Author Interview- Karin Harlow PLUS an INTERNATIONAL Giveaway!

This is the week for fun swag prizes here at What Book is That?! I'm pleased to be able to introduce the delightful Karin Harlow, 2010 debut author and the mind behind one of my favorite books of 2010 so far, Enemy Lover! Read my review here!

I'm super excited about this feature so let's dive right in!
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WBIT: Congratulations on your debut novel! Of all the settings and genres out there, what drew you to writing paranormal romance?

KH: First of all, I wanted to thank you, Emily for inviting me to hang out! Now to your question: I’m not a big paranormal readers per se, but I love to sink my teeth (pun intended) into a nice juicy vampire story. As a kid I was a big fan of Dark Shadows. The whole Dracula myth and mystery has always intrigued me. And so, Marcus was born.

WBIT: Did the finished version of Enemy Lover differ from the original one? In what way(s)?

KH:It did actually. When we pitched the series we pitched it as straight RS, but my editor asked me how I felt about adding a paranormal element. At first, I was like, no way. I was thinking more along the whoo-whoo aspect of paranormal element and just couldn’t wrap my head around it. When I opened myself up to the all of the possibilities, and I saw my assassin hero as a vampire, it was kismet. As I said above, I have always been fascinated by the vampire lore, to write my perfect vampire was a dream come true. The story took off from there.

WBIT:What, for you, is the hardest part about writing a novel?

KH:Creating viable characters who readers will give a damn about.

WBIT:The easiest?

KH: The writing.

WBIT: Are these aspects different from what other people who aren't writers would think?

KH: I don’t think so. Non-writers are always very quick to bow down to the, “I think it’s amazing that you can one come up with a story and two actually write it! How do you do that?”

WBIT:What trends or changes do you see in paranormal romance?

KH:They seem to be getting progressively darker, some bordering on horror, and the world building is more complex. I naturally write edgy, so dark isn’t a problem for me. I don’t have to work hard at it whereas some other writers who have a lighter voice may find it a challenge. As far as the world building goes for me, I like to keep things simple and my characters complex. That said, worlds that Kresley Cole and Alyssa Day have created are wonderfully complex.

WBIT:What books or authors do you recommend to people who are new to the genre or think it's "not their thing"?

kh: As I mentioned above, Kresly and Alyssa, along with the incomparable Christine Feehan and JR Ward.

WBIT: Enemy Lover left me FRANTIC to know what happens next in the world of L.O.S.T.!

KH:Gotcha!

WBIT:What other projects do you have on the horizon and can you share anything about them?
KH: I’m currently working on L.O.S.T. book 2. It’s Nikko Cruz’s story and, oh boy has that man been through the emotional wringer. He meets up with his nemesis, half daemon, Selena de la Roja, who also happens to be the only woman he has ever loved and who because of her dirty deeds sent him to prison. She is a woman with a huge cause, and though she has done Nikko terribly wrong, all is not what it appears. I love the angst between these two. They are pushed to combine forces to save the world. Roller coaster does not come close to describing their volatile relationship.

WBIT: You're trapped in a castle, and the only way out is to bribe the guards with desserts.

KH: A castle! But what if I want to stay?

WBIT: ...Well, you can't. What dessert would you use to escape?

KH: I love to cook! Love it. And while I can whip up a mean full course meal, I kind of suck at desserts. But, I do make a really good old fashioned blueberry crisp. I’d serve it warm to the guard with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and a smile.
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Well, I'm beyond pumped for the next book in this series- consider me addicted! I'm also happy to announce that Karin has provided a sweet prize for one commenter on this interview post:
I freely admit here, in front of the entire world, that I am jealous of whoever wins this.

Here are the rules of engagement:

-This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
-To enter, leave a comment with one of the following:
A question or comment for Karin
Your favorite thing about paranormal romance or romantic suspense
A comment or question about the interview, the book, the series- anything!
Basically, your comment must be meaningful in some way.
-Make sure you include a way to contact you if you win- email address, blog address, twitter name, whatever works for you.
-Giveaway ends Saturday, July 10th at 11:59 pm EST

Ready? Set? Go!

Thank you so much to Karin for being here today, and for furnishing this excellent prize! Folks, if you haven't yet made plans to read this book, do so immediately. You will definitely not be sorry!