Building Characters with Kai Strand and the cast of FINDING THOR

Today I'm thrilled to welcome my good friend Kai Strand as she celebrates the release of her new novel, Finding Thor. Take it away, Kai!

Hi. I’m Kai Strand, author of the young adult romantic suspense, FINDING THOR, which released today. Yay! I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to the main players in FINDING THOR. First let me share a little about the book:

Tragedy has left Cara Cassidy broken and the only thing keeping her from giving in completely is her guilt. Until Nik Rock.

Nik stirs up feelings in degrees she has never experienced, and causes her to do things that most assuredly give him the wrong impression – like kiss him before their first date. Somehow, he breaks down the walls around her emotions until she has no choice but to forgive herself and feel again.

But a mysterious, troubled past follows Nik, and Cara may prove to be his weakest link.

When a royal princess shows up looking for Nik, and an international gang arrives looking for missing jewels, Cara lands in mortal danger. Will she be able to save herself? What will happen to her newly repaired psyche if she loses Nik?

Romance, mystery, and high stakes – just another day in high school.

Now a little about the main characters, including a favorite quote that shows off their strength of character. (Ha ha, that sounds kind of punny!)

Cara Cassidy – High school sophomore. Recent tragedy in her life has left her emotionally broken. Everybody knows it. Even accepts it. She’s okay with that, because overcoming it would force her to face things she’s not ready to face. So she keeps to herself. Hangs out with her best friend, Kelly – who she couldn’t live without. Plods her way through the school year.

Then one fateful day she sees a boy in the park whose presence sends shivers down her spine. She runs, but as the saying goes—she can’t hide. He’s the new boy at school and he’s going to change her life forever.

Favorite “Cara” quote: “I don’t think we can always understand a person’s motivations. Sometimes the pains they feel are from the world they live in without us.”

Nik Rock – High school junior. New guy. Quiet. Controlled. A gentle giant. Until provoked. Mysterious circumstances surround his reasons for coming to town and Nik isn’t talking about them. He’s there for a reason and it has nothing to do with making new friends or finding a girlfriend.

But there is something about Cara that lures him to her. Though he doesn’t want to, he finds himself getting involved. By the time his past catches up to him, it’s too late for the both of them.

Favorite “Nik” quote: “Cara means beloved.” (or the one on my website – le sigh)

Kelly Spark – High school sophomore. Cara’s best friend and backbone. Cara often thinks of Kelly as an Amazon warrior. Kelly fights off Devon’s unwanted attention, shores Cara up when the world weighs heavy on her shoulders, and bursts in—lethal tongue a blazing—when Cara’s sanity is called into question.

As the mystery around Nik starts to unravel, Cara isn’t able to share any of it with Kelly and then the worst happens and Kelly becomes completely embroiled in it. Will Cara lose Kelly forever?

Favorite “Kelly” quote: “Kiss it.” (I feel I must explain that I really, really adore Kelly and pretty much everything she says makes me grin or snort, or makes my heart all mushy and soft.)

Devon – High school sophomore. Favorite food – salami. Favorite person – Cara. Favorite pastimes – finding new things to call Cara that include her name and finding ways to dodge Kelly Spark.

Favorite “Devon” quote: “I hear everything you say. I just ignore the teasing stuff.”

Romolio Rokolova – Twenty-five. Member of the Renlavian Royal Guard assigned to protect Princess Huihana.

Favorite “Romolio” quote: “But please, call me Rome.” (because…phew!)

Princess Huihana – Seventeen. Youngest of three royal children. Beautiful. Generous. Possibly (or perhaps impossibly) Cara’s direct competition.

Favorite “Hana” quote: “Did they drill a hole through your tongue or are you not happy to see me?

If you can’t tell, there is plenty of drama going on in the lives of Cara and Nik, add a few car chases, kidnappings, and torture by kitchen implements, and you get some non-stop, heart pumping action. You can pick up your copy of Finding Thor from any of these retailers:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Whiskey Creek Press
All Romance
BookStrand
Goodreads

Happy reading!

About the author:

When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for the younger ones, Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website, www.kaistrand.com.