Interview with Nichole Christoff
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, I’m Nichole Christoff, a writer, broadcaster, and military spouse. I’ve worked on-air and behind the scenes in radio, television news, and the public relations industry all over the U.S. and Canada, but now I have tons of fun making up stories of my own. When I’m not writing, I’m often out to dinner with my husband or out in the woods with my ornery English Pointer. I love Twitter and you can connect with me as @NicChristoff, or hang-out at my website, www.nicholechristoff.com.
Tell us about your most recent book.
Sure! THE KILL BOX is the third novel in the Jamie Sinclair series, but if you haven’t read the first two, that’s fine because everything is all new for Jamie in this book, too. She’s a private-eye-turned-security-specialist who can go toe-to-toe with the tough guys, but she’s got a softer side as well, and it’s this softer side that often gets her into trouble.
In fact, Jamie’s softer side has her planning to be off the clock and on the road to wine country with her would-be boyfriend, handsome military police officer Adam Barrett. But when a strung-out soldier takes an innocent woman hostage and forces his way into Jamie’s bedroom, everything changes. Jamie’s never seen the soldier before. But he’s no stranger to Barrett—and with one word he persuades Barrett to pack a duffel and leave Jamie in the lurch.
Jamie can’t fathom why Barrett would abandon her without explanation, but as the consequences of an unsolved crime threaten to catch up with him, a late-night phone call sends Jamie racing to Barrett’s hometown in upstate New York. In a tinderbox of shattered trust and long-buried secrets, Jamie must fight to uncover the truth about what really occurred one terrible night twenty years ago. And the secrets she discovers deep in Barrett’s past not only threaten their future together—they just might get her killed.
Who is the villain or antagonist in your story and what is he/she like?
The villain in THE KILL BOX has been able to lie low for far too long. When Barrett returns to the small town where he grew up, and Jamie arrives to bail him out of trouble, the two accidentally set events in motion that could expose everything this villain’s been hiding for years. But it’s Jamie’s determination that makes the villain decide she’s the threat that’s got to go–one way or another.
Is there any respect between this character and the hero/heroine of your story?
Respect, in many ways, is at the heart of the conflict in THE KILL BOX. This villain feels disrespected and isn’t going to take it anymore. For her part, Jamie develops a healthy respect for the villain. She’s seen what this villain is capable of, and she knows underestimating her opponent could have serious consequences for her and for others.
What was the most difficult part of writing about this character?
This character really views hurting other people as a means to making an enemy suffer, and I just don’t think like that. But this character is likeable, too. In fact, for the longest time, Jamie doesn’t realize just how dangerous this person is. And writing about that likability was eerily easy.
What kind of antagonist is your favorite?
I love an antagonist who thinks he or she has a good reason for what they do. Now, that reason might be bent, but that kind of twisted logic is fascinating. And usually, as a reader, I can’t argue with it! But, boy, I always hope the protagonist will find a way to stop an antagonist like that.
Who is one of your favorite fictional villains (can be from a book, movie or television)?
The villain that makes me shiver all the way down to my socks is in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, but it isn’t Voldemort. It’s Dolores Umbridge. She isn’t willing to open her eyes to the larger forces at work in her world, like the fact that Voldemort with his powerful abilities and evil intent really has returned. She’s steadfastly blind to that. But she still does evil because she believes the cause of the Ministry is right. She’s perfectly willing to abuse Harry, shame Professor Trelawney, enslave other magical creatures, and worse because, to her, committing evil acts is worth what the world will supposedly gain when magical folk take their so-called rightful place. Unfortunately, there really are people like this. They hurt others in the name of their cause. And I find that chilling.
To you, how important is a good antagonist?
Oh, a good antagonist is everything! Without a good antagonist, a protagonist is nothing. The protagonist can’t stand for anything without an antagonist to stand against. In many ways, the antagonist and what he does defines the world of the story. Without an antagonist, my protagonist, Jamie Sinclair, would have nowhere to go, nothing to fight for, no values, and no personality to speak of.
What is one of your favorite paranormal creatures and why?
I love all kinds of shifters. Werewolves in particular are so intriguing!
About the Book
Title: The Kill Box (A Jamie Sinclair Novel)
Author: Nichole Christoff
Genre: Thriller / Mystery
In an intense thriller that’s perfect for fans of Lee Child or Lisa Gardner, security specialist and PI Jamie Sinclair tackles a cold case that could cost her the one person who means the most to her.
Hardworking Jamie Sinclair can’t wait for the weekend. She plans to be off the clock and on the road to wine country with handsome military police officer Adam Barrett. But when a strung-out soldier takes an innocent woman hostage and forces his way into Jamie’s bedroom, everything changes. Jamie’s never seen the soldier before. But he’s no stranger to Barrett—and with one word he persuades Barrett to pack a duffel and leave Jamie in the lurch.
Jamie cannot fathom why Barrett would abandon her without explanation. But as the consequences of an unsolved crime threaten to catch up with him, a late-night phone call sends Jamie racing to Barrett’s hometown in upstate New York. In a tinderbox of shattered trust and long-buried secrets, Jamie must fight to uncover the truth about what really occurred one terrible night twenty years ago. And the secrets she discovers deep in Barrett’s past not only threaten their future together—they just might get her killed.
Author Bio
Nichole Christoff is a writer, broadcaster, and military spouse who has worked on air and behind the scenes producing and promoting content for radio, television news, and the public relations industry across the United States and Canada.
Nic’s first manuscript won the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart®. Her second won the Helen McCloy-Mystery Writers of America Scholarship. Nic has also been named as a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense and Killer Nashville’s Claymore Dagger.
Nic has sipped champagne at the birthday celebration of His Majesty, the King of Thailand, played party games at the residence of the British High Commissioner, and learned to make sushi from the chef to His Excellency, the Ambassador of Japan. When she isn’t penning her latest novel, Nic teaches Creative Writing at a small, private university.
Her debut thriller, The Kill List: A Jamie Sinclair Novel, was a December 2, 2014 release from Random House’s Alibi.
- Website: http://www.nicholechristoff.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicchristoff
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicholeChristoff
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8393402.Nichole_Christoff
Links
Penguin Random House: Penguin Random House
Goodreads: Goodreads
Amazon: Amazon
B&N: B&N
Books-a-Million: Books-a-Million
Google Play Store: Google Play Store
iBooks: iBooks
Kobo: Kobo