Author Interview - Ingrid Paulson & Giveaway

Today, I am delighted to be sharing my interview with the fabulous Ingrid Paulson, author of the standalone novel Valkyrie Rising, which I recently added to my favorites shelf! The book blew me away with the intense action, the sizzling-beneath-the-surface and ever-present chemistry between Ellie and Tuck, and the depth with which Ingrid explores the characters. Not the mention the gorgeous scenery of Norway.

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.

What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

Interview with Ingrid Paulson

Tell us a little about yourself and how you became a writer.
I Iove this question since it means you think I’m a writer! It still feels incredibly surreal that my story is printed in an actual book—with pages and a cover and everything! I’ve always loved reading but never imagined I’d write a book. I’ve been a compulsive journaler since I was around 10. That includes short stories--and when I was younger some really abysmal fan faction and poetry. I do a lot of writing for my day job—but all science stuff. So, it was actually a surprise for me when I sat down and started writing a novel—and it took me a little while to figure out that’s what I was doing. I started by sort of tinkering with a scene that kept growing longer and longer. But once I admitted to myself I wanted to write a book, I couldn’t stop.

I am obsessed with Norse mythology and love how it plays a role in Valkyrie Rising. How did you come up with the idea for your novel?
I came up with the idea while traveling around Norway with my grandmother, aunt, and cousin. I love Norway. At the time of our trip, I was working on revising my first novel—the one I’m talking about in your previous question—but a instead new story grabbed of me. I wanted to write something set in Norway, and I wanted it to be about a girl who starts off meek, but comes into her own. And of course there had to be Valkyries! The book sort of grew from there.

I am so glad that you decided to follow through with this idea because I am in love with the Valkyries (as in I want to be sisters with them) and the gorgeous Norway setting. The Valkyries play a major role in this book, both in starting up the plot and in their roles as thinking, animate beings. What kind of research did you do in preparation for the novel?
I knew the basics of Norse mythology because my family is of Norwegian descent and has tons of Norway pride. But I did some additional research, but mostly googling and skimming through snippets of books at the library.

Ellie's grandmother lives in Norway, and your "about" mentions that your grandmother might be a valkyrie. Did you draw upon any of your own experiences for the story as well?
Definitely! My grandmother is one tough lady, and we’re very close. So I definitely thought about our relationship and how conscious my grandmother is of family legacy. She is always handing down stories from her past and dispensing her wisdom. I also drew on my travel experiences, combining my more recent trip to Norway with one I took at age seventeen (when I did things like sneak into the nightclub next to our hotel)…Grandma, you didn’t read that.

It's neat how you have teenage experiences to draw upon. It's something we can all relate to (doing things we don't want grandma knowing). Ellie goes through a lot what with her world changing around her, boys going missing, and an ancient power awakening within her. What were some of the challenges creating her character?
It’s not specific to Ellie—but I think the hardest part of creating any character is having them do things you wouldn’t do. While you’re yelling at your computer or rolling your eyes. But often those actions are what drive the character’s story and help them to grow. I struggle with this because I love my characters and I want to keep them safe and happy. But that would be a pretty boring book.

So true. As a fellow girl, I wanted Ellie to be safe and happy, but it is the challenges she goes through that makes her the character I admire. Being attracted to your brother's best friend can complicate a relationship. How did you go about forming the connection between Ellie and Tuck and the dynamics in their relationship?
Tucker was the character who formed first in my mind—I had too much fun writing his lines. And I wanted him to be the character who brings out the strong side of Ellie from the beginning. That was the kernal of my idea, but when I write those two interacting, they sort of take over…crazy as that sounds…

Their banter was one of my favorite parts of the book. I'm positive that I was giggling and smiling all sorts of silliness reading about them! What part of the novel did you enjoy writing about the most?
This is going to give you the total wrong impression of me—I’m a very nonviolent person—but I loved writing the fight scenes. Maybe it’s because I’m such a wimp. I also have a huge soft spot for Astrid, so I loved writing her scenes too. I kinda wanted to be her.

I like to think of myself as a non-violent person, but I really envied how naturally Ellie slipped into her role as a Valkyrie. Sometimes, a girl just wants to be as assured of herself like a Valkyrie. The boots were a nice touch there. What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working on a ghost story about a boy who’s killed during a high school prank and comes back for revenge. I’m also working on an ecothriller.

Ingrid's Website | Facebook | Twitter

Ingrid Paulson lives in San Francisco with her husband and daughter and enjoys long-distance running, eavesdropping, and watching science documentaries. She has always loved books and writing short stories, but was surprised one day to discover the story she was working on wasn't so short any more.

Giveaway

Ingrid has generously donated a signed copy of Valkyrie Rising.

She'll even personalize it for you!

Open internationally.

To enter, fill out the form below.

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