Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Interview with Christina Elliott, author of IN THE HEAT OF THE TROPICS


Now available Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo is the romantic novel In The Heat Of The Tropics by Christina Elliott.


Amid a sweltering Miami summer, a serial killer is haunting the city. Reporter Ingrid Sorenson is assigned the story and her primary source is brusque detective Rick Gonzalez. The pair clash, but sparks of passion ignite. They risk their jobs to give in to their desire, but mistrust of each other’s career motives wedges them apart. Then Ingrid gets a tip that leads her into the killer’s lair. She and Rick must choose between saving themselves or rescuing their love.


The author has taken a few minutes out her busy schedule to talk about her new book.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

When I was about five, I won a prize for “writing interesting stories.” I have no idea what I wrote at that early age. They must have been very simple stories with one-syllable words but they obviously impressed the teacher! I’ve always been a bookworm and that made me want to write books since I was little. In high school I discovered journalism and that became my career goal since it was about writing.

What was your first book/story published?

I had a short story published in my high school literary magazine when I was in 10th grade so I guess that was my first publication. Then there was a huge gap until about 2007 when I started writing creatively in earnest. I brushed off a bunch of dusty old short stories and submitted them to literary journals. The Internet made submissions much easier!

What inspired you to write In the Heat of the Tropics?

I love both gritty crime fiction and romances so to me romantic suspense is a great genre that combines both elements. I used to be a newspaper reporter in Miami so that was my obvious lead character, Ingrid, and knowing that reporters often clash with cops over big stories, that formed the basis for the romantic and thriller plot. It seemed a natural fit and I knew about both cops (having dated two of them!) and reporters.

What character in In the Heat of the Tropics is the most like you, and in what ways?

Ingrid, the lead character, is based on myself. She’s an intrepid reporter, heads off to follow a story wherever that may take her. She doesn’t get scared easily. She goes to interview prostitutes on the street by herself and follows a lead on the killer. I’ve done many such things myself. As a foreign correspondent, I was in a number of dangerous situations doing my job, although I didn’t realize they were potentially dangerous until I was in them or until afterward and I thought “what was I doing?!” It can be difficult for some to understand that mindset but many journalists have a strong sense of adventure, and that’s what drives Ingrid.

What is your favorite part in In the Heat of the Tropics?

Early date scenes are always fun because there’s a lot of quick, light banter in the dialogue, plus a lot of discovery about the characters. It’s flirtatious and fun, with a lot eyeing each other up and down in the heat of the initial attraction.

What was the hardest part to write?

Any action scene of violence is always the hardest to write for me. You have to choreograph the struggle, where various limbs are positioned, the feasibility of one character being able to do something against the other’s reactions. Not having done a lot of physical fighting I my life, I find these scenes tedious. Maybe I should take a boxing lesson or two!

What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?

I’d love to be a comedic actor. I took some acting classes some years ago and not only found them hugely therapeutic, but also that I have a knack for comedy. I find being zany and way out a huge release. It’s weird because I love reading, writing and watching drama, but when I act, it’s comedy all the way!

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

I certainly read them. I think most authors do. Authors appreciate honest reviews and feedback, including criticism as long as it’s respectful, but there’s no need to be cruel or nasty. We know everyone is not going to like everything so you really have to filter out what are a reviewer’s personal preferences and what is something that really doesn’t work. In the end, you just have to go with your gut instinct. The publisher’s opinion also carries a lot of weight.

What well-known writers do you admire most?

I was an English major in college so my literary heroes are all classics. Shakespeare, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Graham Greene, John Steinbeck. These days I love a well written crime novel with at least a tad of romance to make things interesting.

Do you have any other books/stories in the works?

I’m currently working on another romantic suspense called “Angel’s Lust.” This one is set in Los Angeles, where I now live. Most people know LA as the home of Hollywood, but what many may not know is that it’s also the home of the adult entertainment industry. So I chose this as the backdrop-setting for the mystery plot. The romance is between two hard-nosed homicide detectives as they work to solve the suspicious death of a young executive, which leads them into the adult entertainment industry and then into dark world of sex trafficking and an unsolved murder case.





Giveaway

Christina Elliott will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



About the Author


Christina Elliott is a former Miami newspaper reporter and editor. She now writes spicy romantic suspense novels from Los Angeles, where she’s glad to report there are far fewer bad-hair days but sadly far less Cuban coffee. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America.

Learn more about the author at: www.christinaelliottauthor.com/

Follow the author on Twitter and Facebook.



7 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading about your book; congrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. What is your favorite type of book to read? Thanks for the giveaway. I hope that I win. Bernie Wallace BWallace1980(at)hotmail(d0t)com

    ReplyDelete

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