Friday, August 12, 2011

Interview with Lisa Kessler & Giveaway - August 12, 2011

Please welcome Lisa Kessler to The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. Lisa's debut, Night Walker (Night 1), was published on August 2, 2011  by Entangled Publishing.

TQ:  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Lisa:  I like to chew sugarless gum while I write... Usually Trident Bubble gum flavor! By the time I'm deep into a book my desk is drowning in gum wrappers! LOL

TQ:  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Lisa:  Some of my favorites are: Stephen King, Anne Rice, Kelley Armstrong, Ray Bradbury, Dean Koontz, Jeri Smith-Ready, Jackie Kessler, the list goes on... LOL

Anne Rice definitely influenced me because she made me want to write vampires. And Ray Bradbury impacted my craft by challenging me to write a new short story every week for a year. I achieved that goal and my writing is much stronger! So glad I did it. :)

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Lisa:  Panster.

TQ:  Describe Night Walker in 140 characters or less.

Lisa:  He gave up his soul for a second chance to love her...

TQ:  What inspired you to write Night Walker?

Lisa:  I wanted to write a vampire romance, but I wanted the vampires to be different and from the Americas instead of Europe. I started researching and came up with shape shifting Night Walkers.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do for Night Walker?

Lisa:  I did some research online, but because Night Walker is set in San Diego, I was able to go to the Mission de Alcala lots of times to walk around and take photos. I also interviewed some of the Kumeyaay historians from the local tribes here. I really enjoyed researching!

TQ:  Who was the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why?

Lisa:  Calisto was the easiest for me to write. I think I understood him and his motivations best from the very start of the book, so it was always easy when I was in his point of view. I think Betty was the toughest for me to write, because she's a tough as nails business woman and basically the opposite of me. I had to keep rewriting her tougher and colder each time I edited.

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in the novel?

Lisa:  Tough not to give too much away... My favorite scene is when Calisto is forced to try to drive Kate's stick-shift car! I don't want to give too much away, but to see an all-powerful immortal stall a car definitely made him more human to me... :)

I love the scene at the middle of the book when Calisto plays Mozart for Kate. I can see the scene in my head, I can hear the song, and to me the scene is magic! LOL

TQ:  Who should play Calisto Terana and Kate Bradley if Night Walker is made into a movie?

Lisa:  Calisto would be younger Antonio Banderas from Mask of Zorro. (Remember that dance scene with Catherine Zeta-Jones??? Shew!) And Kate probably be someone like Katie Holmes.

TQ:  How many books are planned for The Night series?

Lisa:  There are 3 novels and 1 novella planned at this point.

TQ:  What's next?

Lisa:  In December the second book in the series, Night Demon, will be released, followed by the novella, Night Thief in January. I'm going to be very busy! LOL

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Lisa:  Thanks so much for having me! It's been really fun!


About Night Walker

Night Walker
Night 1
(Entangled Publishing, August 2, 2011)
He gave up his soul for a second chance to love her…
 
Two and a half centuries ago, Calisto Terana lost everything when a zealous priest murdered the woman he loved. Now, desperate for another chance to love her, he wants redemption for the mistake that cost her life.

She’s haunted by dreams of her own death…

After catching her fiance with another woman, Kate Bradley returns to San Diego to clear her head. The last thing she needs is romance, but after meeting Calisto she’s drawn to him in ways she doesn’t understand.

They’ve waited in the shadows for centuries…

Calisto has no doubt Kate is the reincarnation of his lost love, but the Fraternidad Del Fuego Santo has a new watcher with dark ambitions of his own. As old enemies reemerge and a new threat arises, the betrayal that enslaved Calisto to the night might destroy the only woman he’s ever loved again.

Amazon : Barnes & Noble : Books on Board : diesel : iTunes


About Lisa

Lisa's short stories have been featured in print anthologies, and her vampire story "Immortal Beloved" was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award. She was also a finalist in RT Book Review magazine’s “Writing with the Stars” contest.

When she's not writing, Lisa is also a professional vocalist, performing with the San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in southern California. She lives in San Diego with her husband and two teens.

Lisa's Links

Website:  http://Lisa-Kessler.com
Blog:  http://lisakessler.wordpress.com
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/LdyDisney
Facebook:  http://facebook.com/LisaKesslerWriter


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win an Across the Veil short story ebook and a set of Night Walker romance trading cards from Lisa.

