Friday, October 9, 2009

THE MINDHUNTERS TRILOGY: AUTHOR INTERVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
THE MINDHUNTER
TRILOGY


KYLIE BRANT
A LITTLE PERSONAL BIO
FROM KYLIE'S WEBSITE


In the all-about-me department, I’m a native Midwesterner, having lived my whole life in Iowa. My husband and I are still trying to adjust to becoming empty nesters. Much of the time we rattle around our big century-old Victorian with a spoiled Polish Lowland Sheepdog named Lexie. We’re on the go a lot, traveling to see our kids and grandsons, tailgating at Iowa games, and enjoying new tropical getaways. If you know anything about Iowa winters, you’ll understand our desire for sun and beach once January hits.

In 1990 I began writing out of sheer desperation. Always an avid reader, I’d found that my favorite authors just couldn’t write fast enough to keep me in reading material. Someday if you twist my arm and buy me very strong margaritas, I might be convinced to share my whole embarrassing road to publication story. The short version is that my second manuscript sold in 1992, and then a few months later my first manuscript was bought, too, after it had undergone several major surgeries. To date I’ve written twenty-five books for Silhouette Intimate Moments (Romantic Suspense), three dark romantic thrillers for Berkley, a short story for eharlequin.com and participated in an Iowa authors murder mystery.

I live a dual life. Believe me, that sounds much more glamorous than it is. By day I’m an elementary special education teacher, working with students who have learning and behavior problems. During the weekends and summers…well, I can be forgiven for needing a little relaxation, right? And if my idea of relaxation includes dreaming up new ways to kill and maim my characters, it seems a harmless enough hobby. Some people golf. Now there’s a dangerous pastime. All those swinging clubs and small speeding objects. Someone could lose an eye.

When I’m not at the computer (always writing, never playing solitaire), I enjoy hanging out with family and friends, exercising, reading, flower gardening, and traveling.


MY INTERVIEW WITH KYLIE BRANT

Kylie Brant was kind enough to do a personal interview with Bingo. She is a talented, successful writer, but what I came away with most was that she is a really nice person. Here is some background info on Kylie that I'll share as she doesn't like to brag about her many accomplishments.

Kylie Brant is the author of twenty-eight bestselling books for Silhouette and Berkley. She’s a two-time Rita nominee and has been nominated for five Romantic Times awards, and is a RT Career Achievement award winner. In 2004 and 2008 she was awarded the overall Daphne du Maurier award for best mystery/suspense novel. Her book Undercover Bride is on Romantic Times magazine’s All-Time Favorite list.

Her most recent releases are back to back dark romantic thrillers. The trilogy, entitled The Mindhunters (which YOU will have a chance to win!!) feature investigators that work for a forensic consulting firm and consult with law enforcement on high profile crimes. Waking Nightmare (September ’09) features Abbie Phillips as a forensic profiler on the trail of a vicious serial rapist. In Waking Evil, (October ’09) Ramsey Clark is hired to assist in a murder investigation in rural Tennessee amidst local hysteria over an ancient curse coming true. And in Waking the Dead (November ’09) forensic anthropologist Caitlin Fleming investigates the discovery of seven sets of human remains found in the Oregon wilderness.You can read excerpts of the books here:


Kylie, what are you currently working on or what is your next project?

We recently went back to contract for three more Mindhunters books. I’m hard at work on book 4, Deadly Fear.

What have you just finished reading?

Currently I’m reading Cindy Gerard’s Feel the Heat, a fabulous romantic suspense. I most recently finished Robert Crais’s The Forgotten Man. He’s one of my favorite authors of suspense.

What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out?

When I finished grad school I determined that everything I read for the next year would be for pleasure. I went to the library and discovered contemporary romance novels for the first time. I’d read historical romance but didn’t even realize contemporary existed. I began reading all of the Harlequin and Silhouette lines. When they introduced the Silhouette Intimate Moments line (now Romantic Suspense) I knew I’d found my favorite. The authors of those earliest books, Linda Howard, Nora Roberts, Elizabeth Lowell, and Sandra Brown inspired me to trying writing my own stories.

What gets you started on a new book? A character or story idea or….?

I love in depth characterization in novels. If I don’t care about the story people I won’t finish the book to the end. I used to start more with the characters, but as I moved in to more complex suspense stories, I think the suspense idea occurs first, quickly followed by the characters.


What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we probably don’t know?

Most don’t know that I teach full-time in addition to writing two or three books a year. I’m an elementary special education teacher.


That is FABULOUS! I taught for 37 years and never thought I could write at the same time...you are amazing because I know what goes into teaching elementary education and to be in special education on top of that---kudos to you, Kylie!

Now, what is your best advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?


