Author Interview & Contest with Katie Reus

Did you all read my review of Alpha Instinct? A super new release? Well if you didn't you should have! I loved the book and even before reading it I already had contact with the author, Katie Reus, to make sure she had time to be on the blog.

So make sure you check out Alpha Instinct and for now check out this interview with the author to get a better feel for the book and writer. Oh and enter the contest! You only have till Tuesday to enter and win a copy of the amazing Alpha Instinct!

---------------------

Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here as a guest! Could you start things off by telling us a little about your debut book, Alpha Instinct?

Katie - Thanks so much for having me, Amber!

Ana and Connor are the two main characters in Alpha Instinct, the first story in the Moon Shifter series. They have a history together, which is something I absolutely love in romance.

After all the pregnant females and the males in her pack are killed by a mysterious poisoning, Ana is forced to take on the role of pack leader. Without an Alpha, the pack is vulnerable to her neighbor Taggart who wants not only their land, but Ana in his bed as well. Ana and her sisters are financially solid and have no problem running the business side of their ranch on their own, but their pack numbers are dwindling and they’re struggling trying to deal with vandalism, cattle mutilations and other security issues.

When sexy Scottish shifter Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before. She can’t forget the way he left without a single word, as if all the time they’d spent together meant nothing to him. However, she puts her pride aside to save her pack. Violent attacks are escalating in town and she has no doubt that sooner or later people are going to start pointing fingers at her kind regardless of proof. Unless they can figure out who’s targeting them and why, a few cattle mutilations and property damage will be the least of their worries. And if Connor doesn’t gain her trust, he’ll never get the chance to claim the one woman who’s never left his thoughts.

Amber - How did you come up with the idea for Alpha Instinct? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?

Katie - When I first started working on Alpha Instinct it was never meant to be a full length book, much less part of a series. It just sort of developed that way. But once I realized that a lot of the new characters popping into my head wanted their story told too, I came up with an extensive chart to keep track of my characters and it all sort of flowed from there. So it wasn’t really a long process when I decided to let my characters take over.

Amber - What kind of research did you do for Alpha Instinct? Anything interesting or is the research boring?

Katie - I’m a geek so I love research! Even though this series takes place in a world different from our own (one where shifters and vampires came out to the world twenty years ago) the pack deals a lot with local law enforcement so I interviewed some detectives and police officers that I know to better understand different procedurals and laws. And, I also read a lot of various books and articles on folklore, myths and legends on werewolves (though my shifters are not called werewolves). I also read a lot about wolf mating habits, pack interaction, etc.

Amber - How do you pick the names for your characters? Do they have any special meanings?

Katie - I always pick my characters’ names carefully and you’re the first person to ask me that! Connor is originally from Scotland and Ana (Analena) is originally from Spain so I researched various baby name sites and browsed a few baby names books from my local library. I made sure their names had origins where they were originally born. And Analena means grace, which is why I chose it for my heroine. She’s very sharp and graceful under any situation. The name just so completely fit her.

Amber - Why did you pick the Paranormal Urban Fantasy genre?

Katie - Writing paranormal romance took me by surprise, though it probably shouldn’t have. I discovered romance through romantic suspense so when I decided to become a writer I think it’s kind of natural that was the genre I gravitated toward. Eventually I discovered a whole new world with paranormal romance and it just sort of happened. It wasn’t like I consciously picked it. It kind of picked me ;)

Amber - What is like being a new author on the writing scene? Wild parties with other authors or sitting at home writing more books as fast as possible?

Katie - Lol! No wild parties though I have had a lot more contact with other authors who write in the same genre lately and it’s nice to have people to talk about the industry with. And yeah, I’m totally at home writing like a crazy person pretty much every day ;)

Amber - Is Alpha Instinct the first in a series?

Katie - Yes.

Amber - When can we expect to see more from your work? Are you working on any other projects?

Katie - Lover’s Instinct is the next release in the Moon Shifter series (book 1.5, a novella out in August 2012), Primal Possession will be out directly after that (September 2012) and the third book will be out in early 2013. I am working on something right now but I can’t say what it is just yet ;)

Amber - What are you listening and watching lately? Is there any music or other media that influences your writing?

Katie - I’m sure music does inadvertently influence me (it certainly has the capability to affect my mood) and sometimes I’ll see stories on the news about the state of the world or economy and I know some of that goes into my writing. I think it would be impossible not to be influenced by modern culture just a little.

Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favourite authors/series?

Katie - I really enjoy books by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Nalini Singh, Jeaniene Frost, Linda Howard, Cynthia Eden, Kaylea Cross and Laura Wright. There are many authors I read but those immediately jump to mind.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?

Katie - A wolf shifter. Why? Wolves are gorgeous and the ability to turn into such a cool animal would be pretty sweet.

Amber - Thank you so much for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will come back again ;)

Katie - Thank you so much for having me!





-------------

Contest Time!

One reader who comments on today’s blog will be randomly selected to win a print copy of Alpha Instinct (US eligible only). Contest will be open until noon Central time on Tuesday February 21, 2012. Please leave your email address in the comments section. Good luck and thanks so much for stopping by!

How To Enter


Leave a comment about Katie's book but no 'Enter me' comments!!!!


No Answer = No Entry


'Please enter me' posts will NOT be counted as an entry

Earn more entries for each link you place about this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries! However please do not make individual postings for each entry. Please post all your entries in one post.

Advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog on your site and get an extra entry for this and every other contest!

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

Have you 'Liked' Amberkatze's Book Blog on Facebook?

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.

Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site.

The contest will stay open until noon Central time on Tuesday February 21, 2012 and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.