Byzantine Gold by Chris Karlsen (Interview/Giveaway)

Anyone headed to tropical waters for spring break? Feel like searching for sunken treasure? Now you can without getting wet! Want to know how, help me welcome our guest today, Chris Karlsen!

Lexi: Authors commonly draw upon personal experiences when writing, so your scuba diving expertise, having a high ranking foreign lover, and penchant for having killers hunt you down came in handy?

Chris: I hate to disappoint but I have no high ranking lover in my life, either current or past. Nor do I know of a killer hunting me. Now my scuba experience is laughable. I tried to take lessons in the Bahamas years ago. I couldn’t progress past the practice pool. I failed at clearing my mask among other necessities. The instructors sent me away to sit out the experience in the bar while my husband continued with the class. Just FYI, I handled the bar experience just fine.

Lexi:What was your favorite part to write in Byzantine Gold?

Chris: I had two favorites: the first was giving Charlotte, my heroine, a terrible decision to make. I loved taking her through the painful process of what she should do. My second: was fleshing out the villain, Tischenko. I loved giving him a personal life and a person who cared about him.

Lexi: Did you do any traveling to prepare for this? Scout any exotic locations, check them off the list of possibilities?

Chris: I do travel a lot. I’ve been to Turkey many times. I love the country. I have also visited the Greek Islands and I think the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean is so beautiful. I knew after the first visit to Turkey that I set a book there, which I did with Golden Chariot. It seemed natural to me to set the sequel, Byzantine Gold,  in the Eastern Med, like Cyprus. 

I don’t know that I “scout” locations per se. I love to travel and a place will just strike me. It’s an internal connection that is almost immediate. If I do a third in this series, I’d set it in Turkey again. 

I had the opportunity to visit Malta twice over the last couple of years. I really like Malta. Somewhere down the road, I want to use it for a setting.

Lexi: Do you have plans to continue the Dangerous Waters series? Any more high action, treasure hunting books headed our way?

Chris: I would like to do another in the Dangerous Waters series. I gave Iskender, a friend and agent co-worker of my hero, Atakan,  a good amount of page time in Byzantine Gold. I wanted to give myself the possibility of using him in a third book where he’d be the hero. I have also given page time to Charlotte’s brother Nick,  a Chicago cop, in this book and the first, Golden Chariot. Several readers have mentioned wanting to see him as the hero of a story. I’m thinking I’d like to do a third book using both Iskender and Nick as heroes working together. 

Lexi: Sounds great! Love the name Iskender. 

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions Chris. Good luck with Byzantine Gold!

Chris: Thank you, Lexi for speaking with me. I would love to hear from your followers any thoughts they have on the books. 

Byzantine Gold

Dangerous Waters #2

by Chris Karlsen

Kindle Edition 

Published December 31st 2012 by Books to Go Now

The sequel novel to the best-selling, thriller, Golden Chariot. 
A sunken warship from the Byzantine Era carrying an unusual cargo of gold has been found off the coast of Northern Cyprus. News of the valuable cache has attracted the attention of a terrorist cell. They plan to attack the recovery team’s campsite and steal the artifacts. On the Black Market, the sale of the relics will buy them additional weapons.
Charlotte Dashiell, an American archaeologist, and her lover, Atakan Vadim, a Turkish government agent, are scheduled to be part of the recovery team that brings up the artifacts. While en route to Cyprus, they find themselves caught in the crosshairs of Maksym Tischenko, a Ukrainian contract killer bent on revenge. Charlotte, Atakan and Tischenko share a grim history. As a result, Tischenko is a man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal—seeing them both dead.

Goodreads

Available for purchase at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, www.bookstogonow.com

http://www.chriskarlsen.com/

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~*SWAG BAG GIVEAWAY*~

Chris has an awesome giveaway for one of our dear readers today (international...isn't she generous?!). To the winner: an ebook of Golden Chariot, a tote with her covers on it, Turkish charm keychain, and a small box of soap petals shaped like roses! To enter leave a comment for Chris, book wise or any of you have interesting scuba experiences? Then fill out the Rafflecopter below, good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway