Welcome! Let us start with a basic question, when did you first start 
reading romance?
A: My mom gave a copy of Katherine by Anya Setone when I was around 12 and have been reading them ever since.
Who are your favorite romance writers and their book that stands out the most for you?
A: Julia Quinn, Julie Anne Long, Deanna Raybourne, Jilly Cooper. Well, I like Quinn’s entire Bridgerton series, but if I must pick a fave it would be Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Julie Anne Long has a wonderful series called the Pennyroyal-Green series, I’d say Like No Other Lover, for Jilly Cooper, I’d say Riders. and for Deanna Raybourn it would be Silent on the Moor, another favorite by Robin Shone is Awaken My Love.
Can you tell us a little about your latest release that isn’t in the blurb? Which character is your favorite?
A: I put Charlotte is a very difficult position that involves Atakan’s family. Charlotte must decide whether he’d be safer without her. It is a tough choice because I love both Charlotte and Atakan but by a thin margin, I’d say Charlotte is my favorite. I love that she is in a profession I’d love to pursue if I was younger and given the choice of professions again. I also admire her intellect and that she isn’t afraid to tease Atakan.
If you could only describe a single scene to encourage someone to read your novel, which scene would you describe?
A: It is the scene where she gets a distressing email from Atakan’s mother, which is quickly followed by Atakan confronting her about her intentions.
What are you currently working on?
A: I’m just finishing the draft of book three in my paranormal romance series. It’s called Knight Blindness and is a time travel. Once I’m done, I’ll put it away for a couple of weeks then come back to start the rewrites with fresh eyes.
What makes a romance novel a great love story and how would you define “romance”?
A: For me a great romance starts with the hero and heroine being equal-worthy of the other’s love. I dislike weepy, weak heroines or heroines that are just outright nasty, especially to the hero if there’s no cause. I want to respect him and if he tolerates too much it affects my opinion of him. I like to see strength of character, respect and humor in the relationship.
I like to see strength of character, respect and humor in the relationship.
I define romance along those same lines. Flowers and candy and walks on the beach are lovely but romance is deeper and not defined by “things.” It’s not having to do something big for Valentine’s Day and instead sharing a special dinner at home. It’s watching a favorite comedian and laughing, really laughing together and repeating the funny lines to each other at silly times. It’s mutual respect and trust. It’s him knowing which movies will make his lady cry and the lady knowing what games (sports) will keep him glued to the chair and leaving him alone to enjoy them.
What are you reading right now and what’s the last book you read that you loved and would recommend to my readers?
A: I just finished (last night) A Notorious Countess Confeses, by Julie Anne Long. Tonight I will start 1356 by Bernard Cornwell my favorite historical fiction writer.
Chris is a retired police detective. She spent twenty-five years in the law enforcement with two different agencies.
The daughter of a history professor and a voracious reader, she grew up with a love for history and books.
She has traveled extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and Northern Africa satisfying her passion for seeing the places she read about.
A Chicago native, Chris has lived in Paris, Los Angeles, and now resides with her husband, and five rescue dogs in the Pacific Northwest.
http://www.chriskarlsen.com/
Chris is giving away a copy of her book, Golden Chariot, a tote bag and a Turkish charm keychain! Leave a comment to enter! Good luck ; )
16 comments
Skip to comment form ↓
chris karlsen
March 8, 2013 at 12:52 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
I want to thank Nat for inviting me today. I look forward to talking with everyone here.
Chris Karlsen
chris karlsen
March 8, 2013 at 6:54 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
I’d like to let anyone who is interested that there are trailers for my books on my website: http://www.chriskarlsen.com.
Also, I have book boards on my Pinterest page where I got to use my “dream” cast. http://pinterest.com/chriskarlsen
Chris
chris karlsen
March 8, 2013 at 7:42 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Since I mentioned in the interview a part of the book where Atakan confronts Charlotte about her intentions, I thought it might be fun to include an excerpt from that scene.
Chris
#
Charlotte’s worries regarding telling Atakan the truth and the negative dive with Nassor pressed on her mind. Tired to the bone, she headed for the women’s dorm to drop her backpack. From there, she couldn’t wait to shower. Maybe standing under the hot water would clear her head and she’d know how to approach Atakan.
She was almost at the dorm when the cook’s truck came to a quick stop next to her. Atakan was behind the wheel. He leaned across the cab of the truck and flung open the passenger door.
“Get in.”
“Now? I wanted to take a shower. How about I meet you in twenty minutes?”
“Get in,” he said, flatly.
Charlotte tossed her backpack in the truck bed and climbed into the passenger seat. He pulled away before she had the door completely closed.
“Where are we going?” she asked, shutting the door.
Atakan didn’t answer as he sped out of camp, spraying dirt and stones behind them.
“What’s going on? Why are you in such a hurry?”
He stared straight ahead, silent.
“Atakan?”
Tight-jawed, he continued down the side road that paralleled the beach, ramming the stick shift into place as he went through the gears and ignoring her questions. She’d never seen him this tense, not with her at least. A bad feeling crept over her. She had a sick sense his mood involved her plan to leave.
They’d gone a kilometer from the camp when he came to a stop. He hopped out, slammed the driver’s door shut and came to her side.