Get used to revising, editing and rewriting. Those writers who don’t think they have anything to learn, or don’t want to allow editors to ‘change’ their work won’t become multi-published authors. I’ve seen writers dropped by their companies because they are sensitive to suggestions and difficult to work with. Those traits aren’t attractive in any profession, but in writing they make an author expendable.


What is something you would like to share with us about writing your favorite genre in general?

I love learning so I can really become lost in the research. I learned quite a bit about defleshing bones in the November book and for the current one I’ve discovered some fascinating information about high tech security systems. Oh, and about how long a severed thumb will ‘keep’. You just never know when that sort of information will come in handy!


Thank you SO MUCH for your time and these wonderful books. I am going to tell my readers how they can win them in the....

MINDHUNTER TRILOGY GIVEAWAY!

THANKS TO KYLIE BRANT, I HAVE
TWO COPIES EACH OF THE THREE
BOOKS THAT MAKE UP THIS TRILOGY


ONE PERSON WILL WIN THE WHOLE
TRILOGY WHILE 3 OTHERS WILL WIN
THE BOOK OF THEIR CHOICE

RULES

--U.S. Residents Only
--No P.O. Boxes, Please
--Email address must be in your comment
--ALL comments must be separate to count
or they will count as one instead of possibly two




NO! PLEASE DO ENTER HERE!
+1 ENTRY: TELL WHICH BOOK YOU WOULD WANT IF YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE (THEY DO STAND ALONE JUST FINE) GO TO THIS PART OF KYLIE'S WEBSITE TO READ ABOUT THE THREE BOOKS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK AND ENTER THE LINK THAT I CAN FOLLOW

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE IN BY
NOON, NOVEMBER 11
NOTE: DATE TO ENTER EXTENDED

GOOD LUCK!

56 comments:

cfisher1504 said...

I have not read Kylie Brant but this series sounds awesome and I would love a chance to win them!!!
Any one of the three would be great!
Thank you for a great contest!!!
cfisher1504 at gmail dot com

Stormi said...

Great Interview. I have never read anything from this author.

Stormi
booklady2007[at]gmail[dot]com

Stormi said...

Since I haven't read any I would like the first book in the series if I can have it, if not any of them is fine with me.

holdenj said...

Well, if I could just choose one, I would probably pick Waking the Dead. Although it sounds like I'd like to read them all!
Thanks for a good interview--she is a busy woman!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

CMash said...

Suspense...my favorite read. And the chance to win 3 !!!! Whats better than that.
Mash1195@aol.com

CMash said...

Read excerpts of her 3 books and all went on my TBR list. Hard to choose just one but would like to start with "Waking Nightmare"

KR said...

I'd love Waking Evil.

mj.coward[at]gmail.com

Virginia C said...

Wow, a seriously suspenseful series! I'd start with WAKING NIGHTMARE.

gcwhiskas at aol dot com

kalynnick said...

WAKING NIGHTMARE

kalynnick AT yahoo DOT com

Linda Kish said...

I love to read thrillers. Haven't read any of hers yet. I think I would choose Waking Nightmare.lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Martha Lawson said...

I've read Waking Nightmare, so if I'm not lucky enough to win them all! I'd like Waking the Dead. Waking Nightmare was an awesome book and I look forward to reading the rest of the series! Glad to hear there will be more. I really enjoyed the interview.

mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

Unknown said...

Waking the Dead. It sounds much more interesting to me. I've never read this series but it sounds REALLY interesting :)

lcintocable[a]gmail[d]com

Persephone said...

I'm a square, so I'd have to start with the first in the trilogy. But they all look tasty!

patronus89013 at yahoo dot com

CallMeKayla said...

These sound awesome! I would want to start at the begining however incase I might happen to miss something.

kaylajohnson3969@sbcglobal.net

Kristi said...

Man - that is tough! I think Waking Evil - as the first one about finding out your fears is just scary all by itself! I am from Iowa also and now I have to investigate to see if I can find out what part she lives in!

Thanks for the great contest!

kherbrand at comcast dot net

Danielle said...

I would really like The Waking Nightmare, but any and all of them would be great!!!

danielle78@comcast.net

rubynreba said...

They all look good and I would like any of them. If I had a choice I would probably pick Waking Nightmare.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Rebecca Orr said...

Waking Nightmare looks good to me! I have yet to read anything by her...but I am really interested in her now! Thanks! bekki1820cb@gmail.com

Rebecca Orr said...

tweeted: http://twitter.com/bekki1820cb/status/4797082092

bekki1820cb@gmail.com

Kristi said...

I tweeted - http://twitter.com/kherbrand/statuses/4779742130

Beth (BBRB) said...

Waking the Dead looks great!

BethsBookReviewBlog AT gmail DOT com

Rebecca N. said...

I would choose Waking Evil! These sound really good! Thanks!

imsosweepy { at } gmail { dot } com

donnas said...

I would want to win Waking Nightmare. Even with stand alone books when they are in a series I need to read them in order.

bacchus76 at myself dot com

Hot Off the Shelves said...

