An interview with Kelley Armstrong, writer of the Nadia Stafford series

Kelley Armstrong is a prolific author who penned the popular Women of the Otherworld series, which was turned into the Bitten television series for the Syfy Channel. A #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, she’s also found another home for her muse by writing thriller fiction which includes the Nadia Stafford series and the newest in a time-travel mystery, A Rip Through Time.

I had the opportunity to interview Kelley about where she is now with her writing career and what she’d like to do in the future. We also spoke about the next book that will be released in her long line of titles.

1. You’re known for writing amazing fantasy/paranormal books. What made you decide to start writing crime fiction?

I started writing Exit Strategy way back in 2003.  I was done with the 3rd in my Otherworld series, but the release date on the 2nd one kept being pushed back, and the publisher hadn’t bought the 3rd yet.  I was getting very worried that my new career as an author was about to tank.  To calm me down, my agent suggested I write something different. Before I finished it, we sold the third Otherworld book, but I returned to Exit Strategy a few years later.

2. How did you get the idea for the Nadia Stafford series?

I wanted something with the same dark elements as my paranormal fiction, though, and I didn’t want the traditional detectives–police, PI, lawyers, amateur sleuths, etc. I decided on a criminal protagonist and the type that interested me the most was, naturally, the darkest one: a professional killer.

3.  You’ve woven suspense into all of your novels, but this series took things a little darker. Was it difficult for you to get into the mindset of killers that weren’t paranormal?

I should say yes, it’s very hard to get into a killer’s mindset, but no, it isn’t. I chalk it up to a vivid imagination. I can quite easily put myself into the shoes of people who aren’t like me at all, whether it’s a werewolf or a hired killer.

4. Wild Justice wrapped up the Nadia Stafford series, but you’ve written some novellas since then. Tell us about them.

I did write a couple of novellas that come after Wild Justice. There’s Double Play and then Perfect Victim, which contains a crossover character from my Rockton series. They’re available as individual novellas and together in one volume, which is roughly book-length.

5. Do you anticipate continuing to write in the crime/thriller genre for now, or is there another paranormal/fantasy series that’s just waiting to be written?

I actually switched to mystery/thrillers about five years ago. My Rockton series is wrapping up in February at seven books. I have a time-travel mystery series starting in May with A Rip Through Time. I’ve also written two standalone suspense novels—Wherever She Goes and Every Step She Takes—with two more on the way. I still write some fantasy-based stories, but I’m mostly writing thrillers these days.

Kelley’s next book, A Rip Through Time, which is set for release on May 31, 2022, is described as Outlander meets The Alienist. It mixes romance, mystery, and fantasy where a modern-day homicide detective finds herself in Victorian Scotland―in an unfamiliar body―with a killer on the loose.

To read the full book description and the first three chapters of A Rip Through Time, visit Kelley’s website. You can also pre-order your copy now. And look for a review of A Rip Through Time coming soon!