Christine Feehan Interview - Red on the River ~ JeanBookNerd

Photo Credit: Michael Greene

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, with 83 published works in seven different series: Dark Series, GhostWalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, Sea Haven Series, Shadow Series, and Torpedo Ink Series. All seven of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list. Judgment Road, the first book in her newest series, Torpedo Ink, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.

Christine lives in the beautiful Redwoods near the ocean on California’s Pacific North Coast surrounded by family, friends and several dogs.

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?
I have written since I was first able to spell and form sentences. I’ve always loved telling stories even as a child.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
The most rewarding is interacting with readers and finding out how my stories have impacted their lives. It’s humbling but awe inspiring, too.

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
I get distracted when I’m doing research. I research heavily. I want the facts in the books to be as true as possible. That means I have to understand what I’m writing about in order for readers to understand it. If a subject fascinates me, I can get caught up in it very easily.

Your Favorite Quotes/Scenes from RED ON THE RIVER
I love this from chapter one. To me, it help to encapsulate who the heroine, Vienna, is.

Normally, Vienna competed online. She’d built her reputation through her username luckypersiancat. She’d managed to pay for her mother’s cancer treatments. Her mother still lived in Vegas with her partner and Vienna paid her rent using her gambling money. She’d put herself through nursing school. She owned a nice house in Knightly, where she resided with her Persian cat, Princess. She’d put quite a bit away for retirement and invested most of the rest of her winnings. She gave a great deal of the money to the local hospital and also invested in Search and Rescue gear for the county she lived in. She had established a scholarship program for single mothers with children. She’d been careful to stay under the gambling radar, living and working in Knightly at the local hospital. She was also head of search and rescue for the county.

FIVE RANDOM FACTS ABOUT RED ON THE RIVER

1. I had to learn Texas Holdem’ for this book. I had so many sources to help teach me and to review the games played in the book that you’d think I would be a master poker player. Alas, I am not. Not even close. Lol
2. Because of all the detailed research I included in the book I had to create two glossaries. One is for poker and the other is for climbing.
3. Because I’m not familiar with the area, I sent my daughter to Red Rock Canyon to climb, hike and do a lot of the things my heroine does in the book so she could tell me about it.
4. While my daughter was researching Red Rock Canyon and Las Vegas I learned that she has a keen imagination when it comes to interesting places and ways to kill people. She had a lot of great ideas. Should I worry? LOL
5. I learned a great deal about outside activities that I don’t actually participate in. I’ve hiked and camped, but I’ve not gone bouldering or climbing. I leave that to my daughter. But it was fun learning about it.

Meet the Characters
Vienna Mortenson is a true heroine. Not only is she a nurse but she is the head of Search & Rescue in a California small town. She is an amazing card sharp, which is what brings her to Vegas. She also has a secret “gift” that is both a blessing and a curse.

Vienna is beautiful and her friends consider her a “man magnet”. Long blond hair and an athletic, womanly figure. She’s highly intelligent and brave. And much to her friend’s dismay (they all have dogs), Vienna is a cat person.

Zale Vizzini is quiet, cautious, dangerous and hot. He’s also secretive and could stand to be a better communicator when it comes to his personal life. But one thing I really love about this hero is his utter desire not only to have Vienna for himself, but to do the right thing by her. Something that puts him at odds with his job and their relationship at time.

He's got those smoldering eyes and dark hair and a body that’s worthy of dreams. He has skills that make him both predator and protector which I think is super sexy.

Your Journey to Publication
I have always been a writer. Even as a child. I’d write stories and make my siblings listen to them. I have always been a voracious reader which helped nurture my imagination. As I grew older the writing was my escape. I’d write, finish, move on to the next book. I had no intention of publishing. For me, writing was personal. I would only share it with family and very close friends.

One of those friends, Kathie, loved one of the books I’d written and encouraged me to send it in for consideration by a publisher. I’d written the book as part of my grieving process when my oldest son, Calvert, died. It was a very difficult time as you can imagine. I wanted to write about a man who was immortal and who struggled to save his people. The book was called Dark Prince. It was the first book I had published.

My family and friends were supportive of my writing. The first time I actually felt like I was an official author was when I saw my book in the public library. I love the library and always have. Seeing my book there was such a thrill for me.

I’m fortunate in that I have so many people in my life who support and inspire me with my writing career. I realize how blessed I am.

Writing Behind the Scenes
Writing is my career and I am very disciplined about staying on track and being committed to writing at least eight hours a day and at least six days a week. I work from the quiet of my room or my office. My son, Brian Feehan, who is also an author, works with me and helps us keep to a specific schedule. We do “power hours” and take breaks in between.

Sometimes I’ll write one book during the day and another at night. I write six books a year so I need to keep things moving.

I do a lot of research for my books and find I sometimes get carried away with it. I find the research part of writing to be extremely fascinating. Only about ten percent of the research makes it into the book but I feel it’s so important to understand what you’re writing about even if you don’t use all the details.

As far as habits go I think the only one in regard to writing is my morning tea. I love my morning tea. Each morning my staff comes up for a morning meeting to discuss business. We all have tea as we talk and eventually, we find ourselves discussing kids, grandkids, life. It’s a nice way to start the day.

What is the first job you have had?
As an assistant in the library when I was a teen. I loved being surrounded by books!?

Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew?
Of course. I think most of us have that inclination to protect. I’m a third-degree black belt and ran a self-defense program for women who’d been abused. It was important to me to help those women reclaim their lives.

What do you usually think about right before falling asleep?
I think about my family. Sometimes I worry. Sometimes I find peace in those thoughts. Often, I find humor.
I’ll think about the book I’m writing or the next one coming up.
I think about things I need to let go.
Sometimes it’s a wonder I sleep at all! LOL

What is one unique thing are you afraid of?
I’m not sure how unique it is, but I am severely claustrophobic.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan goes all in with this sexy romantic thriller set among the dangers--both man-made and natural--of Nevada's breathtaking landscape.

Vienna Mortenson isn't your typical gambler. She prefers to stay under the radar, using her poker winnings to support her family and her community, including the local search and rescue team, which she heads up. Out in the backcountry there's no time for hesitation when lives are on the line. Vienna prides herself on being tough and decisive. She's not the sort to make a fool of herself over a guy, especially one who left her high and dry without a backward glance.

Zale Vizzini's job constantly puts him in harm's way. Working undercover and disappearing for months at a time isn't exactly a recipe for a stable relationship. Despite the challenges and the risks, Zale wants something real with Vienna. He just needed time to figure out how to be in her life without putting her in danger. Now, he's determined to win her back, and he's ready to lay all his cards on the table.

As their friends' wedding approaches, Zale takes advantage of the festivities to make a play for Vienna's heart. But there are more deadly forces waiting to strike in the rugged terrain of Nevada and the western Sierras. Soon both of their lives are threatened, and the odds are stacked against them....

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