Author Interview: Nina Croft of Mid-Winter Magic

I am thrilled to be able to share Nina Croft with you today, she is an amazing author of a great holiday romance that you will have to check out!  Many thanks go out to Marissa over at Sizzling PR for allowing me to help out promoting this author and book.

About the Book:

Dina, a witch and former assassin loves living an ‘ordinary’ life--not killing anyone. Now the past has finally caught up with her. Fifty years ago, she was scared to let herself love vampire, Tynan Steele, now she’s willing to take the risk. But Ty isn’t interested in love--he’s after revenge.

About the Author:

I grew up in the north of England, and after training as an accountant, I spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia which left me with a love of the sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. I then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but have now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds.

I share the farm with my husband, three dogs, four cats, a horse, two goats and a handful of chickens. It’s a perfect place to indulge my two great passions, reading and writing.

I write lots of different things, but mainly paranormal and science-fiction, usually with a strong element of romance.

Nina Croft on the WEB

Nina Croft on FACEBOOK

Nina Croft on TWITTER

Author Interview:

1. What books have most influenced your life most?

Probably The Lord of the Rings. I remember reading it when I was about ten and being totally mesmerized with the idea that you could make up whole new worlds.

2. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

A single author doesn’t come to mind. I guess it would change at regular intervals depending on what I needed at that particular point. It would probably be an established author, who has been around for a while, and who could give me advice on long term goals. And maybe someone who writes in different genres like Nora Roberts and JD Robb.

3. What book are you reading now?

I’m reading, A Clash of Kings, by George R R Martin. I still love big, fat fantasy books.

4. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Right now—I have to say no. Not because there aren’t loads of great new authors out there, but because I’ve sort of been taken over by my own writing, so when I do find the time to read, I tend to go for things I know I’ll love.

I used to read all the time. Now I write all the time. I’m hoping that somewhere, sometime, I’ll find a balance.

5. What are your current projects?

I’m currently working on book three of my Blood Hunter series. It’s science fiction romance with a paranormal twist. I wrote the first draft during Nanowrimo—now I have to start the hard work of editing.

I’m also working on a contemporary romance for Entangled publishing’s new Indulgence line, and a fantasy romance—the third novella in my Laws of Segregation series.

6. Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

My great crit group, Passionate Critters. We’re a group of romance writers at various stages of publication. We crit each others’ work, share industry information, and give out lots of hugs when needed.

7. Do you see writing as a career?

Definitely. I’m not a very organized person though, and I think I need to take some time out and think about long term career goals.

8. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I’m writing a contemporary at the moment – in hindsight I’d definitely change it and add a vampire, unfortunately that wouldn’t fit in with the line.

9. Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I’ve always been an avid reader, but I actually started writing while I worked as a volunteer in Africa. We were based in a small village on the banks of Lake Kariba. We had no TV, no internet, and very few books (this was before ebooks existed!) but I did have a (rather large) laptop, and I started writing as a means to entertain myself.

10. Describe what it’s like to be an author in three words.

Absolutely brilliant job!

12. What is your favorite genre of literature?

That’s a really hard one, but I’ll go with ‘speculative’ as that covers a lot of my favorites.

13. At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

Probably again in Africa when I started really writing seriously – it’s addictive!

14. What would you consider to be the best book you have ever read?

The very best? Just one?  That’s hard. Okay – one book that I go back to again and again is Dune by Frank Herbert. It’s got everything, adventure, romance, mystery, magic and great big worms.