Inside the Mind of Time-Travel Romance Author Chris Karlsen
Chris Karlsen is a Chicago native. Her
family moved to Los Angeles when she was in her late teens where she later
studied at UCLA. She graduated with a Business Degree. The daughter of a history
professor and a mother who was a voracious reader, she grew up with a love of
history and books.
Her parents were also passionate about
traveling and passed their passion onto Chris. Once bitten with the travel bug,
Chris spent most of her adult life visiting the places she'd read about and
that fascinated her. Her travels have taken her Europe, the Near East, and
North Africa, in addition to most of the United States. She most frequently
visited England and France, where several of her books are set.
After college, Chris spent the next
twenty-five years in law enforcement with two agencies. Harboring a strong
desire to write since her teens, upon retiring from police work, Chris decided
to pursue her writing career. She writes three different series. Her historical
romance series is called, Knights in Time. Her romantic thriller series is
Dangerous Waters, and he latest book, Silk, is book one in her mystery/suspense
series, The Bloodstone series.
She currently lives in the Pacific
Northwest with her husband and five wild and crazy rescue dogs.
Website is: http://chriskarlsen.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/chriskarlsen/
What
is so great about being an author?
Giving
a character the story they deserve. For example, the hero in my latest book, In
Time For You, was the antagonist in the previous book. He wasn’t a villain
though and he had heroic qualities. I knew I wanted to give him a story of his
own. So, this was his book, his opportunity to be a hero.
When
do you hate it?
I
struggle with love scenes. I worry about making them flow naturally and I want
them to be sensual. It takes me forever to get through one. I have friends who
can just write them with such ease. Not me. I fuss over the choreography and
the language and the sights and sounds. I just dread them.
What
is a regular writing day like for you?
I
try to do all my regular chores in the morning, shopping or doctor
appointments, that sort of thing. I sit down to write around midday. I write
until 4, when I feed the dogs, then I write for an hour more and quit for the
night. I try to write every day. I take breaks as I write. I get up and make
tea or walk around to try and stay fresh. It’s a battle not to troll the
internet, of courseJ.
I’ve
met some authors who are rather full of themselves but you find that in any
industry. I don’t know that authors are any worse than others. If I were to
paint authors with a particular brush, it would be that as a whole they are
well read, articulate, and knowledgeable about their fields of interest. On a
more personal level, I’d say most I’ve met were gracious and many had a great
sense of humor.
How
do you handle negative reviews?
It’s
hard not to let them ruin your day. It truly is hard not to, but I generally
call a writer friend or two, whimper and have a good grumble about it. I kind
of sulk all afternoon, have a glass of wine or two, and finally let it go. I
have to just move on. What’s the point of holding onto the bad feelings? I
can’t change the fact. Someone didn’t like the story. That’s bound to happen.
How
do you handle positive reviews?
I’m
all atwitter with those. I have two FB pages, one is strictly my author page
and one is me as an author and with other bits and bobs. I post the good
reviews on both. I have a publicist and ask her to post on my website and on my
Amazon page as well. I need to start posting on Pinterest. I keep forgetting to
do that. My publicist posts on Twitter. I’m not really good with some forms of
social media, Twitter is one I’m not good with so she does that for me.
What
is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?
People
are generally very interested. They ask a lot of questions about what I write
and where I get my ideas for stories. They like to know all sorts of things
like how covers are designed and even how I choose character names. People have
a genuine curiosity about writing, which I am delighted to share.
What
do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a
break?
On
the rare days I don’t write, I hang out. If the weather is good, I putz around
the house or the yard. Sometimes, we go to the movies. I will go shopping with
a friend or go to lunch with friends. I don’t usually force it unless I am
really trying to finish a book by a certain time.
Any
writing quirks?
I
am not superstitious so I don’t think I have quirks, per se. I don’t have a
lucky doll or idol that I rub. I usually do an outline, which I rarely, if ever
follow.
What
would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it
as a hobby?
Ignore
them. I’m at an age where I no longer feel like I have to justify who I am to
anybody or what I do. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement. I retired
and proud of my time as a detective. Now I am doing something different that I
always wanted to do. I don’t owe anybody an explanation.
Some
authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?
No,
not really. If I ever felt that it was getting me down, that I was stressed in
the way I was the last years I was as a detective, I’d stop writing. I don’t
need that aggravation anymore.
Do
you think success as an author must be linked to money?
Absolutely
not. My husband said it so well to me several years ago when I finished my
first book. He said, it doesn’t matter whether you get published or not. The
fact that you said you always wanted to write this story and that you sat down
and did write it, that’s what matters. Everyone says they want to write a book
but you did it. I’m so proud of you. My mom said the same thing. She told me
that she only wished my dad were still alive to see that I did finish the book
I dedicated to them because they always encouraged me to try.
What
had writing taught you?
I
have more discipline and dedication and butt endurance than I thought.
Leave
us with some words of wisdom.
Don’t
lose heart by rejection. Steve Berry said his first story was rejected 80X.
Stephen King said Carrie was rejected so much he threw it in the trash. His
wife, Tabitha, saved it and wouldn’t let him throw it out. Harry Potter was
rejected over 100X.
That
said, when or if your story is accepted keep an open mind when working with an
editor. The editor is generally not making suggestions to ruin your story but
to make it flow better and to make it more marketable.
About In Time For You, by
Chris Karlsen
While horseback riding in the English
countryside, sisters, Electra and Emily Crippen find themselves trapped in a
tear in time. Thrown back to 1357 England and caught by a local noble, they are
in a place that is home but as frightening and unfamiliar as an alien world
would be. With no idea how the tear in time came about, the one thing they do
know is: they must stay together and stay near to where the event took place in
hopes of discovering the way back to their modern life. That certain need to
stay together is the first certainty taken from them when one sister is forced
to remain in England and one is sent miles away to Wales by royal order.
There is one other hope for help the
sisters don’t know exists. It’s Electra’s lover, Roger Marchand. A time
traveler himself, he never told her of his past. When he realizes what has
happened to the sisters, he enlists the help of a scientist friend to help him
open the suspected passageway through time. Any effort to save Electra and
Emily will likely cost him his life. This was the time Roger came from, a time
when his country, France, was at war with England. If he is discovered on
English soil while searching for the sisters, he will either be killed or taken
prisoner of war. Any risk is worth saving the life of the woman he loves.
Buy
links:
I want to thank Writer's Life for this opportunity to talk books and showcase In Time For You.
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Great interview. I especially like Chris's answer to the question "What has Writing Taught you?" :-D
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