Guest Author Interview: Lisa Kessler

Today we are interviewing Lisa Kessler, Paranormal Romance Author.

Alexis: Hi Lisa, Thank you for visiting Happily Ever After Thoughts :-) You have a couple paranormal works published now. What is it about the paranormal that draws you?

Lisa:  Hi!  Thanks for having me here today! :-) I think I’m drawn to paranormal because that’s the genre I tend to read.  I have always enjoyed reading as an escape.  I don’t want to read about events that could actually happen.  For me, magic, monsters, and immortal heroes who love for lifetimes provide the perfect refuge from “real” life.

Alexis: Hmm, immortal heroes sound good to me :-) Can you tell our readers a little bit about your latest release, Night Walker?

Lisa: Night Walker is a dark paranormal romance set in San Diego.  I think the tagline on the cover captures the heart of the story perfectly…  He gave up his soul for a second chance to love her.

Alexis: That is an awesome tagline! We already know him and wish he was ours. Where did you get the idea for this story?

Lisa: That’s a long story! LOL  I’ll try to paraphrase it though.  I’d been writing every night for a few years, just for fun.  Then I went on a business trip to New Orleans and brought the entire family.  Once night I decided to visit a palm reader.  She gave me a spot on reading that surprised me and left me a little on edge, but it was the walk to the door of the shop that changed my life forever.

She stopped me at the door and said, “Can I ask you a question?”

I shrugged.  “Sure.”

“Are you a writer?”

I felt goosebumps rising on my arms.  “I write every night, but it’s just for fun.”

She smiled at me with a knowing sparkle in her eyes and said, “You’re going to be a famous writer someday.”

I left the shop stunned.  Being a voracious reader, I never thought I’d be able to write an entire novel.  It seemed too big to me.  But she planted that seed and for the rest of the trip I was wondering what I would write.

I decided I wanted to write a vampire novel, but I wanted it set in San Diego.  When I got home I started researching the oldest building in San Diego, the Mission De Alcala, and my story came together from there.  The more I researched, the more Calisto came alive for me.

Alexis: Wow, talk about fate. No wonder you write in the paranormal subgenre. 

What are your favorite character traits of Kate and Calisto?

Lisa:  For Calisto I think my favorite trait is his habit of answering questions with another question.  It’s infuriating to other characters, but I find it kind of endearing.

I think my favorite trait from Kate was her passion for music and her love of her horrible old  Volkswagen Bug convertible!  Right now I hear her in my head saying, “I’m still restoring it!  She’s the best car ever!”

Alexis: Ah, my mom's Volkswagen Bug lasted 13 years and that was back then. I can completely understand Kate's feelings :-)

You did a lot of research for this book as I could see from the photos on your website. Why did you find this so important for a paranormal?

Lisa:  When writing paranormal, we’re asking the reader to take a huge leap of faith, and suspend their disbelief long enough to consider immortals walk among us.  I think the more “real” history and setting you can give to ground the reader makes your paranormal elements seem more believable until the entire world you’ve built becomes real.

At least that’s my goal! LOL

Alexis: That makes a lot of sense. What can we expect next from you? Do you have any new releases coming or a work in progress?

Lisa:  I’m currently editing Night Demon, Book 2 in the Night Series, and I’m finishing up the formatting on a short story anthology, Forgotten Treasures, that I’ll be releasing at the end of the year.

Alexis: You sound busy which is good news for us :-) Thank you so much for letting our readers know about your fascinating romances. We appreciate you coming for a visit.

Lisa:  Thanks for inviting me by your blog today!  This was fun! :-)

Alexis: For a chance to win Lisa’s Across the Veil and Night Walker trading cards, be sure to leave a comment for her.  The winner will be announced on Wednesday. Check the side column for your name.

For more information on Lisa’s Romances go to http://lisaslair.com/BooksPage.html

 

Alexis: Check out this excerpt from Night Walker.

Excerpt:

 Kate watched them wander off before kneeling closer to the cross. Unable to stop herself, she traced her finger along the T in the center.

Behind her, someone cleared his throat. Kate jerked her hand away and shot to her feet. When she turned around she found a tall, dark-haired man staring at her.

Her cheeks flushed with heat. She hoped he hadn’t witnessed her touching the relic. She waited for some kind of admonishment, but he didn’t say anything.

Not with words.

Something in his dark eyes captured her. His gaze wandered over her face like a tender caress, and strangely, instead of screaming for Lori and Edie, she caught herself imagining his touch on her skin.

“I hope I did not frighten you,” he said.

His deep voice resonated through the empty courtyard, and the intimate tone weakened her knees. The hint of a Spanish accent didn’t hurt, either. Nervous laughter escaped her before she could contain it.

Her face warmed all over again. “Just a little startled. I didn’t see anyone else out here.”

He stepped closer without encroaching on her personal space, his eyes locked with hers from beneath thick lashes. “Forgive me.”

She swallowed hard and prayed she wasn’t blushing. “No problem.” She looked away before she embarrassed herself even further, focusing on the cross. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?”

“Si.” He nodded slowly. “Yes, it is.” His barely there smile made her think he wasn’t referring to the flowers or the cross. “I am Calisto. Calisto Terana.”

Expectation hung as heavy as the scent of eucalyptus, as if he waited to hear something more than just her name.

“I’m Kate.” Instead of offering to shake his hand, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“The honor is mine, Kate... ” His accent colored the vowel in her name. It had never sounded more beautiful. She reminded herself to breathe.

When he hesitated for a moment waiting for her to speak, she realized she hadn’t shared her last name as he had. She flipped through a rapid pro and con mental checklist, and decided it couldn’t hurt. Maybe they would meet again.

“Bradley,” she said.

A sexy smile curved at the corners of his lips. “I hope this will not be our last meeting.”

She glanced around the shadowed courtyard, feeling vulnerable, and almost gave in to her first instinct—to run. But she remembered her promise to herself. Be strong. Take action. She lifted her chin and said, “I guess you never know.”

With a smile that said he had every intention of seeing her again, he tipped his head. “Buenos noches, Kate Bradley.”

Her heart raced and her palms sweated when she realized he meant to leave. No man made her palms sweat. Ever.

His gaze held hers for a moment, full of unspoken promises she didn’t understand. Without another word, he walked away. 

Alexis: Don't forget for a chance to win Lisa's Across the Veil and Night Walker trading cards, be sure to leave a comment.