I'd love to get started with Waking Nightmare. They all sound great.

jasmyn9[at]hotmail[dot]com

Cathy M said...

Great interview and congrats on all the positive reviews. I loved all the excerpts,but if I picked just one it would be, Waking Nightmare.


caity_mack(at)yahoo(dot)com

Sage Ravenwood said...

I don't know how I missed this author. I would love to be able to read the entire series. I would be happy with any of the 3 books if I could only have one. They all sound intriguing!

Thanks for the opportunity! Indigo

ravensquietscreams@gmail.com

dag888888 said...

I would pick Waking Nightmare!

dag888888[at]yahoo[dot]com

DarcyO said...

These sound really good. Since I haven't read any of them, any of the books would be great to read. Thanks for the giveaway!

dlodden at frontiernet dot net

jellybelly82158 said...

I have looked at the books on her site and if I have to pick just one, I guess it would be Walking Evil. The reason is because it is set in Tenn. and I live just above in KY
jellybelly82158(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I would pick Waking Nightmare, but they all sound great. So, any one of them would be fine.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

jellybelly82158 said...

I would love to read any of these books. Any one would be great if I win!!!!
jellybelly82158 at gmail dot com

ossmcalc said...

Waking Nightmare really got my interest.

thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/ossmcalc/status/5190547674

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

Mariee said...

All three books look great. I would pick Waking Nightmare.

marieimy (at) gmail (dot) com

jellybelly82158 said...

They all sound great! If I have to pick than I would start with the first one and read all three of them.
jellybelly82158@gmail.com

CherylS22 said...

If I can have only one, I'd like the first book in the series "Waking Nightmare"

Thanks!
megalon22{at}yahoo{dot}com

Debbie F said...

If I had to pick I would pick the first book as I can't start a series in the middle. Thanks

dcf_beth at verizon dot net

jellybelly82158 said...

I would have to say the first one and then I would have to read the rest of the series.
jellybelly82158@gmail.com

catss99 said...

I would like the first book!
amanda
catss99@yahoo.com

catss99 said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/catss99/status/5309827159

amanda
catss99@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Waking the Dead would be my choice.

Mytyme2 at gmail dot com
Mary

Jaime said...

Waking the Dead
copperllama at yahoo dot com

Wrighty said...

These books are new to me and they sound great! If I were to get one I would start at the beginning with Waking Nightmares. Thanks for such an interesting review and interview. Great giveaway!

5wrights1[at]verizon[dot]net

Hailey Miller said...

This sounds like an absolutely awesome giveaway! Please enter me.

Shadowofwonder47[at]yahoo[dot]com

Hailey Miller said...

I would want "Waking Nightmare" since it's the first book in the series.

Shadowofwonder47[at]yahoo[dot]com

lag123 said...

I would want the first one too. Waking Nightmare.

lag110@mchsi.com

Park Avenue Princess said...

I don't think I've ever been more excited over a giveaway in my entire life! Thank you Bingo and Thank you Kylie! These are so "ME"...everything about them and would LOVE the chance to win the Trilogy! If I had to pick one (and I'm crossing my fingers that I don't) I would have to say that my choice would be "Waking Nightmare"!

Thanks again!

Love the new blog look!

x0xx Park Avenue Princess

IAmHiMaintenance@aol.com

Park Avenue Princess said...

Yay! Tweet Tweet! That birdie is saying "Pick Me! Pick Me!!"

http://twitter.com/APrkAvePrincess/status/5445999042

Thanks again!

Park-Avenue Princess x0xx

IAmHiMaintenance@aol.com

Park Avenue Princess said...

Yay! Tweet Tweet! That birdie is saying "Pick Me! Pick Me!!"

http://twitter.com/APrkAvePrincess/status/5445999042

Thanks again!

Park-Avenue Princess x0xx

IAmHiMaintenance@aol.com

Mitz said...

These sound awesome Kylie Brant is an excellent author, I've read some of her romance.

The Midnight Hunters sound even better..

misty_labean@yahoo.com

Mitz said...

Follower by google

Mitz said...

I would love the whole trilogy myself, but if I had to pick just 1 I think it would be Waking Evil since you mentioned they could be stand alone books. It's hard to choose they all sound good.

misty_labean@yahoo.com

Leslie said...

All three sound so good but if I had to choose one I would pick WAKING EVIL. Thanks for interesting interview. :)

lgladnick(at)gmail(dot)com

heatherzilla said...

I would pick WAKING EVIL.

heatherzilla(at)care2(dot)com

heatherzilla said...

I tweeted:

http://twitter.com/heatherzilla8/statuses/5604174135

Deb K said...

I have read any of Kylie Brant but this series sounds so good! The one that sounds the best to me is Waking the Dead!

deb55106(at)gmail(dot)com

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