Author Interview & Contest with Nicole Peeler

When I saw the cover for Tempest Rising I thought 'wow! Cool cover!'. When I finally got to read the book I knew from the first chapter that I was going to love it. I was right.

Now I am waiting patiently for book number two but thought it would be nice to get to know the author a little better. Nicole Peeler is new to the Urban Fantasy scene but is already hanging out with the big guys at The League of Reluctant Adults. Tempest Rising was her debut book but there are already two more books due in the Jane True series, Tracking the Tempest and Tempest’s Legacy.

I hope you all enjoy getting to know this amazing new author as much as I have! Nicole is giving away one lucky Amberkatze's Book Blog reader a copy of Tempest Rising so make sure you enter the contest after reading the interview!

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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 'Tempest Rising'?

Nicole - Hi Amber! Tempest Rising is about a girl coming to terms with her inner seal, and boinking a dude with fangs. But don't call him a vampire!

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

Nicole - It just came to me. I had the kernel of Jane's character--the kind of woman I wanted to read about--and it just flowed forth from my brain like creative menstruation. And I apologize for that image. I can't help myself, sometimes.

Amber - Are you anything like the main character in Tempest Rising? Are any of your characters based on people in your life?

Nicole - I have Jane's humor, and a lot of her interests (books, food, sex), but she's way nicer and way more rooted than I am. I am a bit of a gypsy.

Amber - What kind of research do you have to do to write a book? Anything interesting or is research boring?

Nicole - I love research. I'm an academic, so it's what I do. And research is inspiring! I didn't know the Old Sow existed till I started researching Maine, and the book is so much stronger because of the Sow. And I would NEVER have made that up, on my own. A whirlpool named after a female pig? Really?

Amber - How many more books will there be in the series? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?

Nicole - I've got six books planned for Jane, and a trilogy I'd love to write after I've finished Jane's story.

Amber - Tracking the Tempest is due out in June. How many more books would you like to see the series run for. Is it hard to think up titles with the word Tempest in them?

Nicole - It is, actually. A few titles were really obvious to me, but I've really struggled with others. The third book, Tempest's Legacy, went through a number of permutations before I hit on "Legacy."

Amber - How do you pick the names you use in your books? Do they have any special meanings?

Nicole - I just try to find names that fit the characters personality or, it they're a supernatural creature, their mythic origins. I use a lot of online baby name sites and friends have also contributed quite a few names.

Amber - Have you always wanted to be an author? and why did you pick this genre?

Nicole - Yes and no. I always had vague ambitions, but never pursued it. I'm a professor by day, and that was what I was working towards when I wrote TR rather randomly. And I think the genre picked me, actually. The thing I love about UF is you can make it whatever you want. I wouldn't be happy writing straight romance, fantasy, or mystery, but with urban fantasy I could write all three at once.

Amber - What is the easiest and hardest part about being an author?

Nicole - That hard part is it's just a huge amount of work, much of which has nothing to do with writing. It's blogging, or organizing a signing, or whatever. The best part is hearing from fans that they loved the work and why it effected them. I get really choked up sometimes, knowing that my books have really inspired people or helped them through a difficult situation.

Amber - How do you relax? Do you have any hobbies?

Nicole - I get a weekly massage. With my two, very intense jobs I'm pretty much always working so I really need to that hour on the table to be forced to quiet my mind and take stock. It sounds indulgent, but with the life I lead it's pretty necessary. As for hobbies, I cook, work out a lot, read, and my major hobby is travel.

Amber - A lot of authors have 'soundtracks' for their books. Is there any music influenced your books?

Nicole - I blog about music a lot, and there's a soundtrack for TR you can find on my site. Music is a huge influence on me and my writing.

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

Nicole - I love Philip Roth, Iris Murdoch, Robertson Davies, Jean Rhys, and Muriel Spark, among many, many others.

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

Nicole - Realistically I'd be something completely ridiculous, like a were-hedgehog. But I'd love to be something sleek and powerful and fast . . . in other words, the opposite of what I am in reality. :-)

Amber - Thank you for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will come back for another visit in the future!

Nicole - Thanks for having me! It was an absolute pleasure and I'd love to come back soon!



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Contest Time

Nicole is giving away a copy of Tempest Rising!!!

How to Enter

Answer this question! Where are you going on holiday to this Summer? Or where would you like to go? ;)

No Holiday - No Entry!

Earn more entries for each place you link 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!

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 Amazon links below and around the site!





The contest will stay open until Sunday 2nd of May 2010 4pm CET 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.

Good Luck!