Aloha to Kristine Grayson and CHARMING BLUE

My mother wears a pair of polarized sunglasses that filter sunlight - the result is true colors.   She calls them "magic glasses" and we all tried them during our weekend visit to Kauai.   Sometimes we all need "magic glasses" to see true colors (ala Cindy Lauper's heartfelt song).  

Enter fairy tales ... and nobody does fairy tales like Kristine Grayson!   Kristine is celebrating the release of CHARMING BLUE:

Welcome to the fractious fairy tale world of Kristine Grayson, where the bumpy road to happily ever after is paved with surprises...

He lived through ages with the curse of attracting women...who end up dead...

One upon a time, he was the most handsome of princes, destined for great things. But now he's a lonely legend, hobbled by a dark history. With too many dead in his wake, Bluebeard escapes the only way he knows how—through the evil spell of alcohol. But it's a far different kind of spell that's been ruining his life for centuries.

How will she survive this killer Prince Charming?

Jodi Walters is a fixer, someone who can put magic back in order. She's the best in Hollywood at her game. But Blue has a problem she's never encountered before—and worse, she finds herself perilously attracted to him.

Magic stone at the Kaneaki Heiau (temple)

Kim:  We are nosy here at SOS Aloha—what is your favorite sight, sound, and smell of where you live?

Kristine:  I live near the Pacific Ocean. I love the full moon across the water, the sound of the waves pounding on the surf, and the salty smell late at night. 

The Pacific Ocean at Ka'ena Point

Kim:  Who helped you on the path to publishing? 

Kristine:  My sister, Sandra Hofsommer, encouraged me from the moment I could talk. Two high school teachers, Daniel Hodnick and Virginia Kruse, believed in me more than I believed in myself. Kevin J. Anderson, whom I met in college, showed me how to do more than I can say. Algis Budrys introduced me to my husband, Dean Wesley Smith, who has been my constant companion, main support, and first reader for more than 25 years. 

Here's are Hawaiian God Mothers .... 

Kim:  What was your favorite fairy tale as a child? Has that changed as an adult? 

Kristine:  I had two favorite fairy tales as a child. I loved Cinderella and I loved The Little Mermaid (long before the Disney movie). Cinderella was the perfect fantasy, I thought. I loved not just the rescue part of the fantasy but the clothes and the magic as well. The Little Mermaid appealed to a different side of me, one who saw the world through eyes already familiar with loss.

The Little Mermaid is still a favorite, but I see the message of Cinderella as a pernicious one. Still, I watch all the Cinderella movies, so it’s still back there as a favorite story, lurking, waiting to catch me unawares. 

... and a Hawaiian hero, charmed by the blue sea!

Kim:  Tell us about The Charming Series and CHARMING BLUE—what inspired it?

Kristine:  The Charming Series wasn’t a series when I started. It came from a short story called “The Strangeness of the Day” that I wrote under my real name, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and it was yet another example of the wacky way I saw the world. My husband urged me to write the novel, which became Utterly Charming. Later, I wrote a short story called “The Charming Way,” equally wacky that so angered the male editors of the anthology I was invited into that they rejected it. My husband again urged me to write the novel, which became Wickedly Charming. I sold that novel to Sourcebooks, which reissued both Utterly Charming and Thoroughly Kissed, and suddenly I had a series. 

When I wrote Wickedly Charming, the broken-down character of Bluebeard threatened to hijack the book. I knew from the moment he walked on stage that I needed to write his story. I also knew he was a Charming, just a very damaged one. I had to find him a heroine worthy of him, one who could stand up to him and his baggage, which includes a history that even he believes. Tough choices, but a lot of fun to write. 

Kim:  What’s next for Kristine Grayson? 

Kristine:  There’s so much it’s hard to tell you all of it. I’m finishing the stories of the Interim Fates. If you read my Fates trilogy, Simply Irresistible, Absolutely Captivated, and Totally Spellbound (available through WMG Publishing), you know the Interim Fates, three teenage girls in over their heads. That series is Middle Grade, and has four books. The first, Tiffany Tumbles, will be out next year.

There’s also the Santa series. The first in that is out now. It’s called Up On The Rooftop. If I have time, I might get another out before this Christmas. Otherwise, it’ll be ready by next Christmas.

And then, of course, there are more Charmings. The next is Rapunzel’s Charming, and Rapunzel herself. No title yet, but there’s quite a surprise in the center of it all. That should be out in mid-2013.

Finally, there’s a cozy/fantasy mystery series that I’m finishing, also in the Charming world. You see, something’s been going wrong with some of the heroines, like Cinderella, and Gussie (whom readers met in Wickedly Charming) is going to figure out what’s going on.

As you can see, I have more than enough to keep me busy.   Thanks for asking me onto the blog! 

Mahalo, Kristine, for joining us!  In honor of "true colors" (and magic glasses), I am giving away a Kauai 2012 Calendar that will utterly charm you!  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about colors - what is your favorite?

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, September 8, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 9.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Kristine and her books, check out her social media:

Twitter: @KristineRusch

Facebook: Kristine Grayson page
Website: www.kristinegrayson.com

Barking Sands ... a place for fairy tales!