Interview + Giveaway w/Nancy Northcott!

Today, I am pleased to welcome author Nancy Northcott to the blog! 

 

 

Thank you, Nancy, for taking time out of your schedule to visit!

I’m delighted to be here.  You have a great site.

 

For you, what is the best part of writing romances, especially those with an element of the otherworldly about them?

It’s absolutely the happy ending.  People face down their personal demons and find true love.  There’s nothing better.  As for the paranormal element, that lets me give the plot a different kind of twist and broaden the scope of the story. 

On the About You page of your website--you have a very interesting background, btw--you mention “the skills I learned [in karate] have given me confidence writing action scenes, especially in my contemporary romances” which I found interesting: can you explain how practicing karate and writing contemporary romances are connected to you?

Thanks, Diana!  The karate lessons helped in two ways.  First, they gave me some moves I could write in and know they were authentic, although knee problems forced me to quit before I got to the really advanced techniques.

 

Second, and even more important, they taught me how much balance and weight distribution matter in a fight.  Each move should flow naturally from the ending of the prior one.  For example, if I end a move with my weight on my front foot, kicking with that foot will be tougher that doing it with the one that’s in back.  I’d have to shift my weight first.  It can be done, but it takes a split second longer.

 

The lessons also helped with my attitude.  I was a geek girl, awkward because I was always growing and never knew where my body was in space.  Moving up in belt levels, kicking a heavy bag on a stand all the way over, and having Sensei note that my right cross punch had some power behind it gave me a lot of confidence.  I didn’t master those skills right away, but persistence got me through.  Why shouldn’t writing work the same way?

 

With an interest in science fiction and fantasy, super heroes, and comic books you must have an eclectic keeper shelf.  What are some of your favorite books or authors?  Who would you go all Fangirl on if you could?

You’re right about the keeper shelf.  It has pretty much every genre except horror on it. Favorites are hard to pick, though, because they tend to change. 

 

In romance, Georgette Heyer’s Frederica stands out.  If I had get rid of all but a handful of books, that would be a keeper.  I love the way Alverstoke reluctantly falls deeper and deeper into the Merrivilles’ lives and Frederica never thinks he might truly have an interest in her.

 

 

The Lord of the Rings will always be on my fantasy shelf.  I love its scope and its world and the bone-deep loyalty among the fellowship.  The stakes don’t get much bigger than the fate of the entire world.

 

I love my Dick Francis mysteries and was so sorry when he died. To the Hilt stands out for me.  The hero is an artist who must protect a family heirloom, the hilt of a very special sword.  Much of it takes place in Scotland, far from the author’s usual stomping grounds, and the hero is an artist.  By that point, Francis had ventured beyond the racing world for his protagonists.

 

Jon Land’s thrillers about fifth-generation Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong just grabbed me instantly.  The male lead in the series is former hit man Cort Wesley Masters.  He and Caitlin have an unusual and challenging relationship.

 

A book that’s on my alltime favorite list ever is Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird.  I read it in high school and re-read it every few years.  I love the characters, the struggle between prejudice and decency and the small town of Maycomb.

 

Because I go to both the RWA annual conference and Dragon*Con almost every year, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting quite a few authors whose books I love.  And yes, I’ve sometimes found myself babbling.  (sigh)

 

If I ever met Harper Lee, I think that might reduce me to incoherence.  But I wouldn’t I wouldn’t let that stop me if I had the chance.

 

Your novella Protector just released, will you tell us what it’s about?  

It's the story of a helicopter pilot who's too hot to handle and a wildland firefighter who isn't afraid to play with fire.  They almost got together once before, but he backed away.  Now they're fighting a wildfire together and are under attack by dark magic.  When each day could be their last, will they finally seize this chance at love?

 

I enjoyed reading Renegade; will Protector have the same wonderful combination of romance and paranormal suspense?

Thank you.  I’m so glad you liked Renegade.  Magic plays a crucial role in Protector, though not quite the same way as in Renegade.  That book involved a lot of magical combat.  While Protector does have that, it’s not such a dominant element.  The threat comes from an unusual source, but I hope the romance and suspense are about on the same level.

 

What is next for you after Protector?

The second full-length novel, Guardian, is in production now, scheduled for July 2.  Stefan’s fans will be happy to know he’s the hero of this one.  I’m plotting the third novel, which has the working title Warrior, and some ideas for novellas in the series.  I have seven novels in mind, so we’ll see how that goes.

 

Is there anything you want your readers to know about you or your writing?

Hmm.  Mainly I’d like them to know that I really love these books, and I do a lot of research to get the details right.  That’s not to say they always are.  No one is perfect, so there are bound to be mistakes on occasion, but I do my best to avoid them.  I want people to enjoy these stories, not have problems trip them up.

I’m trying to build my Facebook author page, and info about the books, as well as some personal bits, can always be found there as well as on my website.

 

Thanks, once again, for visiting and congratulations on your newest release!

Thank you very much, Diana.

***

Nancy Northcott’s childhood ambition was to grow up and become Wonder Woman.  Around fourth grade, she realized it was too late to acquire Amazon genes, but she still loved comic books, science fiction, fantasy and YA romance.  A sucker for fast action and wrenching emotion, Nancy combines the romance and high stakes she loves in her new contemporary mage series.

 

Her debut novel, Renegade, received a starred review from Library Journal.  The reviewer called it “genre writing at its finest.”  Nancy is a three-time RWA Golden Heart finalist and has won the Maggie, the Molly, the Emerald City Opener, and Put Your Heart in a Book.

 

Married since 1987, she considers herself lucky to have found a man doesn’t mind carrying home a suitcase full of research books.  Nancy and her husband have one son, a bossy dog, and a house full of books.

You can find her at www.nancynorthcott.com, on Twitter @NancyNorthcott, or on Facebook.

 

***

 

Protector (a Protectors novella)

Published by Forever

Released March 5, 2013

Buy:  Amazon    Barnes and Noble   Kobo

 

When firefighter and paramedic Edie Lang arrives to battle a wildfire in southeast Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, she's dismayed to encounter the man who ruined her life in just one night. Their reunion doesn't make helicopter pilot Josh Campbell any happier than Edie is. Despite their efforts to ignore each other, the sparks between them have not diminished, but neither intends to let them flare again.

When one of them is gravely injured, the two discover their passion runs deeper than either of them could have imagined and they have Dr. Stefan Harper to thank for that chance.

Dr. Harper is happy to have given the couple a second chance, but realizes through Josh and Edie, as well as his good friends Val and Griff, that what's missing from his life is love.

 

 

 

 

 

Nancy has a signed ARC of Protector to give away to one lucky commenter. Just answer the question: “When you think of mages or wizards, what comes to mind?” Contest will run from now (March 6) until Friday, March 8 11:59. Don't forget to leave your email address in the comments. Good luck! :)