Postcard For Reader

Interview: Laura Kreitzer (& Giveaway)

This giveaway is over.

Stopping by today is Laura Kreitzer, author of the Timeless series. She's super sweet, and look at the description for Shadow of the Sun - doesn't it sound awesome?

Gabriella’s past is a mystery, but that never stopped her from achieving her goals. As a Supernatural Specialist, and far more intelligent than anyone her age, she was always ignored by her peers. Because of the isolation she has always felt, she put her life and soul into her job. Being a Supernatural Specialist hasn’t given her the divine intervention she always longed for, until one day a shipment arrives from Italy containing three dead bodies with an uncanny ability to regenerate. Gabriella is frightened and intrigued, but not as scared as she becomes when a dark creature attacks her.
As the bodies come back to life, the plot takes an unexpected twist that you won’t see coming. The supernatural world only begins to unfold before her as angels appear, her dreams start to haunt her, and the very past she has forgotten comes back with startling clarity. Romance blooms, escape plans are made, an assassin is out to kill her, and death is only around the corner. But what is more terrifying than all of it is the fact she is the chosen one, the Illuminator, the one who will save them all.

Just click read more to take a look at the interview. We talked about the Timeless series, the Iron Fey series, and Red Bull...

OH! And if you keep scrolling down, under the interview, there is a GIVEAWAY. Oh yes.

Nicole: Welcome to WORD, Laura! When and where did the idea for the Timeless series pop into your head?
Laura Kreitzer: That’s a good question. When I figure out the answer, I’ll be happy to tell you. As of right now, I still wonder where the hell the idea came from. I wrote probably 15 different first pages and scraped them all. Then one day I decided not to start at the beginning. The first thing I ever wrote was the prologue of Shadow of the Sun, and that’s how the Timeless Series was born. From there I just started making stuff up, mapping it all out with diagrams, notebooks full of useless information you’ll probably never read in the books. Now I’m 60% done with the third novel, Abyss, and the world is real. When I write I’m transported somewhere else.

N: Do you have a favorite character in the series?
LK: I have many favorite characters in the series. Each of them I adore for different reasons. I love Gabriella’s strength, vulnerabilities, and her tenacity. Joseph’s shoulder-bumping, sixties music booty-shaking, and cheerful attitude is always a delight. Then there is Andrew’s sexiness. There really aren’t many words to describe that man. He oozes hotness. Plus, he’s got this innocent side to him; he’s tender and caring. In my eyes, he’s the perfect man. Abelie, Aiden, Lucia, Ehno, and Patrick also hold a special place in my heart. Jeez... how dare you ask such a complicated question. :D

N: Complicated questions are the most fun to answer! How long does it take you to write each book? Do you have someplace that you write best?
LK: Shadow of the Sun (110,000 words) took me 5 months to write because I was working full time with an hour commute. Soul Stalker (124,000 words) took longer than that, even though I went part time at my job. If you look at the dedication in the book, you’ll see I went through a horrible tragedy in my life. I couldn’t even look at my manuscript for a while because the person who died was actually a character in the book. And his love was the basis of the two main characters, Gabriella and Andrew.

I’m 60% done with Abyss, which I started in October. Incidentally, in November I signed up for NaNoWriMo and wrote the first in my Summer Chronicles: Phantom Universe (90,000 words), which is why I am so behind with Abyss. Phantom Universe actually comes out February 15!

I do have a favorite place to write: my Nook. We have a loft in our house with a beautiful view of the lake we live on. I built bookshelves and filled them, then set up a desk area and added a recliner. It’s fantastic.

N: If the series was made into a miniseries for television, who would you cast for the main characters?
LK: I’ve been asked this before, so luckily I have the links I saved.

Gabriella: link (I’d only have her cast if she looked like this—her other pictures and style I am not so fond of)
Andrew: link
Joseph: link

N: What's your favorite food? At the moment, I'm addicted to granola bars.
LK: Favorite food is RED BULL. Is that a food? I’m not sure. Let’s just say it is.

N: What books would you recommend after reading yours?
LK: Ohhh. That’s a tough one. The Seers series by Jennifer DeLucy would be a nice compliment to my novels, or even Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series. Even though The Iron Queen totally blows my books out of the water (and I made sure to tell Julie that, too). Haha.

N: I LOVE The Iron fey series! Now, the flowers in your garden are speaking to you. What do they say?
LK: “Get your butt outside and water us, you useless cretin!” LOL Seriously, I plant flowers every year and halfway through the summer I seem to forget to water them... I really need a sprinkler system.

N: What's the most obscure present you've ever given? That you've ever gotten?
LK: I’m a very practical person, so I don’t think I’ve ever given anyone something that would raise eyebrows. Though, my MIL gave me a soap dish once that she found at a yard sale (and a poster of Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart). I know exactly what my man is thinking: “Thanks Mom.” (Sarcastically, of course.)

I did mention a giveaway, didn't I? Laura is giving away one copy of Shadow of the Sun, but because she loves blogs so much, you must be a book blogger to enter. Besides that, the rules are the same as always - you have until February 5 to enter by filling out the form below.

Quick Recap:
[1] copy of Shadow of the Sun up for grabs
[1] winner in the U.S. only
must be a book blogger
ends February 5

How To Win:
[mandatory] fill out the form below