with Nikki Logan
We are delighted to welcome romantic suspense novelist Nikki Logan to Omnimystery News today.
Nikki's new mystery is Wild Encounter (Entangled Publishing — Dead Sexy, September 2012 ebook format).
We recently had the opportunity to talk to Nikki about her book. And she's also giving one of our readers a chance to win a copy of her book; details below.
— ♦ —
Omnimystery News: Your publisher identifies your book as "adventure". The title suggests that as well. Do you agree?
Photo provided courtesy of
Nikki Logan
Nikki Logan: It is kind of apt. It is a very adventure-filled story. Myself, I'd call it nature-based suspense because that's a good catch-all. I might choose to write something a bit more paranormally or a bit more cozy in the future but it will always be suspenseful and nature-based. That much readers can rely on. Remember the stories for boys that were branded as "Boys Own" adventures? I feel like these are "Girls Own" adventure stories in a sense. Strong female leads in dangerous situations, gorgeous heroes, wild spaces, adventurous plots. I guess I won't really know what the common denominators area until I've written a few more.
OMN: You and Claire, your lead character, seem to have a lot in common? Probably not a coincidence, right?
NL: There's a lot of me in Claire, personality-wise because I kept asking myself, "what would I do?" I hope I'd be as resilient and clever and bolshy as she is if I ever found myself in her situation. I also know a fair bit about wildlife from my day job in a zoo and get to work daily with people who go out on these kinds of missions to save wildlife. They were really helpful while I was crafting the book, answering all my questions and speaking really frankly about things that happen in Africa. Some of it was too confronting or morally challenging to play a big part in the book (I know, I know … when a hero getting down and dirty with his captive isn't the most morally challenging thing in a book … what is!?)
OMN: Have you ever visited the setting for your book?
NL: I have not been to Zambia, so spent hours researching the country and its wildlife using web information, YouTube and the like. People's travelogues are amazingly helpful for this — I've used them before for Everest, too — because people write so openly and experientially while travelling.
OMN: How did you go about doing the background research for the book?
NL: The veterinary stuff I was able to research through discussions with a few vets I know (including a wildlife vet) and from non-vets who've been licensed to use the weapons and drugs to administer sedatives by exception.
The most challenging was the MI6 stuff, primarily because the information they provide publicly is so sanitized and high-level and I really wanted to get a feel for the more operational-aspects of the job. Nina Bruhns (Senior Editor, Dead Sexy) was brilliant for this. I may have blushed a few times as she corrected what must have seemed like such rookie errors to her with her pedigree, but I learned something every time I opened an email from her. And the most exciting … I really loved talking to the wildlife workers direct about some of the operational aspects of their wildlife translocations. The little details that just make the story so rich. The equipment they use, the language they speak, the hurdles they face.
OMN: So, did you take many liberties with the facts as you came to know them?
NL: For me, the best thing about fiction is when you can merge fact and fiction until the two are indistinguishable. I take real pride in being able to pen a story that feels totally authentic even if parts of it are fabricated. I took some liberties with Zambia and with the real practices of wild dog conservation to suit the story or editorial requirements. (Turns out no-one except me wants to read a book with lots and lots of details about wildlife translocations. Who knew!) The setting and context of this book is critical to the story but the details aren't so much. What's more important to me as a writer and reader is the vibe. The essence.
I figure I'm like one of the guys from Disney who create those amazing worlds — I'm an Imagineer. And I see no reason that imagining should be limited only to characters. There are exceptions, of course. Like if I moved Zambia off shore, or had tigers roaming around Africa. Some things are just too distracting in their wrongness.
OMN: Suppose you're casting for the film adaptation of Wild Encounter. Who might we see on the screen?
NL: Aussie actor Andy Whitfield would be my first pick for my hero, Simon. Completely right for the part. Perfect balance of heroic and sensitive. But sadly that will never be (RIP Andy). And Lucy Griffiths (Robin Hood) could make a good Clare. Someone naturally beautiful and not too precious to scrunch her hair back and let herself get sweaty and dirty.
OMN: What authors do you read yourself?
NL: I get most excited by authors in whose books I can totally immerse. Really strong world building and interesting, "crunchy" plots. So some of my auto-buys are JR Ward, MLN Hanover, Sara Douglass, Deanna Raybourn, Denise Rossetti, Orson Scott Card, Liz Fielding — so as you can see a diverse bunch. I don't really have a favorite genre other than loving a romantic arc in anything I read. For me the quality of the storytelling and the world-building and immersion are what "sell" me on a book or author.
OMN: What's next for you?
NL: I'm working on a paranormal romantic suspense set in the mountains of Indonesia (which I'm really enjoying) and fiddling around with planning for a second in the "Wild Encounter" series. And in between all of that I'm always working on the contemporary, nature-based romances I also write.
— ♦ —
Nikki Logan lives next to a string of protected wetlands in Western Australia, with her long-suffering partner and a menagerie of furred, feathered and scaly mates. She studied film and theatre at university and worked for years in advertising and film distribution before finally settling down in the wildlife industry. Her romance with nature goes way back, and she considers her life charmed, given she works with wildlife by day and writes fiction by night — the perfect way to combine her two loves.
You can learn more about the author and her books on her website, NikkiLogan.com.au. You can also find Nikki on Facebook and Twitter.
— ♦ —
Wild Encounter
Nikki Logan
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
In the wild, even love takes its chances …
A wildlife release mission in Africa turns deadly when the convoy is hijacked by smugglers, and veterinarian Claire Delaney is taken hostage. Terrified for her life and her animals, the intrepid Clare establishes a rapport with the man she believes is the criminals' leader, and reluctantly finds herself under his protection … and falling hard for the enigmatic man.
Alpha-to-the-max Simon deVries sees right through his sexy captive's attempt to seduce her way to freedom. So when their simmering attraction flares into true passion, it takes them both by surprise. Now he's torn between completing his secret mission and letting her escape without telling her his true identity. He knows if he lets her go, he will be risking his career, his life … and his heart.
For a chance to win a copy of Wild Encounter, courtesy of the publisher, visit Mystery Book Contests, click on the "Nikki Logan: Wild Encounter" contest link, enter your name, e-mail address, and this code — 5543 — for a chance to win! (One entry per person; contest ends November 13th, 2012. Please Note: The prize is an ebook.)
0 comments:
Post a Comment