Opening her door, he said, “Get out.”
She did.
“Atakan,” Charlotte started to ask the same questions again, but he was already turned and walking toward the sea.
She followed. He finally stopped near the water’s edge with his back to the surf and faced her. She stopped a couple of yards away.
“When were you going to tell me?”
She knew exactly what he was asking about. Who told him? It wasn’t Nick. He’d honor the twenty-four hour rule.
“Who told you?”
“That’s not an answer.” He stood still as a statue, arms crossed, feet apart.
She hesitated, trying to choose her words so he’d understand and not be hurt. She gazed out at the incoming tide. The blue-green waves, effervescent with bubbles, rushed toward shore in rapid succession. White foam droplets filled the air as they crested, framing him like a new, angry version of Poseidon.
“Answer me.”
“Today.”
“You weren’t going to tell me until today, although you’ve been planning to leave me for awhile.”
“Not awhile.”
“Long enough to send job inquiries to several museums.”
So that was how he knew. One of the museums contacted MIAR and they must’ve sent the questionnaire to Refik and he told Atakan. She hadn’t considered the possibility. She’d thought any contact from the museums would be handled by MIAR’s headquarters.
“I’m so sorry you had to find out this way. I intended to tell you if it looked like I’d definitely leave. If none of the museums showed interest, then you never had to know what I’d done.”
“And you believe that is acceptable?”
It killed her to see the look of disgust on his face with the question. “Yes…” she said low.
“Why?”
“Because I’m bad luck for you—everyone can see it, even your–, it’s obvious. There’s something about me, and God knows, I don’t know what, but I’m like a magnet for Tischenko.”
She never cried and she wouldn’t cry now, but she was close. “I can’t bear to see you hurt again, or worse. There are people that bad luck follows, even Iskender thinks so.”
Atakan inhaled deeply and let out a slow breath. Uncrossing his arms, he closed the short distance to where she stood.
“It’s not forever,” she offered, “I’ll return.”
He shook his head. “If you go, you cannot return. You’re either in my life or out of my life. There’s no in between.”
Linda Townsend
March 9, 2013 at 12:05 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Hi! I, too, love romances… and I love paranormals (I’ll have to check out your romantic paranormal series
)) Thanks for the contest! I’m always looking for new authors to read! AND thank you, Nat, for hosting Chris today!
chris karlsen
March 9, 2013 at 6:35 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Hi Linda,
Book 1 in my paranormal series is Heroes Live Forever and book 2 is Journey in Time.
Heroes Live Forever is about a young English woman who inherits a house haunted by the ghosts of two medieval knights and she falls in love with one of the ghosts.
Journey in Time is a time travel involving the best friends of the couple in Heroes. They are caught in a freak storm and transported back to 1355 and an England preparing for war.
Trailers for all my books can be seen on my website: http://www.chriskarlsen.com and I have book boards for all my novels on my pinterest page: http://pinterest.com/chriskarlsen. On the book boards, I get to use my “dream” cast:)
Chris
Andrea Carpenter
March 9, 2013 at 2:41 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Thank you for the giveaway. Can’t wait to read.
bmack31919@yahoo.com
chris karlsen
March 9, 2013 at 6:39 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Hi Andrea,
Thank you for the kind words. I enjoyed writing the exotic settings in Golden Chariot and Byzantine Gold. I have visited Turkey and the islands in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean and loved them. I knew I set a story or two using those settings.’
Chris
martha lawson
March 9, 2013 at 10:22 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Love finding new authors and their books!! Thanks for the chance to win this book – it sounds awesome!
chris karlsen
March 9, 2013 at 11:00 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Hi Martha,
We authors love to be “found.” Smiles and waves:)
I’ve visited Turkey several times and loved it. I knew the first time I went that I wanted to set a book there. After I went to the ruins of Troy, I knew that the ancient kingdom would have some part in the story.
I enjoyed sharing some of the history, the exoticness and some of the culture of Turkey and Troy.
Chris
Sherry J
March 10, 2013 at 12:07 AM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Thanks for the chance to win.
dragonkeep62(at)gmail(dot)com
chris karlsen
March 10, 2013 at 12:18 AM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Hi Sherry,
You’re welcome. Thank you for stopping by. If there’s anything you’d like to know about the book, just ask. I love talking with readers.
Chris
Meghan Stith
March 10, 2013 at 5:14 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Love me a good book! AND a good romance! Thanks for the giveaway!
mestith at gmail dot com
bn100
March 10, 2013 at 7:18 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
I agree about weak characters.
anna@herding cats
March 11, 2013 at 6:43 AM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
Ahhh I love that she teases him a bit too Chris
I’m starting this one in the next day or so and can’t wait to see what they have to go through!
~Anna
anna@herding cats recently posted..Breaking the Nexus (Mythrian Realm #1) by Lindsay Avalon
buell
March 27, 2013 at 11:13 AM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
This is why I love facebook. I find new authors that I just can’t wait to check out. I enjoy paranormal/time travel romance novels so I will be putting Heroes Live Forever on my list.
annie
March 27, 2013 at 11:49 PM (UTC -3) Link to this comment
<3 it. pick me pick me pick me pick me pick me