Tuesday 28 August 2012

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Nike Chillemi

Steph: PERILOUS SHADOWS is book three in your Sanctuary Point series. It's slightly different than the first two. Tell us about that.

Nike: PERILOUS SHADOWS has a strong psychological theme. It's a whodunit plus romance, but this one gets into the psychology of the two main characters quite deeply, and also several of the subordinate characters. I took time in this story to delve into the interior lives of the characters and to show how their pasts impact the story. Several characters have something to hide in this story.

Steph: Your first two stories featured strong-minded, independent heroines. Do you follow suit in PERILOUS SHADOWS with Kiera Devane.

Nike: I'm chuckling to myself because Kiera Devane is feisty as all get out. As a pioneer woman newspaper reporter in the late 1940s, she's fighting her way to the top in a man career. She's headstrong, and isn't afraid to take on any of her male colleagues. She's tough as nails, but her feminine side shows through in her flair for fashion. She very carefully puts her "look" together. And she's always checking to see if the seams in her hose are straight.

Steph: You've been supportive of American Christian Fiction Authors (ACFA), a new group begun by Shawna Williams, an author here at Desert Breeze Publishing. Tell us about that.

Nike: Well I think you can never have too many writers groups. The industry is huge. Groups spring up to address needs. Shawna set up American Christian Fiction Authors (ACFA) as a place for Christian authors who kind of felt they were square pegs trying to fit into a round CBA hole. They might be writing steamy novels, or Christian horror, etc. It's my understanding that ACFA is not trying to compete with any other Christian fiction organization, but rather is there for authors who might not have found a good fit in another organization. I definitely support that. There's room for everyone.

Steph: You are the Chair of the Grace Awards and you've stated that the awards is going to expand. Tell us about that.

Nike: Well for one thing, the Grace Awards has publicly endorsed American Christian Fiction Authors and is going to function as a sister organization to ACFA. Grace Awards will soon have a Goodreads group and the Grace Awards Facebook group is getting more active. The latest thing to be added to the Grace Awards Facebook Group is a prayer chain. Anyone (writers, readers, editors, etc.) can go there and ask for prayer. I believe in cross pollinating, or cross promoting. I'm hoping those who belong to the Grace Facebook page will also join the Grace Goodreads group. I'd like to see both Grace Awards groups become active and grow. If anyone is interested in the Grace Awards Facebook group, here's the link. https://www.facebook.com/nike.chillemi#!/groups/228634957153779/


Steph: Getting back to PERILOUS SHADOWS, tell us something about the story.

Nike: Let me give a summation of the story.

Historical Romantic Thriller, late-1940s ~ Sweet romance, warm intimacy, sophisticated themes presented tastefully

Pioneer newspaperwoman Kiera Devane is on a mission to prove a woman can do a man's job, as she hunts a young coed's killer? Ace radio broadcaster Argus Nye lost one love to a murderous fiend and his pulse races as he tries to protect Kiera from herself as much as from this killer.

Kiera was doted upon by loving parent, but they were killed when she was a girl and she was shipped off to live with a socialite aunt who had little time for her. In her aunt's house, she learned life could be cold and cruel. As a result, she grew up to be an independent and demanding professional woman.

Argus Nye, still bereft from the loss of his first love, can't understand why this female reporter is mesmerizing him. As she takes chances with her life trying to catch a killer, he's determined to protect her.

Purchase Links:

Amazon/Kindle. http://is.gd/W2Hm2N

Barnes and Noble/Nook. http://is.gd/RJF2zy

Desert Breeze Publishing. http://is.gd/2CY13P


4 comments:

  1. I'm excited about the ACFA functioning as a sister organization with the Grace Awards. I appreciate how it's not intended to be a competition with other organizations, but merely broadens the spectrum of what's available to meet the needs of Christ-loving authors. I've never thought of a prayer group as cross-pollinating before, but that's a great analogy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What an excellent interview! Great plugs for ACFA and the Grace Awards, too

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've had the pleasure of critiquing Nike's books, and let me tell you, you will not be disappointed when you read them..

    I appreciate how hard she works on the Grace Awards and know she'll do the same for the group

    ReplyDelete
  4. Naomi, Tracy, Jean, The whole idea of Grace and Shawna's ACFA group is to provide another alternative for Chrisitan authors. We're not all the same. Neither are all Christian readers the same. Some read CBA novels exclusively...and there are Christian readers who only read ABA. Go figure.

    ReplyDelete