Kresley Cole Author Interview

Photo Content from Kresley Cole

Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series and the young adult Arcana Chronicles. She has also written five award-winning historical romances.

Since her first novel was released in 2003, Kresley has published nineteen books with Simon & Schuster and has seen her releases translated into more than eighteen foreign languages. She has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings. Two of her favorite places to visit include the rain forests of Central America and the Queensland area of Australia.

Cole’s trademark action, sensuality, and humor are exemplified in her popular Immortals After Dark Series, which revolves around the Lore, a secret stratum of hundreds of immortal creatures--ranging from Vampires to Lykae, Furies to Shifters, and Fey to Valkyrie--that each have their strengths, weaknesses, and age old prejudices against the others. Though they secretly live among humans, they constantly war among themselves, which gives her a lot of material.

In 2007, Kresley won the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA award for best paranormal for her novel A Hunger Like No Other, and in January 2009, she became a #1 New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller with her sixth IAD installment, Kiss of a Demon King. In 2010, Kiss of a Demon King earned Kresley her second RITA award. 2011 brought Cole her second #1 NYT bestseller with Dreams of a Dark Warrior.

She lives in Florida with her husband and far too many animals. She spends any free time traveling and enjoys all things related to boats and water. You can learn more about Kresley atwww.kresleycole.com.

        

Was there a defining moment during your youth when you realized you wanted to be a writer?
For me, it was more of a progression rather than a lightning strike of realization. If you’d told me back in college that I’d be writing full length novels, let alone 19 and counting, I would have chuckled. I always needed a minor miracle to finish even a pesky 10 page paper.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?
It’s hard to pick just one, but here are a couple I’ve carried with me.

1. There are no shortcuts. You have to commit--commit to working your butt off to produce the most entertaining and original book you have in you.

2. Above all things find your own, unique voice. A couple of rougher patches in a book can be forgiven, but imitating someone else’s voice leads nowhere.

What’s the best advice you can give writers to help them develop their own voice and style?
I think it’s extremely important to experiment with the written word, stepping out of your comfort zone. Each writing day, I hope to find myself grinning madly and thinking, “This is so insane! I can’t believe I’m actually writing this!”

Can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about your new book, Poison Princess?
Poison Princess has romance, danger, adventure, and a supernatural element based on Tarot Cards (those fortune-telling cards with occult images on them).

I’ve always been fascinated with Tarot, and I started thinking, what if the 22 Major Arcana, which are the trump cards of the Tarot deck, were real kids? Like the Empress, Death, the Fool, the Magician. And what if a game involving these players was happening today--with life and death stakes? What kind of supernatural abilities would they have based on the characteristics of their cards? And more, what if the playing field was leveled by an apocalyptic event?

I couldn’t get the idea out of my head.

For those who are unfamiliar with Evie, how would you introduce her?
As Poison Princess begins, Evie seems to be a regular high school junior, but in reality, she’s consumed with horrifying visions about the end of the world. I wanted to portray a heroine who appears to have everything--wealth, friends, a quarterback boyfriend--yet is secretly suffering.

When an apocalyptic event devastates the earth, Evie learns that she is one of twenty-two teens who are personifications of the Major Arcana cards, each with their own unique powers. They’ve been chosen to fight the ultimate battle between good and evil, but it’s not always clear who’s on which side.

To survive, she’ll have to depend on gorgeous Jack Deveaux, a motorcycle-riding bad-boy from the wrong side of the bayou--who hunts, fights, and kisses like no other. Yet can he ever accept her new powers?

If you could introduce Jack to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
I’d love to introduce him to Cole in Gena Showalter’s fabulous Alice in Zombieland. Like Jack, he’s a master hunter and fighter. I could see them comparing notes about battles--and girls.

What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us?
Next up in the Arcana Chronicles is Endless Knight, which features Death’s character more prominently. Who knew a boy named Death could be so sexy? I can’t wait to share more details closer to the release (October 2013), so stay tuned!

When asked, what’s the one question you always answer with a lie?
For the past couple of years, I’ve gone from one tight deadline to the next, so I don’t really know what’s going on outside of the writing cave--basically I have no idea what day and month it is. Just a few weeks ago, my husband asked me if we should get a turkey. I frowned and replied, “I guess so, if you’re, like, craving one or something.” Had no clue it was Thanksgiving. So when friends say, “You do comprehend that Christmas is next week” or “You do realize it’s summer, right?” I usually lie and say, “Uh, yeah, naturally.” Mainly so they won’t worry.

Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
My mom. She’s my best friend, and I love her to death. She is the kindest, funniest, most laid back mom I could ever ask for.

What's the worst summer job you've ever had?
I worked as a hostess at a restaurant near a theme park. We would have these ridiculously long waiting times. At the end of a day at the park, parents were running on fumes and their kids were starving and grumpy, and then I’d have to brightly inform them, “Your table will be ready in just two hours!” I had to put down many a mutiny that summer.

Tell me about your first kiss.
I don’t really remember it, so I’m guessing it wasn’t all-that :)

When was the last time you cried?
During the movie Life of Pi.

What is the one, single food that you would never give up?
Do caffeinated beverages count? Caffeine=words written!

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces The Arcana Chronicles, post-apocalyptic tales filled with riveting action, the dark mysticism of Tarot cards, and breathtaking romance.

She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can’t do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side….

Kresley Cole’s Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles #1) is a post-apocalyptic tale laced with dark mystery, exhilarating action, and magnificent romance. Readers are introduced to a normal average sixteen-year old named Evangeline (Evie) Greene. Her life has been pretty much regular until she began having gruesome hallucinations. She passes it off as nothing until an apocalyptic event wipes out her Louisiana town and realizes her hallucinations were visions of the future. With no one to turn to, she turns to Jackson Deveaux, a classmate she feels is the only help that will help her get answers. Although she does not trust him 100%, Jack agrees to guard Evie on her mission. In the course of her mission, the pair meets others who are also seeking some answers. It is then revealed than an ancient prophecy will have twenty-two teens to recreate the ultimate battle between good and evil. But which side does everyone actually belong to?

Readers will have a sense of excitement once they have gone through the first pages. The way author Kresley composes her storytelling style is very compelling and gripping. The character building is absolutely wonderful. Evie is a very strong protagonist. Even in a post-apocalyptic world, she remains to be somewhat upbeat in order to focus on her survival. Her relationship with Jackson felt real and authentic. The plot seems to get more interesting as each page is turned. The road that Evie and Jackson embark on was no walk in the park. They experience extreme situations that only made their relationship better. Kresley has a unique way of building up suspense with the ultimate plan of laying out a huge unexpected event at the end. Poison Princes is the perfect book to lead off this amazing series. The beginning has been laid out and now it’s time for Kresley to take her readers into an adventure like never before.

You can purchase Poison Princess at the following Retailers:

    

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you KRESLEY COLE for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive one a copy of Poison Princess by Kresley Cole.

jbnpastinterviews