I started out thinking writing was going to be a full-time career. It was my goal from the beginning. It just took me longer than I thought. Five years before I made enough to write without supplemental income.
How do you keep the writing fresh and create new characters that your readers can relate to after so many books?
That is definitely a challenge. TV and movies are an inspiration, reading other books. Anything can give you the kernel of an idea.
What drew you to write romantic/suspense/thrillers?
I love mysteries, any sort of suspenseful stories, plus I am a true romantic. I was one of the first to combine the two. Back then the publishers thought it couldn’t be done.
Many of your books include high action drama. What type of research do you do to make them believable?
I would say movies are a big help. You can watch the action scenes, then work to describe them. I do a lot of research on the military, Rangers, SEALs, Green Beret, Delta. That helps with credibility.
Can you share an “aha” moment when something surprised you in doing your story research?
I would say every book I have ever written has one of those moments. My last book, HAUNTED, was set in an old ghost town, a real place that still has restaurants and shops. I was shocked to learn that thousands of people had died in the town in the late 1800s, so many that after their bodies were cremated, the ashes were put in the cement that was used to make the sidewalks. When you walk down the sidewalks in Jerome, you are walking on dead people’s bodies. Amazing.
Since you and your husband are authors, do you critique each other’s books? Is there any rivalry between the two of you in regards to writing
We used to read each other’s books when we first started. That didn’t last long. Now we just give help if we are asked. Not much rivalry since our subjects as so much different.
Making money is the greatest encouragement. The more the publishers pay you, the more all the hard work is worthwhile. And of course readers who give you positive feedback.
What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
I wish I had been better at promotion. As your career progresses, it’s the difference in the level of your success.
What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Persistence is the key. If you want to be a successful writer, you have to persevere. You can’t give up no matter how gloomy it looks. Persistence is the key.
Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
Research is one of the keys to success. Give your readers some interesting details, like my dead people in the sidewalks, things that will keep them reading.
What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
My next book, THE UNSEEN, is the final book in my Ghost Trilogy that started with GHOST ILLUSION, followed by HAUNTED. In the new novel, set in St. Francisville, Louisiana, when a 150-year-old skeleton is discovered near the old Belle Reve mansion, frightening occurrences begin to happen in the house. The owner is in failing health, and the incidents are making her illness worse. Her niece, Nicole Belmond, begins to suspect something otherworldly is happening and solicits the help of handsome former priest, Lucas Devereaux, who has a reputation for being able to deal with such phenomena. Together, the two of them work to find the link between the mysterious bones and the terrifying events in the house that grow more ominous every day. It’s out September 30th.
That's all for today's interview. Hope you'll check out Kat's books. Lots of good choices.
That's all for today's interview. Hope you'll check out Kat's books. Lots of good choices.
