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.