We’re talking today to Kerri Nelson about her latest romantic suspense novel, Cross Check My Heart.
Thank you for this interview, Kerri. Can we begin by having you tell us why you chose to write romantic suspense novels opposed to other genres?
That’s an easy one … I have a degree in criminal justice and law enforcement. I’ve worked in various areas of the legal system for over fifteen years. Add to that the fact that I’m a great grand daughter of a U.S. federal marshal and you’ll see that all things legal run deep in my blood. Therein derives my love of creating and solving the mystery in suspense novels.
Q. Did you outline before you wrote your book or did you just go with the flow?
I’ve tried about every method you can think of to plot a book. What I’ve found is that whenever I try to do plotting, I’ll spend more time creating the outline than I do actually writing the book!
I’m clearly what is known as a “pantser” in the industry (meaning I write by the seat of my pants)!
Q. Who was your favorite character in Cross Check My Heart and why?
Now this is a tough one. I love all my characters because they are all a real part of me. That being said, I’d have to say that Danny (the hero) is my favorite simply because he’s such a tough guy with a heart of gold. You absolutely cannot avoid falling in love with him.
Q. Who was your least favorite character?
I really don’t have one. Even the bad guys were fun to write. Even though you really hate them at heart, they are still an integral part of the story. So, I have to say that I love to hate them.
Q. Can you tell us about the setting and why you chose it?
Yes, this story is primarily set right outside Chicago, Illinois, which is where the U.S. hockey team actually does their training. I researched this fact and set my story accordingly. I loved doing the research for this story. I mean, who doesn’t love being forced (for authenticity sake, of course) to look at Web sites featuring hunky hockey players?
