Saturday, November 13, 2010

Interview & Giveaway: Roxanne St. Claire


Fellow book bloggers and readers, it is my honor to welcome Roxanne St. Claire on my blog today. Roxanne has written everything from chick lit to category romance to suspense - and she has just recently launched her new trilogy, Guardian Angelos with the first novel entitled Edge of Sight. Let's welcome this New York Times bestselling author to Nikola's Book Blog!

Thanks for having me here at your blog.

Is it exciting to be launching a new series? What are your ambitions with the Guardian Angelos?

Of course it's exciting to launch a new series, and daunting, too. After eight books and two novellas under the Bullet Catchers umbrella (my previous series), it's a little scary to create an all-new cast of characters and put them in compelling, unforgettable situations. I've written the first three books in the series, and found they were grittier, more emotional and tougher than I'd expected, but I loved the challenge.

My ambitions are to continue the series. Publishing is a grueling, difficult business and genres are cyclical. I hope that Guardian Angelinos has lit a chord with readers who love "romantic suspense" - a fast-paced, sexy, emotionally charged story that follows a stand-alone adventure within a bigger world.

Not only are you a prolific writer, but you've written romance, chick lit and suspense! That's amazing! What's your favorite genre to write?

I love to write whatever I'm writing at the moment. I have recently sold my first Young Adult novel, which will come out in hardcover from Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House, in 2012. So right now, I'm loving the fresh, unexpected, pure stories that appeal to teen readers. I'm so excited that this book has been optioned for a feature film, and hope to write many more for younger readers.

When we were talking about this interview, you described my blog as "eclectic". If I were invited over for coffee at your place, how do you think I would describe your bookshelves?

A mess! I stash and stuff and rarely reorganize. My bookshelves have everything from classic to trash. I love Bronte (both of them!) and Austen, spent my teen years devouring hardcore mainstream commercial fiction (Sydney Sheldon, Judith Krantz, Jacqueline Susann) and then moved into the romance genre that I love and write - Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown and Debbie Macomber. I have at least a hundred Young Adult novels, rows of Harlequin category and my share of literary works as well. We're both eclectic!

One of the hot topics in the book bloggers' community is piracy. Do you have any experience with book piracy and what are your thoughts?

I just don't know what to say about this. I don't understand it, I don't appreciate it and I certainly don't condone it. Book piracy takes bread off my table, gas out of my car and tuition from my son's college funds. It's stealing what an author has a right to be paid for. I sweat, bleed and struggle to write the best books I possibly can and someone believes it's perfectly okay to take my work and enjoy it without any compensation to me. I realize there are geographical restrictions on books that I have no control over. I also believe these will be changing over time, and readers in other countries will have access to e-books on an international basis, with appropriate compensation for the publishers and editors. In the meantime, please go to the library, buy a used book, borrow from a friend or seek out the zillions of free reads on the internet. But don't download a stolen book.

The next chapter of the Guardian Angelions is set to be published in March 2011. Are you working on the book or is it almost done? Also, what should we expect?

The next two books are "in the can" as they say - completed, revised, copyedited and on their way to production. They'll be released back to back in March and April. First up is Shiver of Fear, a thriller set in Northern Ireland where Marc Rossi is sent to track down a woman on a secret mission and finds her far more attractive and dangerous than he expects. That will be followed immediately by Face of Danger, the story of Vivi Angelino, who bucks the FBI to step into the shoes of an Oscar-winning actress as a body double and becomes the target of a serial killer. I hope readers love these and all of my books!

Thanks for the interview, Roxanne!

Thanks for inviting me!

Roxanne is very cool and has offered one copy of Edge of Sight to one lucky winner. The rules are as follows:

US/Canada only
Giveaway ends November 27th Extended until December 4th!
Enter by commenting and LEAVING YOUR EMAIL.

Bonus entries:
+2 for following (old and new followers)
+2 for leaving a link in your sidebar (+4 if you leave a graphic!)
+2 for tweeting about the contest (leave the link!)
+4 for blogging about the contest
+4 for visiting Roxanne's website and coming back with a title you'd love to read, other than the Guardian Angelinos series

Good luck!

14 comments:

Donna Cummings said...

No need to enter me into the contest. I've already devoured this book, and wish the next two were in my hands right now!

Roxanne, if you're here answering questions: I really enjoyed reading about the local places in the Boston area, and wondered what inspired you to set this series there. :)

Roxanne St. Claire said...

Hi Donna, I'm happy to answer questions! So glad you devoured the book! You don't have to wait TOO long for the next ones, just 5 months. Then back to back Angelino fun!

EDGE really was a bit of a love story to Boston, and I hope to set more of the books there. (SHIVER moves primarily to Northern Ireland, though there are many Boston scenes; FACE OF DANGER is set mostly on Nantucket Island.) I lived in Boston for almost 6 years, and loved EVERY SINGLE MINUTE in the city and the surrounding area. I lived in an apartment very much like the one I described as Vivi's - and also in another in Brookline, right next door to the Star Market where Sam is attacked in the beginning. My dear friend lived in a house in JP much like the safe house, and, after I got married, I moved into a colonial in Sudbury, and used that as the basis for Rossi home.

Although life took us to Florida and children have kept us here (it is so easy to raise a family in this environment) I have the deepest love for everything that is Boston and New England, and I hope that comes through in the writing!

xoxo
Rocki

Anonymous said...

I know I have read one of your books before, I just can't recall the name(I am an avid reader and go through at least four books a week). I do remember I enjoyed the book very much.
mom1248(at)att(dot)net

Anonymous said...

I follow via GFC.
mom1248(at)att(dot)net

bettycd said...

Boston is a great setting. Looking forward to the Shiver of Fear coming out in the Spring

bettycd said...

following via GFC
my profile is public w/an email address. As such, not sure if you also require that it be openly listed here?
tjandbcd at optonline.net

bettycd said...

GFC follower entry 2
tjandbcd at optonline.net

FallenVamp said...

Hmm haven't read it.

+2 for new follower

wbbusby (at) gmail (dot) com

Lesley said...

+2 for following
+2 for leaving a link in your sidebar (http://yabreviewed.blogspot.com)
+4 for visiting Roxanne's website and coming back with a title you'd love to read

Actually, I have read ALL of Roxanne's Bullet Catcher series and I am so excited for a new series!
My favorite of the series though is "First You Run." Amazing, it's on my keep shelf for sure and I've reread it twice.
And Roxanne I don't know if you're still reading the comments, but you're one of my favorite romance authors. Every book is exciting and so fun. I can't wait to read the new series! :)

Wow, I wrote a huge rambling mess up there haha!

lesleykjones@hotmail.com

robynl said...

+2 follow as primrose
+4 I'd love to read French Twist

yourstrulee(at)sasktel(dot)net

quite a few books on your site I'd like to read.

Jenny Girl said...

Sounds like a good read and I like getting in on the ground floor with a new series.
jennygirl73[at]gmail[dot]com
+2 I am an old follower

Thanks for the contest and congrats on selling the YA novel too. Everything is looking good :)

LadyFidza said...

I'm your new follower via google connect friend. Great blog!

Fidza
jazzcarnation@aol.com

asl said...

nice giveaway! would love to read this. audreyshay at yahoo dot com

asl said...

i am interested in reading Kill Me Twice from the Bullet Catchers series. audreyshay at yahoo dot com 1