Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Take Five and Meet Karen M. Bryson ~ Writing As USA Today Bestselling Author Dakota Madison



Today I have the pleasure of introducing a new-to-me author to the blog. 
You all know I love finding new authors to read!
And wait until you see her "other" job.  Read on...


Welcome to An Indie Adventure, Karen M. Bryson.  Tell us, what inspired you to write your book The Killer in You?
Thank you, L.A., for having me as a guest on your blog!
I was born and raised in New Jersey, and was a huge fan of the television show The Sopranos. I wondered if I could make a light “mob romance” work as part of my Love in Midlife series (writing as USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR Dakota Madison). That’s how the idea for THE KILLER IN YOU was born.
If you were not a writer, what vocation would you pursue?
I’m not a writer all the time! I also work full-time as a psychology professor at a small liberal arts university.

Do you prefer to read in the same genre you write in, or do you avoid reading that genre?  Why?

I read a lot of romance novels because I enjoy them, but I also read in other genres and non-fiction as well.

How do you create internal and external conflict in your characters?  I find conflict often the hardest to create when I start planning a book.

For me the best thing to do is set up an initial circumstance is which is seems unlikely the characters will ever get together. In THE KILLER IN YOU a mob underling falls for the mob boss’s wife. That’s a dangerous thing to do!

Here are some other examples. In AFTER ALEX DIED, I asked the question, could a young woman fall for one of the bullies who caused her brother to kill himself if she met him several years later?

In THE NINES, I asked the question, could a young man, who was severely injured in a school bombing, fall for the sister of the bomber?

With very strong setups like these the conflict comes automatically out of initial circumstance.

If you could live during any era of history, which one would you choose?

I wrote a children’s time travel adventure that brought them back to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. I always thought that would be exciting to see.


Give us a brief summary of THE KILLER IN YOU:
Falling in love with your boss's wife is never a good idea, especially when you're a mobster.

Mia Corrado can't remember the last time she had sex with her husband, Nicky. He's been preoccupied with his job as the head of New Jersey's most powerful crime family, and all of the wild oats he sows on the side. 

When Nicky tells Mia he's too busy to attend her college reunion, and wants to send one of his underlings to accompany her, Mia is completely fed up.

Until she discovers it is Luka Russo who will be escorting her. He's handsome, charming and sensitive, definitely not the typical mobster.

Mia is completely captivated by him.

And Luka is just as smitten with Mia.

But if they act on their feelings for each other Luka may end up sleeping with the fishes.

Buy Links:

Bio:
Karen M. Bryson writes new adult, love in midlife, and contemporary romance with a little spice and lots of heart. She is a winner of the prestigious RONE Award for Excellence in the Indie and Small Publishing Industry.

Karen is also an award-winning/optioned screenwriter.

When she's not at her computer creating new stories, Karen enjoys spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.

Karen writes under the pen names SAVANNAH YOUNG, SIERRA AVALON, REN MONTERREY and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR DAKOTA MADISON.

Find Karen: 


4 comments:

  1. Welcome, Karen. It's lovely to have you with us today. Why did you pick the 1893 World's Fair as the setting for your children's book?

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    1. It was such a fascinating time in history. And I wanted to have a place where they could interact with Tesla and Edison because they both play roles in the story.

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  2. Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog! I appreciate it!

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  3. Congratulations, Karen, on being a USA Today bestselling author! It's no wonder--your stories sound amazing. What a great way to play "what if" with your characters to reap their conflicts before you embark upon their stories. I also love the unique twist to the "mob story", and since I too loved the Sopranos, I'll definitely check out your "The Killer in You".

    I wish you even greater success in your future writing endeavors!!!

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