Can you tell us a little bit about your latest release and what spark prompted you to write the story?
A Matter of Principle is the third book in a trilogy. Nicolas and Sydney Hansen come together in A Woman of Choice, which begins in 1819 in Cheltenham, Missouri Territory. In A Prince of Norway, they travel to Christiania, where he considers ascending a reclaimed Norse throne – one he is legitimately in line for. And in A Matter of Principle, the couple returns to the brand-new state of Missouri to face dangerous enemies that both their marriage and subsequent decisions have created.
Why did you choose Norway to set your stories?
When I started writing, I thought there were more than enough kilted warrior stories. So I decided to write different heroes: big, blonde, buff, and beautiful Norsemen! Then I decided to tell the world that my Hansen men are the “next big thing” – Norway is the new Scotland!
Do you plot your stories out or do you just start writing?
I’m a “plotter” and I write in a straight line; but I cannot count the number of times when a conversation turned into an argument, or a character revealed information I didn’t know was going to come out at that moment. My characters really do drive the stories.
What was the funniest thing you learned about your hero/heroine from writing their story?
It turned out that Nicolas Hansen – a stern and stoic widower at the beginning of the trilogy – has a great sense of silly humor. He got to laughing hysterically a few times when I didn’t expect it! There was such a fun guy, under all that big, delicious, 19th-centurymanliness.
Which of your characters is most like you and which is least like you?
That’s a VERY good question… And I have to say in the trilogy, it would be Sydney. In the coming books? I have friends who say they see more of me in my heroes.
Can you describe your office or where you normally write?
We have an office off our entryway/great room that I had switched from solid to French doors – I’m too social to be isolated! I have an armchair and laptop there for writing fiction, and a desktop and office chair for the other work – like typing this interview. I find it very hard to do the opposite task on the opposite computer! When I sit in the armchair, my brain knows it’s time to let the characters talk.
Which came first the plot or the characters?
Characters, definitely. I hadn’t decided to write anything at all when my heroine moved into my thoughts. She appeared one night as I was drifting off to sleep. She initially impressed her precarious situation on me, and over the next weeks she made her unfortunate circumstances very clear.
And there she sat, patient and persistent, for a decade! When the time came for me to try my hand at writing a novel she sat up, poked me, and we were off. I knew absolutely nothing of clichés, marketable settings, or hero-types. I just listened to her.
Have you ever gotten stuck while writing a scene or chapter? How did you overcome it?
Of course. But being a “plotter” I refuse to skirt around it and keep going; if I did, the parts might not “fit”! So I step away, sometimes overnight, and concentrate on what the character is feeling about what has happened. They talk and I listen until the dam un-sticks.
What is the wackiest thing that’s ever happened to you since you started writing?
Wackiest? Probably being recognized in Costco by a woman who read my first book. I am NOT famous (yet!) so the whole thing was very surreal. And hilarious. And exhilarating.
Where can readers find out more about your wonderful books?
For more information about all of my books, to read first chapters, watch book trailers, and find buying information for all formats, please visit:
and
http://www.GoodnightPublishing.com
THANK YOU, LINDA!
Here’s Kris’s bio:
Kris Tualla is pursuing her dream of becoming a multi-published author of historical fiction. She started in 2006 with nothing but a nugget of a character in mind and absolutely no idea where to go from there. She has created a dynasty – The Hansen Series – with six novels currently in line for publication. Norway is the new Scotland!
Linda Andrews 