Today I’m interviewing author Nikki Landis as part of the blog tour for her new novel Dark Promise. Check it out!
Are you a full time author or do you have another job as well and if so how do either of these fit in with writing time? I work full time as a Dietitian in public health. Finding time to write is not easy but I make a habit of writing every day, even if only for an hour. Evenings and weekends are usually when I find the best time to settle down at my laptop.
Do you write on your novel daily or do you try to have days off? I try to write daily. I find that I’m unable to take much time off from writing. I enjoy it too much and I love to get lost in the world and characters that I create.
Is there any romance in your story and if so, can you tell us a little about this? I write only romance, however my romance novels do not fit any specific genre alone. I write paranormal, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, fantasy, urban fantasy, contemporary, sci-fi, and I’m working on my first erotica. In Dark Promise the main story line is between Mare and Andre. Andre is a vampyre, cursed to walk the endless night, soulless and destined to live his life in solitude. Mare is a human, sweet and headstrong, unaware of the things that go bump in the night. Her life in sudden danger, Andre stumbles upon her attackers. Drawn to her irresistible charm, he seeks to protect her from the evil that hunts her. As they grow closer, it becomes apparent that neither one can resist the other. When the danger reaches its climax, betrayal and lies threaten to tear them apart forever. Can they overcome the darkness that threatens to consume their relationship and find love against all odds, no matter what dark promises have been forced upon them both?
If you have to write any fighting scenes, what are your best tips of how you create them? I do. I like to imagine myself as the main character. What do I see? Hear? Feel? I describe the weapons, the sounds they make, the feel of their weight, and the contact with their opponent. I try to immerse myself in order to make it as believable as possible.
Do you ever write sad scenes and do you feel the sadness as you write it? I do. I think a good book encompasses joy, fear, sadness, love, humor, etc. I don’t always like sad scenes but some of the best character development happens when a character goes through loss.
Did you write as a child or did you come into your talent as an adult? I wrote as a child but not seriously until I became an adult.
Can you give us a little insight into any fantasy characters in your latest book? My epic urban fantasy/romance/paranormal books series, the Fight for Light novels, is about a girl who grows up without the knowledge of a fate that awaits her when she turns eighteen. It is a series of novels that confronts light and darkness, good and evil, demons and angels, and the passionate thrill of romance. Rhiannon embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she awakens the power that lies within, finds the courage to fight the Darkness, and discovers the truth of her origin as a Descendant.
Is the world in your book like earth or is it a fantasy world? In my Fight for Light romantic fantasy series there are five realms: Heaven, Hell, The Garden, the Human World, and the World of the mythic/descendants. I like the mix-up of these five realms as it provides an interesting background for great storytelling.
What is the time period setting of your latest book? My latest book is Dark Promise which is really a contemporary/dark fantasy/paranormal novel. It’s modern day in the city but we visit the underground catacombs beneath the city as well as above it.
Do you prefer to write as a series or one off books? I love to write series. There’s something amazing and intriguing about returning to a set of characters and their story.
Do you like to use lots of subplots or do you think just confuses? I like subplots that add to the main plot. If it doesn’t add to the story, there is no point.
Can you tell us a little about one of your sub plots in your latest book? In Dark Promise the main plot is the love story between Mare and Andre. One of the subplots is the interference of Cristo, Andre’s sire, who will stop at nothing to keep them from being together. Why would an old vampire care about the relationship between a human and one of his brethren? Perhaps there is more to the story and his motivations. 😉
Can you tell us a little about your protagonist and your antagonist and how they relate to each other? Andre’s sire Cristo is the antagonist in Dark Promise. He seeks to separate Andre from Mare, is manipulative and sneaky, dark and controlling, and in the end his betrayal is devastating to Andre. Andre is the protagonist with his own set of personal demons. He is constantly fighting the battle of what he desires and what he has become. Cursed and soulless, he desires humanity but is unable to obtain it. When he falls in love it shatters of all his previous attempts to reconcile what he has become, a vampire forever destined to walk in solitude.
How do you think you would feel if you received a really bad review that seemed justified? Any honest review is appreciated, even if is a one or two star. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. While some may look my books and writing, others may hate it. I write because I love it, not because I expect all five star reviews.
Do you think all readers should do reviews to help the writers improve? I think honest reviews help authors improve their writing and storytelling skills.
When you receive reviews do you find yourself influenced to make changes? Only if they are criticisms that would add to my story and characters.
Blog Tour ~ Dark Promise
Author: Nikki Landis
Genre: Paranormal/Romance
Tour Dates: 27th of Feb – 3rd of March
Hosted by: Ultimate Fantasy Book Tours
Blurb:
A love story between two people who live in two very different worlds; is it right to keep a promise when it hurts the one you love? Can the darkness survive in the light?
Mare’s life is in danger. An unknown enemy seeks to destroy her, only months after her mother’s brutal death. Andre stumbles upon her attack, saving her life, immediately drawn to the innocent beauty. Against all odds they seek to find the truth, all the while fighting their mutual attraction, until their passion can no longer be contained.
Mare latches onto Andre, attracted to his fierce determination to protect her. Andre’s dark promise, hidden in his heart, becomes his only objective. Can he save her in time? Or will he be lost, forever damned, in his pursuit to have her, at any cost?
↓Buy Links↓
Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Promise-NightWalkers-Nikki-Landis-ebook/dp/B01IZ7VYBS/
Author Bio:
Nikki Landis is the award winning author of over a dozen novels, mostly in the romance genre. She grew up sneaking her mother’s romance novels intrigued with the characters, the stories, and the historical settings from authors that have greatly influenced her writing like Johanna Lindsey, Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, and Bertrice Small.
She is also a fan of the classics and adores Jane Austen. Books like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit have shaped and molded her vision of fantasy and inspired it, contributing to her popular series The Fight for Light novels.
Nikki holds two degrees, in Dietetics and Nutrition, and her Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Wellness. She’s a wife and mother, spending her free time reading, writing, and enjoying the outdoors.
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