Nina, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses.  Can you please share with us a little about yourself

I’m actually English, but I now live on an almond farm in the mountains of southern Spain. I share the farm with my husband and a whole load of animals (four dogs, two cats, a horse, four chickens, two goats, and a three-legged Vietnamese pot-bellied pig called Piggles!) and I spend my time, reading, writing and picking the occasional almond.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

No, but I’ve always been a voracious reader and I actually started writing out of desperation when I ran out of books to read. I was working as a volunteer in Africa at the time, with no electricity, no TV, no internet, and hardly any books (this was way before ebooks!) So writing my own stories seemed like a good idea. 

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I can’t actually begin writing a story until my characters start talking to me. I’m a total plotter and one of the reasons is that plotting gives me the time to get to know my characters before I start. At some point in the process, they will start chatting in my head—that’s when I know I’m ready to go.

Can you please tell us about your latest book

The Descartes Legacy is something new for me. I write across a number of sub-genres but so far, always romance. While The Descartes Legacy has a romance at its heart, it’s essentially a high action thriller with a touch of science fiction. It’s also darker and edgier than my usual style.

It’s about a man who is essentially good, but is driven to do things that are maybe outside his ethical code…because someone has to do them. Luke Grafton has spent the last ten years hunting the shadowy organization responsible for the death of his wife and baby. Now he has discovered that they are about to embark on a terrorist attack which could kill millions and change the world forever. Luke will do anything to stop the attack. Or so he believes, until he meets Jenna.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

Actually, it was down to my husband, who sort of asked me to write a ‘good’ book for him; one without romance, vampires, werewolves or science fiction (all my favorite things). I like a challenge and decided I wanted to write a high action thriller (I’m a big 24 fan!) And I loved it. But while I succeeded on the no vampires and no werewolves rule, I failed totally on the no romance and no science fiction.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

I’ve spent the day putting the finishing touches to Temporal Shift, a sci-fi/paranormal romance and book 4 in my Blood Hunter series and I’ve just sent it to my editor. Next is a contemporary romance, Taking Control, book 3 in my Babysitting a Billionaire series, which I will start writing tomorrow. It’s about a tough, female bodyguard and the man she has to protect (whether he likes it or not!)

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

It’s more than one, but I would love to meet all of my wonderful crit partners at Passionate Critters, as I’ve spent so much time talking to them online and it would be great to meet them in person one day.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Aim to write the sort of things you love. It’s the one thing that will sustain you when the going gets hard—which it will.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

I want to ride up the Inca trails in Peru.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

I’ve had A Clash of Kings, book 2 in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series on my kindle for ages. I absolutely loved the first book, but I want time to sit down and read the whole series straight through before I start on the next. And right now, I just don’t have it.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I love making up stories, and I hope there are people out there who will love reading them just as much.

Bio

Nina Croft grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia, which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain.
Nina writes all sorts of romance often mixing in elements of the paranormal and science fiction.

Find me at: Website | Facebook | Twitter

*****

The Descartes Legacy

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Lucas Grafton has spent the last ten years hunting the Conclave, a secret organization who took everything from him: his wife, his child, his very identity. Now he has a lead—an imminent terrorist attack on London—code-named Descartes.

Born with a genetic illness, Jenna Young has always known she was different. But the unexpected death of her father catapults her into a world of murder and terrorism she never expected. In order to stay alive, she must solve a twenty-five year old mystery—and her only ally a hard bitter man in search or retribution, her only clue the Descartes Highlands, an area on the near side of the moon.

Luke’s need for revenge collides with Jenna’s hunt for the past, and together they must stand against the Conclave. All the while uncovering the truth behind Jenna’s illness, a truth that will make Jenna question her very humanity.

Excerpt 

“Jenna, there’s someone to see you.”

Her first thought was the police, and David’s memory flooded over her again, followed swiftly by a dull ache in her chest.

But for some reason, the stranger who stood in the doorway didn’t make her think “police.” He was tall, at least six three, with a lean body beneath black pants and a black shirt open at the throat. His face was pale, his hair short and black.

When he saw she’d noticed him, he stepped into the room and came toward her, moving with the grace of an athlete, each step controlled, giving Jenna the impression of leashed power.

Halting in front of her, he held out his hand. This close, Jenna could see his eyes were a beautiful hazel, green-brown flecked with gold. As she slid her palm against his, a frisson ran through her arm, along her nerves, settling low in her belly. She glanced at him sharply, but if he felt anything, he wasn’t giving it away. She pulled her hand free and edged back.

“How can I help you?” she asked.

He studied her, head tilted to one side. “My name is Luke Grafton. I’m David’s cousin.”

Shock locked her muscles. “I don’t understand. Have you heard—” She broke off as he nodded, his expression somber. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even know David had a cousin.”

“We were close when we were younger, but we’d lost touch over the last few years.” He glanced around the lab, his eyebrows rising as he took in the half-formed skeleton on the table beside her. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

“Of course.” Visitors were often uncomfortable around her work, though she had the impression very little would bother this man. “We can go to my office.”

She led him out of the lab and along the corridor to her tiny cubicle, leaving the door open behind them. With this man beside her, she realized how minute the space really was. He was big, not only tall, but also broad at the shoulders, and she couldn’t help but be conscious of his closeness. Her body felt twitchy, on edge, and the strangeness of the emotions disconcerted her.

She shook off the feeling as she cleared a box of bones from one of the two chairs. Skirting the desk, she sank into her own seat and indicated the one she had cleared. He sat on the too small chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him, arms folded across his chest, studying her intently, as though he could pierce her mind. Find her secrets.

Almost squirming under the concentrated stare, she picked up a pencil from the desk, twiddled it between her finger and thumb, then put it down again and focused somewhere over his left shoulder. “I’m sorry about David. He was a good friend, but I’m not sure how I can help you.”

“David called me last night.”

Her gaze flashed to his face. “He did?”

“I hadn’t heard from him in a while—I was surprised. He told me he thought he was being followed. He was frightened.”

“Oh.” A tremor of unease skittered down her spine. She frowned as she thought about his words. “Why did he go to you and not the police?”

“I run a security firm, and he asked me to investigate something for him. I also provide protection for prominent people.”

“You mean like bodyguards?”

He nodded.

“David wanted you to provide him with a bodyguard?”

“Not exactly. He wanted me to provide you with a bodyguard.”

Authors Bio:

Nina Croft grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain.

Anytime, anyplace, anyone…love finds a way.

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