I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader. I grew up with a love of history and books.
My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.
I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream. I write three different series. My paranormal romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is Dangerous Waters. The newest is The Bloodstone Series. Each series has a different setting and some cross time periods, which I find fun to write.
I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and five wild and crazy rescue dogs.
My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.
I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream. I write three different series. My paranormal romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is Dangerous Waters. The newest is The Bloodstone Series. Each series has a different setting and some cross time periods, which I find fun to write.
I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and five wild and crazy rescue dogs.
What genre(s) do you write?
I currently write in two; historical/time travel romance and historical suspense.
Historical Romances: Heroes Live Forever, Journey in Time, and Knight Blindness.
Historical Suspense: Silk
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Considering I do write a romance series, you’d think I’d find writing love scenes a breeze but I struggle with them. I work hard to make them sensual without being overly graphic in a mechanical way or using graphic language that I don’t personally find sexy. Those scenes seem to take me forever to get right.
What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?
I hope the reader actually felt they were on the journey with the hero and heroine. I want them to feel they were in the room with the characters and laughed and cried along with them. I’d like the readers to want to hold onto the characters and not want to say goodbye.
I also love to recreate historical settings. I hope that when I write a medieval scene or have a character strolling through Victorian London that the reader is sharing that time and place with the character. I want them to feel the environment through all their senses as if they’re there too.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
No. I just want them to enjoy the story.
How long have you been a writer?
Twelve years
What other careers have you had?
I had a ton of part-time jobs in college: as needed telephone operator for LA County, car rental agent, mail girl in a law firm. After that I worked as a grocery checker for a short time before becoming a police officer. I spent 25 years in law enforcement and retired as a police detective.
Are any of your characters based on real people or events?
I have two books in a romantic thriller series I wrote a few years back. The first book in that series, Golden Chariot was based on the actual recovery of the Uluburun shipwreck in Turkey. I admit, for the sake of pacing, I did take quite a few literary liberties with how long the true recovery took.
In my historical romances, I base the connection my heroes have with each other using the Battle of Poitiers (September, 1356). All were warrior knights in that battle. Three are friends of Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince.
My Detective Inspector in Silk, the historical suspense, is a veteran of the Zulu Wars of 1879. He is the recipient of a Victoria Cross based on his actions at the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, a battle that actually occurred.
What books or authors have most influenced your life?
I wouldn’t say any one book or author influenced my life but reading in general influenced me by expanding my imagination.
How do your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?
My husband is proud and supportive. He is one of the last of my beta readers before I turn my manuscript in to the publisher. He has a great eye for pacing and detail. My parents were always very encouraging and I wish my late father could’ve seen my first book published. My mother is another beta reader of mine and is an honest critic.
Where are you from?
I’m from Chicago, born and raised.
How do you come up with the titles?
I toy with different phrases and try to pull something from the book. For example, my latest book, Silk, I used that title as the killer always strangles his victims with a red silk scarf. My first book, Heroes Live Forever, I used a line from a Cher song that fit the hero as there is a paranormal element to the story.
Do you work on one project at a time? Or do you multi-task?
I multi-task only in that I write one story at a time but will be doing research on the next while I’m at it.
Here are some questions just for fun. Answer as many as you would like.
What kind of kid were you in school? Which social path did you take?
I was an honor student. I wasn’t a good athlete and not much of a joiner. I’d describe myself as socially invisible. I didn’t go to the prom or any dances. As soon as I could, I got a work permit and worked at the local theatre at night in the box office where I could do my homework when we weren’t busy. I also got to see all the movies for free, which I loved.
Which food could you not live without?
Torn between butter and potatoes. I never met a potato I didn’t likeJ
Do you have any pets?
I grew up with dogs. We have four rescues; a red Dobie (Rita), two black Labs (Sammy and Sascha) and a mini Doxie (Trooper).
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you travel?
I’ve been very lucky in my life. My parents loved to travel and they gave me the bug. I’ve had the good fortune to travel to every place I have wanted to see. There are places we love to return to like England, France and Malta.
What was your first car?
1959 Renault Dauphin, 3-speed that topped out at 45 mph, it was baby blue with white shag carpeting to cover the holes in the floorboardsJ
Do you have a favorite beverage that you drink when you write?
Water and tea but as soon as I quit for the day, I’m up for red wine and/or Johnnie Walker.
What genre of books do you enjoy reading? Do you have a favorite author?
I like Bernard Cornwell and historical fiction. I enjoy historical romances and a few paranormal books, I also like a good cop story like Wambaugh’s or Mike Connelly’s or Sandford’s. I especially like Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Tales Series and his Thomas, the Archer series, any of Julie Anne Long’s Penny-Royal Greene Series, Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton Series, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander.