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

Manual (stick-shift) or automatic car?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, August 19, 2011. Void where prohibited by law.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*

22 comments:

  1. automatic, never learned to drive a straight shift and honey gave up trying to teach me after one day.

    GFC follower
    lvs2dv at mail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I grew up on a farm and all the vehicles were manual shifts. Yeah, we were driving around (burning out the transmissions) but we had fun!

    Now that I'm much, much older, I prefer automatic.

    I'm a follower (booklover0226)

    Thanks,
    Tracey D
    booklover0226 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. automatic. I tried to learn a straight shift it didn't happen. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read these books. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. GFC Krystal Larson edysicecreamlover18@gmailDOTcom
    facebooked: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000547840483

    Definitely automatic, I don't think I have the attention span for shifting -.-

    ReplyDelete
  5. Automatic. I remember trying to learn to drive a stick shift, but I had to give up...I could never work the clutch correctly.

    GFC follower
    mom1248(at)att(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  6. Automatic. I had a friend's mother teach me to shift, but what a PITA.

    GFC Anne38

    acm05atjuno.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Automatic. Not very good driving a manual. Thanks for the giveaway.

    I am a follower
    sariahwalters at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi everyone! *waving*

    I started out on a stick-shift, but I am spoiled by an automatic now! LOL

    My teens both drive a stick shift though... :) I'm so mean! LOL

    Thanks for commenting!!!

    Lisa :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nice interview! It's so good to find new authors (okay, they aren't new for many of you, but here it's pretty difficult to find them!)

    Mmm...I don't like driving but in my country automatic isn't very common and we are forced to use manual shift. But I'd love my car to have an auotmatic one!

    +1 comment
    +1 blog follower

    aliasgirl at libero dot it

    ReplyDelete
  10. Manual. I get too bored driving an automatic, though the car I drive most is an automatic. I've even driven a column shift. Fun stuff that!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Definitely an automatic. I would mind learning to try a manual but for ease and comfort an automatic is for me. I am looking forward to this book, it's on my wishlist.

    I am a GFC follower.
    Cambonified[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Definitely an automatic - my brain is too busy to be able to make my left foot go back and forth between the clutch and the brake - or maybe that is the problem LOL Thank you for sharing about this lovely author today.

    GFC follower - you betcha I am!

    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am a follower but then I see it calls me a subscriber. I know how to drive manual but all our cars are automatic. debby236 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. LOL A manual - my little car is a very cranky manual. Your car scene sounds hilarious :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Manual so much easier I can drive a stick but it takes too much thinking lol.
    GFC follower wanda l flanagan
    tweeted
    http://twitter.com/#!/lilblupixie
    posted on my blog
    http://ilovealldogs.blogspot.com/


    flanagan@mebtel.net

    ReplyDelete
  16. +1 Definitely a stick. You just feel so much more in control with a stick shift.

    +1 http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/103574909409693697

    +1 http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/2011/08/qwillery-interview-with-lisa-kessler.html

    +1 follower- Lisa Richards

    (\___/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

    alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
    http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  17. I think the automatic transmission is still in the lead, but manusl stick-shifts are making a comeback here at the end!!! :)

    And Lisa I agree you do get more controlw ith a stick... (Plus the double entre makes me giggle! LOL)

    Thanks for commenting and entering everyone! :)

    Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a great picture of you. Wherever you had it taken they did a great job with the background! Your books sound great, thanks for the chance to try one out!

    GFC follower

    Eyesofblueice (at) gmail (dot) common

    ReplyDelete
  19. Automatic. Manual is fun, but I drive mostly to work (which is not so fun). LOL.

    I am a follower.

    thewakingdawn(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Automatic. I tied to learn stick when I was a teen and have been too traumatized since then to try it again LOL! Plus, I was deemed helpless.

    GFC follower
    FB share https://www.facebook.com/megan.root1?v=wall

    Total = 3

    rootml1 AT hotmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Auto. Some day I want to learn to drive a stick though.

    follower

    tweet - http://twitter.com/#!/DonnaS1/status/104759169835474944

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thank Lexi!!! I actually had the picture taken at the Vampire Ball at RT this year! LOL

    THey take the pic in front of a green screen, then ad whatever background you choose... :)

    Thanks for entering everyone!!!

    Lisa :)

    ReplyDelete