Astri Ingebrigtsen has no time for romance. A member of an elite team of trollhunters, tasked with controlling and concealing the troll population, her days are too full to focus on anything else, so filled with nightmarish brutality that her nights have become dreamless. So when hot researcher Kai joins the crew to help them in their latest job, hunting a mountain troll, Astri ignores the chemistry between them—something her jealous teammate Micke fails to do. Astri knew Micke was a jerk, but even she never expected him to send Kai up into the mountains alone to face the troll, unaware that she was asleep in the trailer. Now, trapped in the mountains with a destroyed car, she and Kai need to work together to confront the creature, and their bond grows—but even if they get out alive, can Astri trust Kai with her heart?
TANITH DAVENPORT
Give us the one to two sentence tagline for your book.
Every day she faces nightmares. He just wants her to dream.
What is your favorite scene/moment in your book?
The scene where Astri and Kai face off against a troll together.
Does your heroine prefer a real or artificial tree for Christmas?
Real. Astri doesn’t do artificial.
What’s the one present your hero least wants to open Christmas morning?
Probably a weapon of some kind. He’s more of a thinker than a doer.
Would your hero hang mistletoe?
Absolutely.
What scene did you adore writing in this book?
The first time the team demonstrate fighting a troll – it was great to choreograph.
What is your heroine’s favorite Christmas tradition?
Carol singing outdoors. She likes to get outside with people.
Does your hero love or hate snow?
Hates it, but he’s learning to live with it.
For Christmas, will you be having turkey, goose, ham, prime rib, or something else?
We always have duck. Turkey leaves too many leftovers.
What’s the strangest Christmas tradition your family does to celebrate?
I don’t know about strange, but we always go to the working men’s club for drinks before dinner.
EXCERPT
IN THE HALLS OF THE
MOUNTAIN TROLL
The second car pulled in behind them as they were unloading. Astri bit back laughter at the expression on Kai’s face as he eyed all the equipment—weapons, firearms, ropes, a giant syringe. His expression of amazement changed to shock as his eyes rested on Micke, who had hefted a sledgehammer and was looking back at him threateningly.
“All set?” Otto asked, appearing from behind the Jeep with a rolled-up map. “We need to get up to the top and then we can set up a trap for it.”
Astri slung her rifle over her shoulder and gave a brief nod, setting off behind Lise, whose crossbow hung below her blonde plait in a Robin Hood-esque fashion.
They were halfway up the hillside when they heard it.
A roar.
Astri froze, her hand automatically clutching her gun strap. Ahead the path faded into tufted grass studded with rocks. Fifty meters farther was the tree line that Otto’s map had shown shielded a clearing. It would have been the perfect spot for a base camp and to set up a trap.
But it sounded like the forest-breed had gotten there ahead of them.
She turned to face Otto, who was watching the trees, eyes narrowed in thought.
“Change of plan. We’ll engage with him in the clearing.” With swift movements he unhooked the syringe from his backpack. “Lise, take out his eyes so Astri can inject him. That should bring him down quickly.”
Lise nodded, swinging her crossbow round to the front. “No problem.”
I first started writing seriously when my tutor on a creative writing course pointed me towards the Romantic Novelists’ Association and their New Writers’ Scheme. Thanks to them, my debut novel “The Hand He Dealt” was accepted by Total-e-Bound in 2011 and was nominated for the Joan Hessayon Award for 2012. I haven’t stopped writing since.
Last year my short “Spiritwalker” was released as part of the “Some Like It Haunted” collection by Totally Bound. This year I’m working on two new shorts plus the upcoming release of my back collection as audiobooks.
When I’m not writing, I love to read historical fiction and non-fiction as well as anything paranormal. I love to sing, watch horror movies and go to rock concerts. I also have two cats who like to hide all day and then destroy the house at night.
Ellen Mint Books 