Please tell us 5 miscellaneous facts about yourself.
I can’t stand Sushi or gin
Fast moving, steep escalators like some in London Tube stations freak me out, I white-knuckle it the entire time I’m on them.
I am the worst disciplinarian when it comes to my dogs
I have no sense of direction. I can get lost in a phone booth. When we travel, I do the driving and my husband does the navigating.
I’m an only child who spent many hours watching old movies and reading growing up.
Please share with us your future projects and upcoming releases.
I’m currently finishing book four in my Knights in Time series. It’s called In Time For You and will be up for pre-sale during the holidays and release in early January, 2016. After that I will be writing the sequel to my current book, Silk, which is my Bloodstone series, a Victorian detective series based on my Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone.
Please share any links you would like listed in the Interview. Website, Myspace, blog, facebook, yahoo group etc.
http://chriskarlsen.com/
https://www.facebook.com/chriskarlsenwriter?ref=tn_tnmn
https://www.pinterest.com/chriskarlsen/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4822048.Chris_Karlsen
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005HYTQQI
https://share.eliteemail.net/Fabulous5/SocialShareSpecificEmail?cid=e228828d-3e60-450d-af81-8899ff47cb04
chriskarlsenwriter@gmail.com
For Buying my books:
Silk: http://www.amazon.com/Silk-Bloodstone-Book-Chris-Karlsen-ebook/dp/B00QSTM578/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Knights in Time: http://www.amazon.com/Knights-Time-Boxed-Chris-Karlsen-ebook/dp/B00NDE3GM4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443213931&sr=1-1&keywords=knights+in+time
Heroes Live Forever: http://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Live-Forever-Knights-Time-ebook/dp/B004WPW29G/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443213965&sr=1-1&keywords=heroes+live+forever
Journey in Time: http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Time-Knights-Book-ebook/dp/B005KP18XS/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1BRBX4PPYJCM7B92Q13E&dpID=510NyUa0URL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_
Knight Blindness: http://www.amazon.com/Knight-Blindness-Knights-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B00E2QS488/ref=pd_sim_351_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0YS3QYSHAC3RTTNE0BDV&dpID=51itZanTuyL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_
I currently write in two; historical/time travel romance and historical suspense.
Historical Romances: Heroes Live Forever, Journey in Time, and Knight Blindness.
Historical Suspense: Silk
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Considering I do write a romance series, you’d think I’d find writing love scenes a breeze but I struggle with them. I work hard to make them sensual without being overly graphic in a mechanical way or using graphic language that I don’t personally find sexy. Those scenes seem to take me forever to get right.
What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?
I hope the reader actually felt they were on the journey with the hero and heroine. I want them to feel they were in the room with the characters and laughed and cried along with them. I’d like the readers to want to hold onto the characters and not want to say goodbye.
I also love to recreate historical settings. I hope that when I write a medieval scene or have a character strolling through Victorian London that the reader is sharing that time and place with the character. I want them to feel the environment through all their senses as if they’re there too.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
No. I just want them to enjoy the story.
How long have you been a writer?
Twelve years
What other careers have you had?
I had a ton of part-time jobs in college: as needed telephone operator for LA County, car rental agent, mail girl in a law firm. After that I worked as a grocery checker for a short time before becoming a police officer. I spent 25 years in law enforcement and retired as a police detective.
Are any of your characters based on real people or events?
I have two books in a romantic thriller series I wrote a few years back. The first book in that series, Golden Chariot was based on the actual recovery of the Uluburun shipwreck in Turkey. I admit, for the sake of pacing, I did take quite a few literary liberties with how long the true recovery took.
In my historical romances, I base the connection my heroes have with each other using the Battle of Poitiers (September, 1356). All were warrior knights in that battle. Three are friends of Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince.
My Detective Inspector in Silk, the historical suspense, is a veteran of the Zulu Wars of 1879. He is the recipient of a Victoria Cross based on his actions at the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, a battle that actually occurred.
What books or authors have most influenced your life?
I wouldn’t say any one book or author influenced my life but reading in general influenced me by expanding my imagination.
How do your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?
My husband is proud and supportive. He is one of the last of my beta readers before I turn my manuscript in to the publisher. He has a great eye for pacing and detail. My parents were always very encouraging and I wish my late father could’ve seen my first book published. My mother is another beta reader of mine and is an honest critic.
Where are you from?
I’m from Chicago, born and raised.
How do you come up with the titles?
I toy with different phrases and try to pull something from the book. For example, my latest book, Silk, I used that title as the killer always strangles his victims with a red silk scarf. My first book, Heroes Live Forever, I used a line from a Cher song that fit the hero as there is a paranormal element to the story.
