In the Hotseat - KAREN DUVALL!

MEOW!

Today in my hotseat I welcome author Karen Duvall!

Karen hails from Bend, Oregon.  KNIGHT’S CURSE, her debut title with Harlequin, was released August 23, 2011 and was a Publisher’s Weekly’s Top 10 pick for Fall 2011.  The second book in the series, DARKEST KNIGHT, debuted March 20, 2012.

When Karen isn’t writing, she’s a graphic designer looking for work.  She welcomes all inquiries for book covers J Interested parties can email her at jkduvall at bendbroadband dot com.

And now…Here’s Karen!

R: Tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer?

K: I live in Bend, Oregon, but I think my heart is still in Colorado, where I lived for most of my adult life. I've always loved telling stories, ever since I was a little kid. Writing is a passion of mine. I'm also a visual artist, which is how I make my living, but writing and art go hand in hand. You could say I create word pictures with my writing.

R: What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

K: I write urban fantasy, and I've written romantic suspense, which I'd like to do more of. Paranormal romance is a genre I plan to pursue.

R: What have you had published to-date? Do you have a favourite of your books or characters?

K: My first published book was a futuristic supernatural novel called PROJECT RESURRECTION published by Speculation Press in 2000. In 2006, my romantic suspense novel, DESERT GUARDIAN, was published by The Wild Rose Press. Then last year my urban fantasy, KNIGHT'S CURSE, was published by Harlequin Luna and the sequel, DARKEST KNIGHT, just came out in March of this year.

R: If any of your books were made into films, who would you have as the leading actor/s?

K: As a matter of fact, I just blogged about this. I'd like Chalice to be played by Nina Dobrev, who plays Elena in Vampire Diaries, which is convenient since her leading man on and off the stage is also my pick for Aydin. Ian Somerhalder plays Damon on Vampire Diaries and is a great match for Chalice's main man.

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

K: I'm currently writing a novella for Harlequin's End of the World Anthology coming out next year. It's a dystopian tale that takes place after a cataclysmic Solar Storm brings the world as we know it to its knees.

R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

K: Both. I write a loose synopsis to start me out so I know the conflicts, the inciting incident, a couple of big turning points, the climax and the resolution. This isn't written in stone and can change at any time, which it often does. But the core components stay true throughout.

R: What is a “must have” for you that aids the creative process?

K: Chunks of time. I have a real hard time writing on the fly with a few minutes here and there between doing other stuff. I'm easily derailed and it takes some effort to get back on track, and by then I may have already lost whatever groove I'd managed to carve into the story I'm working on.

R: What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies or party tricks? :)

K: I'm an artist so that keeps me busy when I'm not writing. I create 3D graphics for gaming and I design book covers for self-published authors.

R: Where can we find out more about you and your work?

K: You can visit my blog at http://www.karenduvall.blogspot.com

R: What one thing would your readers be surprised to know about you?

K: Only one? LOL. That I used to be a sky diver in college.

R: Do you have any advice for other writers?

K: Lots. J When it comes to writing, don't sweat the small stuff. Don't get too caught up in formatting issues or tear your hair out over passive voice and then do a search and replace for all words ending in "ing." Instead, focus on the craft of writing a good story. Practice the basics of scene structure, learn how to make your characters real, and don't overwrite every little detail of your characters actions because it's boring. Join a good critique group, enter some good writing contests and attend writers' conferences. Then write every day.

R: Just for Fun:

K: My favorite:

Movie: Home Is Where The Heart Is

Author: Stephen King

Book: Galilee by Clive Barker

Tv show: Grimm

Detectives or Demons: Demons

Knights or Sorcerers?: Knights

Sunrise or Sunset: Sunset

Cat or Dog (Careful, now!): Cat! (R:  Good answer, meow!)

Thank you, Karen, for this great interview!

Folks, below are links to Karen’s books and her website:

AmazonLink: http://www.amazon.com/Darkest-Knight-Luna-Books-ebook/dp/B006YAC5Z8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332729340&sr=8-1

B&N Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/darkest-knight-karen-duvall/1105680724?ean=9780373803446&itm=1&usri=darkest+knight+by+karen+duvall

Website Link: http://www.karenduvall.blogspot.com

Karen is giving away paperback copies of her books, KNIGHT’S CURSE AND DARKEST KNIGHT, to one lucky reader! 

To enter, leave a comment on this blog with your email address.  For extra entries, you can:

Friend me on FB and follow me @RoccoBlogger on Twitter

Friend the “Human” on FB

Friend Karen on FB or follow her on Twitter

Tweet, blog or FB about this contest!

Be sure to mention all you do in your post so we know how many entries to give you! Contest is open to US residents ONLY and ends midnight, Sunday, April 8, winner announced week of April 9! Winner chosen using random.org.

Get goin’!

Com ing soon:  Character interviews with Queen Betsy, Sara Dearly; our fanfic/KNTR fundraiser with CASTLE; and an interview with a pug???????

ROCCO

Incredibly Talented Blogging Cat