Tuesday, June 19, 2012

NIKKI DUNCAN: FINISH THE FIRST BOOK, THEN WRITE THE SECOND, THEN THE THIRD AND...

Nikki Duncan sat down with me to divulge some details about her intricate life as a romantic suspense author. So, grab a drink, relax and let’s talk to Nikki about her journey as an author.~~~Ruby Johnson


ABOUT NIKKI...

Heart stopping puppy chases, childhood melodrama and the aborted hanging of innocent toys are all in a day’s work for Nikki Duncan. This athletic equestrian turned reluctant homemaker turned daring author, is drawn to the siren song of a fresh story line.

Nikki plots murder and mayhem over breakfast, scandalous exposes at lunch and the sensual turn of phrase after dinner. Nevertheless, it is the pleasurable excitement and anticipation of unraveling her characters motivation that drives her to write long past the witching hour. The only anxiety and apprehension haunting the author comes from pondering the mysterious outcome of her latest twist.




ON HER ROMANTIC SUSPENSE NOVELS...

You’ve had two books released this year, Criminal Promises March 2012
Second Chance Detectives #1 and Illicit Intuitions, Sensory Ops #3, can you tell us what scenes in these book are your favorites?

That’s a tough question. In Criminal Promises, one of my favorite scenes is when BD is holding the baby and singing to her. As much as I love the alpha male who can kick ass, I especially love when they show their tender side. In Illicit Intuitions, I think my favorite scene is when H realizes that Ava knows his real name. It’s the first step in his realization that he couldn’t hide from his past.



What is your secret to writing such fantastically vibrant characters that one is left longing for the other’s stories to be told?  Whose story is coming up next?
I don’t know. Maybe it comes from some of the workshops I’ve taken, or it could come from years of reading before turning to writing. When I sit down and write, though, they just sort of come to me more often than not.

Who has been your most challenging character to write?
Ian from Sounds to Die By. I never imagined tackling a blind hero would be so hard, but it was. And it was so rewarding.
On her Personal Life as an Author…

What made you want to write romantic suspense?
It  just came out when I started writing. The more I write, though, the more I’m finding that I enjoy writing paranormal and straight contemporary just as much.

Do you keep real life separate from your story world or do you feel yourself basing characters on real people and writing scenes based on real events?
I will occasionally base parts of characters on real people, but typically there’s not much of my reality in my books.

On how she Published her First Novel…

Can you tell us about your path to becoming a published writer?
Well, it’s your typical story about a girl who decides to write and then spends years trying to get published. I wrote four books before writing the one that was my first published book. The fun part of the story is that first published book. It came about as a result of chatting with the owner of Samhain at a party and then taking her up on her challenge to write a blind hero. The lucky part was that she loved what I did with the character, and so did the editor who ended up contracting it.

What advice would you give writers who are still in the struggling mode?
Keep writing. Finish the first book and then write the second and then the third. It’s okay to edit a book a few times – it’s advised. But don’t stop writing new stories.

And, is there anything else you would like your readers to know about you or the books you write?
I have several more books releasing this year, but the one I am most looking forward to is Her Miracle Man, my Christmas story. I’ve just posted a video to introduce it on my website.

Finally, where can we contact you on the web? Social media?
Website: www.nikkiduncan.com  Twitter: @nduncanwriter  Facebook: /NDuncanWriter

A Question for Readers..

What is your favorite genre to read and why?

5 comments:

Laine said...

I've read Criminal Promises and certainly look forward to Illicit Intuitions. Great book covers!
Thanks for an inside look at developing your characters.

Ruby Johnson said...

Really enjoyed this interview. Looking forward to reading Illicit Intuitions. Thanks for visiting our site and sharing your journey to publication..

Thorne Anderson said...

My favorite genre is suspense/thrillers/mystery with an element of romance.
Thanks for being so candid in your interview.

C. A. Szarek said...

My Budddddddyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! So glad you stopped by Nikki! I LOVED Criminal Promises! Can't wait for the next one, I also have all the Sensory books. They are pretty high on my TBR list! Thanx for the awesome insight to you! Great interview! Talk to you soon!

Bethany Spotts said...

Thanks Nikki and Ruby. It's always great to hear how a writer got her first book published.

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