Do you work on one project at a time? Or do you multi-task?
I multi-task only in that I write one story at a time but will be doing research on the next while I’m at it.
Here are some questions just for fun. Answer as many as you would like.
What kind of kid were you in school? Which social path did you take?
I was an honor student. I wasn’t a good athlete and not much of a joiner. I’d describe myself as socially invisible. I didn’t go to the prom or any dances. As soon as I could, I got a work permit and worked at the local theatre at night in the box office where I could do my homework when we weren’t busy. I also got to see all the movies for free, which I loved.
Which food could you not live without?
Torn between butter and potatoes. I never met a potato I didn’t likeJ
Do you have any pets?
I grew up with dogs. We have four rescues; a red Dobie (Rita), two black Labs (Sammy and Sascha) and a mini Doxie (Trooper).
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you travel?
I’ve been very lucky in my life. My parents loved to travel and they gave me the bug. I’ve had the good fortune to travel to every place I have wanted to see. There are places we love to return to like England, France and Malta.
What was your first car?
1959 Renault Dauphin, 3-speed that topped out at 45 mph, it was baby blue with white shag carpeting to cover the holes in the floorboardsJ
Do you have a favorite beverage that you drink when you write?
Water and tea but as soon as I quit for the day, I’m up for red wine and/or Johnnie Walker.
What genre of books do you enjoy reading? Do you have a favorite author?
I like Bernard Cornwell and historical fiction. I enjoy historical romances and a few paranormal books, I also like a good cop story like Wambaugh’s or Mike Connelly’s or Sandford’s. I especially like Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Tales Series and his Thomas, the Archer series, any of Julie Anne Long’s Penny-Royal Greene Series, Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton Series, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander.
Please tell us 5 miscellaneous facts about yourself.
I can’t stand Sushi or gin
Fast moving, steep escalators like some in London Tube stations freak me out, I white-knuckle it the entire time I’m on them.
I am the worst disciplinarian when it comes to my dogs
I have no sense of direction. I can get lost in a phone booth. When we travel, I do the driving and my husband does the navigating.
I’m an only child who spent many hours watching old movies and reading growing up.
Please share with us your future projects and upcoming releases.
I’m currently finishing book four in my Knights in Time series. It’s called In Time For You and will be up for pre-sale during the holidays and release in early January, 2016. After that I will be writing the sequel to my current book, Silk, which is my Bloodstone series, a Victorian detective series based on my Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone.
Please share any links you would like listed in the Interview. Website, Myspace, blog, facebook, yahoo group etc.
http://chriskarlsen.com/
https://www.facebook.com/chriskarlsenwriter?ref=tn_tnmn
https://www.pinterest.com/chriskarlsen/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4822048.Chris_Karlsen
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005HYTQQI
https://share.eliteemail.net/Fabulous5/SocialShareSpecificEmail?cid=e228828d-3e60-450d-af81-8899ff47cb04
chriskarlsenwriter@gmail.com
For Buying my books:
Silk: http://www.amazon.com/Silk-Bloodstone-Book-Chris-Karlsen-ebook/dp/B00QSTM578/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Knights in Time: http://www.amazon.com/Knights-Time-Boxed-Chris-Karlsen-ebook/dp/B00NDE3GM4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443213931&sr=1-1&keywords=knights+in+time
Heroes Live Forever: http://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Live-Forever-Knights-Time-ebook/dp/B004WPW29G/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443213965&sr=1-1&keywords=heroes+live+forever
Journey in Time: http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Time-Knights-Book-ebook/dp/B005KP18XS/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1BRBX4PPYJCM7B92Q13E&dpID=510NyUa0URL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_
Knight Blindness: http://www.amazon.com/Knight-Blindness-Knights-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B00E2QS488/ref=pd_sim_351_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0YS3QYSHAC3RTTNE0BDV&dpID=51itZanTuyL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_
Silk on the skin—luxurious, luscious..lethal.
London-Fall, 1888
The city is in a panic as Jack the Ripper continues his murderous spree. While the Whitechapel police struggle to find him, Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone and his partner are working feverishly to find their own serial killer. The British Museum's beautiful gardens have become a killing ground for young women strangled as they stroll through.
Their investigation has them brushing up against Viscount Everhard, a powerful member of the House of Lords, and a friend to Queen Victoria. When the circumstantial evidence points to him as a suspect, Rudyard must deal with the political blowback, and knows if they are going to go after the viscount, they'd better be right and have proof.
As the body count grows and the public clamor for the detectives to do more, inter-department rivalries complicate the already difficult case.
