Author Inteview and Giveaway: Kris DeLake

Today's guest is Kris Delake, and there is a giveaway at the end :)

Welcome!

Tell me a little about yourself.

I’d love to tell you that I’m just like Skylight Jones, a little dangerous, a lot adventurous, and very sexy, but I’m just a typical writer. I spend my days in my grubbies, herding cats (literally) and making things up. I’ve been writing for more than thirty years, and am an award-winning bestselling writer under a variety of names. I write nonfiction, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, romance, science fiction romance—you name it, I’ve done it. And enjoyed it.

I noticed that  you have a lot of pen names. I have actually read your fantasy books. Does it get confusing changing between them?

Only at book signings. Seriously, I can’t converse and sign at the same time if someone has books from different pen names. I’ll sign the wrong name! 

The stories are easy to keep track of. They’re alive in my head, and I know what happens with each. The pen names are a way to keep track.

I started using pen names so that I could sell books in a variety of genres. Fifteen years ago, science fiction writers didn’t write romance (or so everyone said) and romance writers didn’t write science fiction (or so everyone said) and mystery writers didn’t write science fiction or romance (or so everyone said). Since I wrote all of that and more, I had to put a pen name on the books just to sell them.

By the time attitudes changed, the pen names were established as authors in their own right. So I write science fiction and fantasy under Kristine Kathryn Rusch, mystery under Kris Nelscott (and short stories under Kristine Kathryn Rusch), funny light romances as Kristine Grayson, romantic suspense as Kristine Dexter, and these science fiction romances (excuse me. Futuristic romances) as Kris DeLake. And a few books under names I won’t tell you under pain of death.

I’m being more open about the names now than I was in the past, but some will remain. We’ll see as time goes on. I love how they’re less necessary now.

Your new book is called A Spy To Die For. Could you tell my readers about it?

A Spy To Die For is set in a rather grungy future, filled with assassins, spies, and other nefarious types. Skylight Jones runs into Jack Hunter in a very filthy restaurant on a space station, and falls for him. But they work for organizations that are at odds, and the two might be enemies. But they find a way to work together, and stop something sinister—all the time exploring their little section of the universe. 

What was your inspiration behind this sci-fi romance?

I wrote a short story under my Rusch name called “Drinking Games,” which was just the opening of the first book in the Assassins series, Assassins in Love. In Assassins, Jack makes an appearance as the friend of Rikki, the heroine. In fact, the scene with Jack was much longer in the original draft and my editor made me cut it. I knew from that moment that Jack would be the hero of the next book; I just needed a great woman for him, and then Skylight showed up.

What’s coming next from you?

As DeLake, I have one more novel to do. As Rusch, my next novel out is a time-travel thriller called Snipers. It’ll be out on July 15. Like A Spy To Die For, it’s been getting great reviews. Then another Rusch novel in my Diving series, Skirmishes. That’s September. And in March, my next Kris Nelscott Smokey Dalton novel, Street Justice, something the fans have been waiting years for. There’s also assorted short stories and I hope a new Kristine Grayson Christmas novella. Oh, and I’m editing a Christmas romance anthology that will be out in October called Christmas Ghosts, with stories from Carole Nelson Douglas, ML Buchman, and Mary Jo Putney. So all in all, a busy year. I’m really having fun. Can you tell?

Thanks!

Thanks for asking me to visit.

Giveaway

1 copy of A spy to die for

1. Open to US and Canada

2. Ends July 20th

3. Just go ahead and enter :D

And if you wanna ask a question or tell me our fav sci-fi book/movie/show