GUEST INTERVIEW: Nikki Duncan

The Indulgent Bloggers welcome Nikki Duncan to our site this week for a Special Sensory Ops Week. We all agreed after meeting her at RAW2010, she’s been one of our favorite people – fun, funny and incredibly talented (and for an interesting story, ask her about her bull-riding skills!). Today we invited Nikki for an interview here at the Guilty Indulgence Book Club to hear her thoughts on the series along with some other words of wisdom she’s willing to bestow upon us.

And remember to come by each day for a different review on her books (and be sure to comment to you can WIN a free book).

Welcome, Nikki. Like Keiralyn from SOUNDS TO DIE BY, we’ll get right to the point. We each just recently read your Sensory Ops series and enjoyed that it was such a unique idea in a book world where so much is alike. Where did the idea come from? What inspired you?

The Sensory Ops series started out as just the one book SOUNDS TO DIE BY. When I introduced the men on the FBI team I was instantly interested in writing a story for each of them, but it was my editor’s idea to have each book somehow center around a sense. It was one of her brilliant ideas I loved and fully intend to see through.

Was it a challenge to create heroes with differing senses while still maintaining their "alpha" status?

Ian is the only hero with a heightened sense so far and yes he was very hard to write. I don’t know any blind people, so writing one as a hero who was fully able to take care of himself was indeed a challenge. As for the other books, the challenge is lying in interesting ways to use the senses like in SCENT OF PERSUASION where I used DNA based perfume as the murder weapon. ;)

What else is in store for this series? Is there another coming soon?

My plans for the series so far includes the introduction of a new hero, an Empath, and a fun plot for killing people with a touch. The empath story is drafted, but needs some tweaking, and I’ve plotted the touch story – I just need more hours in a day to write it. I’m still knocking ideas around for sight and taste.

In the meantime I’ve written a straight contemporary novella as part of an anthology with Mackenzie McKade and Cathryn Fox that we’ve self-published.

Right, Rebecca reviewed that in three-parts on our site earlier this year. Great reviews! But what about Sensory Ops? We must have more.

I just recently completed and submitted a second contemporary novella that is connected to the Sensory Ops Series. If you remember Trevor, the friend from SCENT OF PERSUASION, it will be his story.

We love your website tagline... lyrically layering love, senses and suspense. How did you come up with that?

Oh, I wish I could take the credit for that, but it was a result of some lovely compliments about my writing. Though I do always strive to deliver on the line no matter what story I am working on. Well, except the ones I’ve done that don’t have suspense.

This is your first series and you are a fairly new author. Any advice to others just starting out?

Keep at it. The road to publication is hard and often long, so keep pushing through those moments of discouragement. And keep in mind that one contract doesn’t guarantee a second or a third. It’s always important to keep writing and keep growing as a writer.

Our indulgence is reading romance. What is your guilty indulgence?

Romance books have always been one of my favorite indulgences. I also love long soaks in a hot tub or quiet time on the couch watching a great show or movie.

A girl after our hearts, anytime Nikki wants to guest blog with us, we’ll take her up on it. She’s great. Her books are great. And if you haven’t read one yet, COMMENT this week on any review to WIN a FREE Nikki Duncan BOOK.

CONTEST ALERT!!!!