London-Fall, 1888
The city is in a panic as Jack the Ripper continues his murderous spree. While the Whitechapel police struggle to find him, Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone and his partner are working feverishly to find their own serial killer. The British Museum's beautiful gardens have become a killing ground for young women strangled as they stroll through.
Their investigation has them brushing up against Viscount Everhard, a powerful member of the House of Lords, and a friend to Queen Victoria. When the circumstantial evidence points to him as a suspect, Rudyard must deal with the political blowback, and knows if they are going to go after the viscount, they'd better be right and have proof.
As the body count grows and the public clamor for the detectives to do more, inter-department rivalries complicate the already difficult case.
Silk (excerpt)
Events of the day and the potential satisfaction of giving Napier a bloody nose dwindled. Questions about the murder crept back into Ruddy's thoughts. Morris joined him at his table in the rear of the pub with a Guinness, the popular beer of choice in hand. “You’ve got the look of a man whose thoughts are a long distance from London.”
“No, sadly my thoughts are fixed here in the city. I’m trying to figure out a clue. Ellis’s roommate said she’d sometimes meet with a well-dressed man, a man of means the victim indicated. They’d meet up at the fountain by the British Museum.”
“Don’t know the spot but then the museum isn’t my cup of tea.”
“Not the point. I’m saying it’s odd. What member of the upper class chooses to stroll through a public garden other than Hyde or Regents, where they can see and be seen by one of their own?”
“I agree the wealthy prefer the parks filled with others of their kind but it doesn’t mean a man can’t enjoy someplace different.”
“We interviewed the guard again. The one that discovered the body walks that half of the building. He told us the majority of their male patrons are natty dressers, but he never saw a man like that loitering by the fountain.”
“My guess is: the man is married and can’t afford to run the risk of being seen by a friend of his wife’s. Or, he might live or work in the area and the spot is convenient.”
“Or, he’s a murderer who’s noticed the victim walking through the park on a regular basis, saw it as an opportunity and cozied up to her.”
Ruddy took another swallow of his ale, mentally debating the merit of each theory. “I don’t think he lives in the area. If so, he’d have cut through the park more and been seen by the guards. Not sure about the married man having a tryst idea."
To Ruddy's way of thinking, if the man was married and looking for a tumble, he’d have met her someplace other than the gardens and at a better hour.
Instinct drew him back to his original sense of the culprit and crime. “I feel like this was a crime of opportunity. I’ve thought it all along and can’t shake the sense.”
“If he was just seeking a victim, then why haven’t you had more murders like this?” Morris asked.
Ruddy downed the rest of his beer and put his tankard on the edge of the table where June would refill it. “Everyone has to start somewhere. She might be number one.”
Events of the day and the potential satisfaction of giving Napier a bloody nose dwindled. Questions about the murder crept back into Ruddy's thoughts. Morris joined him at his table in the rear of the pub with a Guinness, the popular beer of choice in hand. “You’ve got the look of a man whose thoughts are a long distance from London.”
“No, sadly my thoughts are fixed here in the city. I’m trying to figure out a clue. Ellis’s roommate said she’d sometimes meet with a well-dressed man, a man of means the victim indicated. They’d meet up at the fountain by the British Museum.”
“Don’t know the spot but then the museum isn’t my cup of tea.”
“Not the point. I’m saying it’s odd. What member of the upper class chooses to stroll through a public garden other than Hyde or Regents, where they can see and be seen by one of their own?”
“I agree the wealthy prefer the parks filled with others of their kind but it doesn’t mean a man can’t enjoy someplace different.”
“We interviewed the guard again. The one that discovered the body walks that half of the building. He told us the majority of their male patrons are natty dressers, but he never saw a man like that loitering by the fountain.”
“My guess is: the man is married and can’t afford to run the risk of being seen by a friend of his wife’s. Or, he might live or work in the area and the spot is convenient.”
“Or, he’s a murderer who’s noticed the victim walking through the park on a regular basis, saw it as an opportunity and cozied up to her.”
Ruddy took another swallow of his ale, mentally debating the merit of each theory. “I don’t think he lives in the area. If so, he’d have cut through the park more and been seen by the guards. Not sure about the married man having a tryst idea."
To Ruddy's way of thinking, if the man was married and looking for a tumble, he’d have met her someplace other than the gardens and at a better hour.
Instinct drew him back to his original sense of the culprit and crime. “I feel like this was a crime of opportunity. I’ve thought it all along and can’t shake the sense.”
“If he was just seeking a victim, then why haven’t you had more murders like this?” Morris asked.
Ruddy downed the rest of his beer and put his tankard on the edge of the table where June would refill it. “Everyone has to start somewhere. She might be number one.”
