth: Losing his heart to Daisy may be the only way to save his soul.

Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository

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giveaway

Kristen is offering a copy of Moonglow to one lucky winner!

To enter the giveaway, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

Open Internationally

Ends Wednesday, September 5th, 2012
(like all of our Paranormal Summer Camp giveaways)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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More books by Kristen:

FirelightEmber

Kristen Callihan

Kristen Callihan is a child of the 80’s, which means she's worn neon skirts, black-lace gloves, and combat boots (although never all at once) and can quote John Hughes movies with the best of them. A life long daydreamer, she finally realized that the characters in her head needed a proper home and thus hit the keyboard. She believes that falling in love is one of the headiest experiences a person can have, so naturally she writes romance. Her love of superheroes, action movies, and history led her to write historical paranormals. She lives in the Washington D.C. area and, when not writing, looks after two children, one husband, and a dog — the fish can fend for themselves.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

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Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

Follow Tynga on: Facebook | Twitter

37 People left their mark' :

  1. I think it's always very interesting to have a book about werewolves. They're so intriguing and I like to know more about their transformations or about what they could do. thanks for the post and the giveaway!

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  2. Thanks for a fun post and I love, love, love Kristin's books!!!

    I love werewolves b/c they are strong and more intune w/ nature :)

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  3. i loved firelight so winning the second book would be wonderful thank you so much for making this international

    i love werewolves because they are protective and loyal

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  4. I love how strong, loyal, and protective they are. The warmth they give off is a plus in the winter too :).

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  5. I like that werewolves are primal and close to nature, and will do anything to protect their loved ones. I loved Firelight and I'm really looking forward to reading Moonglow.

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  6. I like the idea of having a mate and someone to protect me

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  7. Their complete dedication to the happiness of their mate!

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  8. I like that werewolves (usually) value their big families and are protective of one another.

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  9. I like that they're alpha.

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  10. In general to most of the werewolves written, I love that they're no nonsense and all about family (the 'pack'). The ability to shift inot another form is always intriguing. (:

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  11. I guess what I like the best about werewolves is their dedication to the pack (family). They generally do what is best for the whole group, and they can always count on their packmates when needed.

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  12. I'm a dog person so I love werewolves. I much prefer them over vampires most of the time. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  13. I love werewolves! They are usually very protective of the ones they care about and they are strong and sexy.

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  14. There is something very primal and fierce about werewolves that gets my blood flowing.

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  15. I love werewolves because they are very protective and warm and strong and sexy. Tore923@aol.com

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  16. I love that werewolves are protective. Thanks for the chance to win! I love how she came up with the idea of the story while her daughter was watching Beauty and the Beast.

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  17. I like the organisation of the pack mentality, though I do feel a bit sorry for those on the bottom of the totem pole. And I like when the Alphas are strong in mind and body so that they can protect their pack :)

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  18. Wonderful interview! I just ordered Firelight and I can't wait to read it, especially now that I know it's a Beauty and Beast retelling. Moonglow sounds great :)

    Werewolves are my favorite paranormal creature, I love their loyalty and protective nature toward their pack / loved ones. Thank you for the giveaway!

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  19. I love werewolves because they are very warmblooded so they can keep me warm all the time (I'm always cold).

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  20. I love that werewolves are protective and mate for life.

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  21. I like werewolves because are primal,powerful and loyal. Thank you for the international giveaway! Loved the 1st book of the series :)

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  22. I like how they are very protective over the people they love. They are very loyal as well. Love me some werewolves;) Thanks for the chance.

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  23. I like how werewolves look out for one another. the whole pack thing. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  24. I like how werewolves have that animalistic sexiness and are very protective of people they care about! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  25. I like how they're aggressive and territorial.

    Damaris (Maris)

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  26. raw, nature like shape shifters

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  27. Werewolves are hot, dangerous and protective of the one they love thats what I love about them

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  28. I like werewolves because they are such sexy beasts

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  29. i like werewolves because it's like two different personalities in one person!

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  30. I like the pack mentality and that they will do anything to protect their extended family.

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  31. I like that they are strong, protective and the fated mate usually ends up pretty good even if they have a bumpy road at first.

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  32. Werewolves seem to combine many of the best qualities of humans and wolves: intelligence, reasoning, expressiveness, passion, family.

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  33. What I like about werewolves is the protective and strong side of them, the loyalty, the caring for their own pack. That's really powerful.

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  34. I like the idea of mates for werewolves and also their alpha-ness :)

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  35. How cool would it be to be able to be both human and animal? It would be awesome to have that speed and strength. I like how the pack sticks together and looks out for each other.

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  36. I love werewolves! all the male werewolves in books are so hot and sexy! If only werewolves were real and I would be very happy! Thanks for the great giveaway!

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  37. I love how wolves have been linked in with Native American cultures, which I'm really interested in learning more about. I also like the warmth they give off.

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