Catch up with Karina Halle

The dark, dangerous and irresistible Javier, hero of Book One in the Dirty Angels Trilogy, was a character in The Artists Trilogy. What made you want to tell Javier’s story? We are so glad that you did!

I thought Javier was extremely misunderstood … both in a good way and a bad way. I wanted to tell his side of the story to put that to rest. I also have a great deal of affection for the crazy guy and wanted him to have his happy ending. Even bad guys deserve them (sometimes … the charming ones do, anyway!)

What inspired you to visit the drug cartels in Mexico for the Dirty Angels Trilogy?

I’ve done a lot of research on the cartels for The Artists Trilogy and I just found the drug cartel culture there so fascinating. Naturally as I wrote Dirty Angels, I researched it more. It’s unbelievably scary, real and compelling.

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend?

Off the top of my head it’s Edward Rochester from Jane Eyre, but there are many others. Tall, dark, brooding … sold!

Have you always wanted to be a writer? What do you love most about your job?

I’d always dreamed of writing in some capacity. I was researching for books when I was eleven years old, and though I would do detailed character bios and plot the hell out of stories, I’d always give up writing after a few chapters. Probably didn’t help it was longhand in a notebook. Later on I went to journalism school, screenwriting school, wrote for film and music mags, and eventually worked up to the fact that I could finish more than a few chapters. Not longhand, of course. My handwriting is terrible.

What I love most about my job is being able to enter any world I want and create something from practically nothing. That’s pretty cool. It’s living a million lives and getting paid to do so. And having people being positively affected by your work is pretty cool, too.

Do you have the most fun creating your heroes or your heroines?

I think I have the most fun creating both. It’s not a cop-out answer, it’s true. It honestly changes from book to book.

Do you have a favourite hero or heroine from your books or by any other author?

Jericho Barrons from Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series is a pretty awesome anti-hero, as is Warner from Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series. Oh, and Ronan from Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle series. And Roland from Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I obviously have a type. As for females, I love Fred (she’s a girl!) from L.H. Cosway’s Painted Faces or Nora from The Original Sinners. I love strong, funny females.

Who are the authors you read for pleasure?

Too many to remember or list! I read a lot of every genre. If it sounds interesting, I’ll read it, regardless of who the author is.

If you could take only three essentials with you to a desert island what would they be?

A solar powered laptop (so I can always write and therefore have something to read), tablets that convert salt water to drinking water, a Swiss Army Knife.

Who would be on your dream dinner party guest list, dead or alive?

It would literally just be a list of all the classic film stars – Gregory Peck, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, Cary Grant … I want them all there. That’s a world I need to write about one day.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Wine and online shopping. Usually together.

DIRTY ANGELS and DIRTY DEEDS, the first and second titles in the Dirty Angels series, are both out in ebook on 16th February!