Kristina Stanley is the author of the Stone Mountain Mystery series. She’s spent fifteen years of her adult life living in remote areas, and her inspiration for writing comes from her lifestyle.

The Stone Mountain Mystery series takes place in an isolated ski resort tucked in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia. DESCENT, the first in the series, is all about winter in the moutains:

When Kalin Thompson is promoted to Director of Security at Stone Mountain Resort, she soon becomes entangled in the high-profile murder investigation of an up-and-coming Olympic-caliber skier. There are more suspects with motives than there are gates on the super-G course, and danger mounts with every turn.

Forest fires were a big concern this year in western Canada and the United States. The cost in lives, both human and wildlife, and in property is incalculable. While I write fiction, my fiction is influenced by real life events. And BLAZE, the second in the series is all about arson:

Instead of exchanging vows, Kalin Thompson spends her wedding day running from a forest fire near Stone Mountain Resort, and the pregnant friend trapped with her has just gone into labor. Meanwhile, Kalin’s fiancé, Ben Timlin, hangs from the rafters of a burning building, fighting for his life. Can the situation get any hotter?

Can you smell the burning plastic? Do you hear walls crashing to the ground? Are your eyes stinging? Is your skin sweating?

I think to a writer, every novel he/she creates has a special place in the heart. For me, BLAZE is a tribute to my friends who risk their lives as firefighters. I’ve seen them in action, watched them don their gear and stride fearlessly into a burning building.

Ideas come from many places, but the ones that spark interest for me are the ones that come from a time where I’ve experienced extreme emotions. The idea for BLAZE came from a night I was on call as the director of security at a resort. The fire department took care of the fire. My job was to take care of guests and staff, find them places to stay, instigate crowd control and have someone provide food and water to the firefighters.

The fire that night was not caused by arson, there was no villain, and the flames didn’t expand into a raging forest fire, but it was enough of an experience for me to start asking myself questions. What if the fire was caused by arson? Why would someone do that? How would it hurt Stone Mountain? Why would my protagonist, Kalin Thompson, care? And from there, the story materialized.

If you get a chance to read BLAZE, I hope you’re as excited by reading it as I was by writing it.

Kristina’s Bio:

Kristina Stanley is the author of the Stone Mountain Mystery Series. Her books have garnered the attention of prestigious crime writing organizations in Canada and England. Crime Writers of Canada nominated DESCENT for the Unhanged Arthur award. The Crime Writers’ Association nominated BLAZE for the Debut Dagger. She is published in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Voices from the Valleys Anthology.

Before writing her series, Kristina was the director of security, human resources and guest services at a resort in the depths of the British Columbian mountains. The job and lifestyle captured her heart, and she decided to write mysteries about life in an isolated resort. While writing the first four novels, she spent five years living aboard a sailboat in the US and the Bahamas.

Kristina’s books:

Voices from the Valleys: Stories & Poems about Life in BC’s Interior
http://www.amazon.com/Voices-Valleys-Stories-Poems-Interior-ebook/dp/B016C8YLFS/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Descent (A Stone Mountain Mystery Book 1)
http://www.amazon.com/Descent-Stone-Mountain-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B01053N6CA/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Blaze (A Stone Mountain Mystery Book 2)
http://www.amazon.com/Blaze-Stone-Mountain-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B015EOQJY2/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

I love to connect with people online. I can be found at:

www.KristinaStanley.com

Follow me on twitter, let me know you read this blog and I’ll follow you back. @StanleyKMS

Or comment on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KristinaStanley.Author