Muse: Kari, first of all, Whispers of the Muse welcomes you to the site. Tell us a little about yourself. What part of the world do you live in? Tell us about your background?
Kari: THANKS, Deborah for having me here!  I live in a mountain city of Arizona but I am originally from Florida. I actually have a degree in Child Psychology, and was also a CPA for over 20 yrs, but writing is my whole life. I tell people that it’s what keeps me sane! LOL!

Muse: Who are your favorite authors?
Kari: OMG, way too many to list! With a collection of over 3,000 books in my personal library, you can tell I have many favorites! Some are: Christine Feehan, Deborah MacGillivray, Shannon Leigh, Lora Leigh, Caridad Pienero, Mary Corrales, and more...!

Muse: Why do you write Paranormal Romance?
Kari: I love the fact that you can create any world, any situation, and make your characters beyond the normal. There are so many possibilities! My tag line says it all: “... where characters have limitless possibilities and the magic of love has no boundaries.”

Muse: What is your writing regimen? How often do you work on a novel? Do you set daily time or word goals? What keeps you meeting your deadlines?
Kari: I'm on of those “pantser” writers. I write constantly – or as much as I get the chance to, but I never have a solid plot idea while doing it. BAD habit. And I certainly don’t recommend it to other writers. When I’ve got a book going, I try to write daily, though life does intrude. I don’t set any goals but won’t allow myself to stop until I’m satisfied with that day's progress. Deadlines scare me because my life is so chaotic at times (I take care of my elderly dad, 24-7) so I try to make sure I beat that deadline with time to spare. Don’t ask me why, but it does seem to work for me! LOL!

Muse: Does the way you personally look at life reflect in your writing style?
Kari: I’ve never thought of that, but I think it might. My Beliefs are deep and I think I incorporate that into some of my characters. I write Paranormal Romance, and always think “It’s possible, so why not?” on the fact that there are things out there we’re not aware of.

Muse: What are the creative jumping off points for you? Are you inspired by dreams? Music? Nature? The occasional black nightmare? What triggers your imagination?
Kari: Music most definitely. I’ll hear a  certain song and immediately envision characters from the story of the song. For example, Nickleback’s “What if tomorrow never comes?” I can soooo think of an emotional-packed story for that one!  I don’t have the good luck of having ideas come from dreams: I suffer from being an insomniac. But, I do daydream a lot! (grin)

Muse: Tell us about Temptation Unleashed. What was your inspiration?
Kari: I’m an animal lover. I’ve had the wonderful luck to have several different types of pets in my lifetime: two cougars, a raccoon, a wolf, along with all the dogs and cats over the years. While taking care of a friend’s pot-bellied pig I made the mistake of allowing the dogs to go with me when I fed him. He was used to the dogs, but for some reason he wasn’t in the mood to have them around him that day. Just as I filled his pot of food, he turned on me and slammed into my thigh. Took me down. And the pain was horrendous. I bruised instantly. But then I had to manage to get back on my feet and pull the dogs away as they were ready to attack. As I left, I realized that it was the first time in my life I had actually been temporarily afraid of an animal. So, Kira was born! After a deadly attack by panthers that kill one of her sisters, Kira is scarred for life and harbors a deeply rooted terror of all animals. What better hero for her than a Cougar Shapeshifter?

Muse: What is your favorite scene from the book and why?
Kari: When Kira accepts the truth about the shapeshifters and realizes that she cares for them deeply enough to sacrifice her own life for one of them. It was an incredibly hard realization for her, and it showed her growth and strength.

Muse: Have you written other books?
Kari: "Temptation Unleashed" was my first, and I have six others (and a Novella) published now.

Muse: Tell us about your other books?
Kari: HUNTED MATE has a mountain lion shifter for the hero. Logan has to fight his honor and his lust for the woman who belongs to another.
SEDUCING THE HERO is my only one that is not fully Paranormal. It's listed as "Contemporary-with-a-touch-of-magic". The heroine is a kitchen witch threatened by a stalker and the hero is a ex-detective who agrees to protect her.
HER HEART HIS SOUL has a unique hero that is half Angel and half Demon. He will have to choose between his soul or the woman he loves.
PREY FOR THE WOLF is my only wolf shifter (so far). Kane is an Alpha Wolf who sets his sites on prey: his brother's fiance.
UNDER A SHIFTER'S MOON has a jaguar shifter. Lyon has to choose between the survival of his Pack, or the woman he loves. If he chooses her, then her life is forfeit.
HOLD ONTO THE NIGHT isnt Paranormal. It's a Novella length about a passionate one-night stand that leaves a woman's life on the line. This book was given to ARe (all about romance ebooks) as part of their "28 Days of Heart" Series and the proceeds went to the American Heart Assoc.
SPELL-KISSED has a bumbling witch who guards a precious Sphere. When its stolen she accidentally transports her, the hero and his brother, into a parallel world where they end up fighting an Evil Sorcerer. (This one will be Released in July 2010).

Muse: How do you feel about the current publishing marketplace?
Kari: It’s a bit unsettled, to say the least. Ebooks are vying for space with the traditional books. More authors are realizing that readers are starting to prefer the lower prices on ebooks, and thus they sell more. Yet, Ebook Piracy is a huge nightmare for the authors because of the ease of obtaining copies. I just hope it straightens itself out soon. I plan to be writing a long time!