Hokeydokes. So. Today we welcome Bri Clark, who's here to entertain us with her musings on romantic suspense, noir, and her compelling (and possibly neverending) story. Take it away, Bri.
Howdy! Please introduce yourself, tell us an interesting fact about you, and if you were an animal, what would it be? Hello thanks for having me this is my official bio…. Bri Clark is a real example of redemption and renewal. Growing penniless in the South, Bri learned street smarts while caring for her brother in a broken home. She watched her mother work several jobs to care for their small family. Once her brother could fend for himself, Bri moved on to a series of bad choices including leaving school and living on her own. Rebelliousness was a strong understatement to describe those formative years. As a teenager, her wakeup call came from a fight with brass knuckles and a judge that gave her a choice of shaping up or spending time in jail. She took that opportunity and found a way to moved up from the streets. She ended up co-owning an extremely successful construction business. She lived the high life until the real estate crash when she lost everything. She moved west and found herself living with her husband and four kids in a 900 square foot apartment. She now fills her time, writing, blogging, leading a group of frugal shoppers and sharing her southern culture. Her unique background gives her writing a raw sensibility. She understands what it takes to overcome life’s obstacles. She often tells friends, “I can do poor. I’m good at poor. It’s prosperity that I’m not used to.” Bri and her husband Chris live in Boise. Bri is known as the Belle of Boise for her true southern accent, bold demeanor and hospitable nature. If I was an animal…I’d be a liger…it’s a cross between a tiger and a lion bread for their skills and magic. Sorry…LOL quoting Napoleon Dynamite aka my son.
1. Tell us a bit about your book--something you wouldn't find in the blurb. This is just the beginning for Lucien and Aisleen. Their story will continue into a series of shorts then go into a novel called The Awakening.
2. What was your inspiration for this story? I was working on my novel The Awakening and in it; Lucien and Aisleen were secondary but key characters. In a world building exercise, they just rather took on a story of their own.
3. Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser? I’m a planster. I start out with character of plot building ideas but never finish them. The muse will grab me then I’ll just dive into writing the story.
4. When diving into a new work, how much research do you do and how do you go about doing it? I do mainly fiction so my worlds are kind of character driven and the research isn’t as needed. However, for my novel Glazier I had to research a lot about the UK and their speech. Did you know that each area has different speech patterns kind of, like how the US has accents? I looked online of course but the best two forms of research came from reading novels with British males and watching the show Lie to Me. Love that show.
5. If you could be one character from your book, who would it be and why? Aisleen. She is sweet, lovely, and so completely empathetic to everyone. Unlike me, I am selfish, boastful, and downright cocky.
6. And if you had to be stuck in an elevator for 42 hours with one of your characters…? Probably Colin Stryker. He is in Glazier. He’s a physician with the ability to create weapons as well. Extremely intelligent, handsome with a German accent. He would be the most entertaining and soothing for the situation. Of course, I would want to avoid his wife Shae when we got out. She carries a gun and is very possessive.
7. What was the hardest part of writing this book? I don’t know if I will ever finish Aisleen and Lucien’s story.
8. Why romantic suspense? Do you write any other subgenres of romance? Everything I write has two consistent elements—romance and suspense. I do write fantasy and paranormal as well. I’m dipping into doing some Noir thrillers as well.
9. What books have most influenced your writing or your outlook on life in general? I’m very religious and I love the scriptures. Those are books I read every day. They remind me to serve others. I’m so completely slammed with my writing career now and I flourish under pressure but I always make time for others, especially those in our profession.
10. Quick! The Departed, Shutter Island, or Inception? Haven’t seen any of those…so I’m going to stay silent.
11. Anything I didn't ask you about that you want to shout out to the world. Cover art, social media and a great editor is necessary for any successful author.
Lucien Lemione the clan leader of the feared and revered Eternals is faced with the ultimate betrayal. His second in command for two centuries has not only created the most grievous of offenses but also commissioned the creation of liquid silver. When poisoned by this toxin, an immortal suffers a fate much worse than death, frozen in an internal prison. After being wounded when found spying, he hides deep within the eerie woods that encircle the Triad Mountains. Desperate and in pain, he prays to an offended mother goddess for help. Her answer: a woman, but not just any woman. A witch.
After losing her entire coven at the hands of the Eternals, Aisleen is the last of her kind. She retreats from the world to Trinity Forest where she is giving the opportunity of a lifetime, or perhaps a test of principles. It’s there she discovers the man she heals is the Eternal that wiped out her people. Although she is bound as a healer, she could be creative in her revenge. Aisleen knows who and what Lucien is…but does not speak of it. There can be no future with Lucien for she can only be with a mortal man. Even if she wanted to be with him, can she forgive the man that caused the genocide of her people?
Lucien must act quickly for the survival of his clan is at stake. However, Aisleen’s ethereal beauty and emerald eyes keep pushing those thoughts far from his mind. Determined to find out what secret she hides, he prolongs his time with her. When his people need him most what will he choose…duty, desire, or will he make his own fate?
You can choose love but you can’t choose destiny.
buy links.....http://www.astraeapress.com/index.html#ecwid:category=662245&mode=product&product=2626120
trailer link....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOjAG1U34EE
