Granted, I always have a good time when I get to hang with fellow authors and with readers and friends, and that’s exactly what I got to do Friday night in Buda, TX.
Cathy Maxwell (not enough raves can I give this woman) organizes these fantastic reading salons, and I was lucky enough to be one of the authors invited this year. Located at the beautiful Assmemblage, this fantastic gallery in Buda, 50+ folks who preordered tickets came out to enjoy wine, cookies, and hear readings from the authors!
Donations and all book sales went to benefit the local YMCA and, in particular, Camp Goody, a new 85 acre location for YMCA camps, local swim meets, and more.
I joined authors Kharma Kelley, Teri Wilson, and Tessa Dare (oh what fabulous, aspirational company to keep) in reading short excerpts from our most recent books, and then spent time signing copies for folks and getting to say hello.
I apologize now for attendees about my ultra-fast, nervous reading style, and hoped you enjoyed the excerpt from The Rogue King. I was definitely the straight man in the group of ladies who had the room rolling with laughs (in a good way).
And if you’ve interacted on social media with me and I didn’t recognize you, I am sending you extra hugs. I’ve realized that most of us post book covers and memes and not images of ourselves. Lol. Mental note to go look at the tiny personal photo on Instagram before these events. 🙂
After the readings, I now have 3 more books (and a whole backlist) that I have to read, because I have to know what happens next. I also now know what I want to be when I grow up in romancelandia–any one of the authors part of this event.
What a night!
Thank you so much to Cathy and the ladies who own the Assemblage for such a fantastic event!
I find that between interviews, podcasts, and conversations with people who find out I’m a romance writer, that there are several common questions that invariably pop up in every one of these moments. Here are my top 10 most frequently asked questions (and answers).Â
What do you like to read?
First and foremost I’m a romance junky. I can read books without romance, but usually, I need a good love story to really lock me in. My favorites, of course, are the ones I write–contemporary romance, romantic comedy, and paranormal romance. However, I also get lost in just about every other genre of romance–historical, new adult, young adult, scifi, even erotic if done well. I also love books with history to them. I love learning about other cultures and/or other times. In the non-romance space, I also love science fiction, action/adventure, biographies, women’s fiction, mysteries, and some classics.
What is your typical day like? Â
All over the map. Hah! I work from home as a full-time author and mom, as well as running my own business, Authors On A Dime, to help other self-pub’d authors.
After I get the kids up, ready, and out the door, it’s walk the dog and then time to pick up the house, start laundry, etc. Then I spend several hours working on the latest book(s). I spend some time on social media for marketing purposes. Most days have Authors On A Dime stuff to do (run the business or work on projects–mostly book covers). I’m a VPA for Alyssa Day, so if she has anything for me, I also work on that. Kids get home and it’s activities for them (depending on the day) and homework. Then the night time stuff (dinner, downtime, bet time, etc.). My evenings are usually spent with my hubby in front of the TV binge watching shows, usually with my computer in my lap. While watching I work more on whatever didn’t get done that day, be it books, social media, or work. Phew!
Who or what inspired you to become an author?
I’m not sure there was any one point of inspiration. I’ve always been a writer. In 4th grade, I place second in a school essay contest. Maybe that gave me the bug to keep going. But there have always been stories in my head that wanted to come out.
When did you consider yourself to be a writer?
I’ve always considered myself a writer. I feel like I became an author the day a total stranger purchased a copy of Blue Violet, my first self-published novel.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I was 90% pantser / 10% plotter. These days it’s more a 50/50 split. I’m a plantser.
Its an evolving process for me. My first completed book, Blue Violet, was 100% pantser. In fact, I didn’t even write the scenes in order, but skipped around. I do a lot more preparing ahead of time these days, using bits and pieces from various workshops and theories I’ve tried over time. After some amount of preparation, I write the first draft, and my characters take that opportunity to tell me how to get from A to B (and sometimes B becomes C). The end book never looks exactly like what I plotted to start with.
How long does it take you to write a book?
I write a very fast first draft in 4-6 weeks depending on the length of the book. The first draft for me is my least favorite part of the process so I try to get it over with as quickly as possible. The first draft lays out the bare bones of the book and is usually about 80% of the story. Depending on deadlines and how I feel about the quality of the first draft, I spend another 2-6 weeks on subsequent drafts where I fill the blanks, adjust any issues, and add the spit and polish. I LOVE the drafting and editing phases where I really get to tweak and then perfect.
How do you come up with your ideas?
All over the place. Sometimes its dreams. I have very vivid dreams. Sometimes it’s being inspired by one particular aspect of a book or movie and taking that detail and making it into my own world. Mostly I think in scenes. I’ll picture a moment between two characters, or a situation my heroine might be stuck in, and I build from there. I find the more I write, the more ideas pop into my head. I keep a list now for when I’m between books (though that’s rare since I write series).
Is there anything based on real-life experiences? Or is it all imagination?
Most of it is pure imagination. There are little things I take from real life. Funny moments from one of my kids or my husband. Quirks of my own. Most often it’s my personal goofiness that ends up in stories. Ellie, my heroine in Blue Violet, especially. I’m told by friends that reading her is like reading me on the page.
What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?
I would LOVE to write historical romance, but I have very little patience for all the research involved (despite the fact that I minored in history in college). And I like multiple eras – Regency England, Ancient Rome, Middle Ages, Vikings, Wild West, WWII.
What is your favorite book(s) that you’ve written so far?
Lol. It’s always the one I just finished or just released. This is partly because I learn more with each book written, and so feel like each new one is better than the last. It’s not always true, because some books are harder and some easier than the others to write. At the moment, I’m writing my first book under this pen name, and having a blast with it, so Snowball’s Christmas is my favorite.
By the way, my answer on this is a little different for my other pen names. Check out the answers for Abigail Owen and Kadie Scott.Â
We all have one (or we should). A bucket list. That list of things we want to do/experience/accomplish before we kick the bucket.
I love the idea of a bucket list because it means that, right up to the end, you never stop trying new things or looking for new experiences. I was lucky enough to grow up with parents who loved to travel, to experience other cultures, to try new things, and encouraged us to do so as well. I’ve continued that practice into my adult life. As you can imagine, my bucket list is a long one.
I don’t number them or have them in any particular order though. And I should mention that travel is a huge part of my list. I’ve mentioned one below, but there’s also Australia/New Zealand, Austria, Holland, Iceland, Brazil, Egypt, Greece, the Galapagos, more time in Japan, Russia, and many many other places. Still, for fun, I tried to figure out my top 5.
TOP 5 BUCKET LIST
5. Photo Safari in Kenya
I’ve wanted to go to Africa and see those amazing animals and the beautiful (and varied) topography for ages. I’d love to experience some of the (safer) cultures and try the food and be out in the quiet of the plains or see the jungles. But especially those animals. I’ve seen them in zoos, but no way is that the same.
4. Find the Best Dessert Ever
Okay, so this is a weird one. But I LOVE dessert. I find the best one at every restaurant I visit. I figure, with all the traveling, I have many more to try, right? So far, the one to beat is the Triple Pot de Crème at Back Bistro in Folsom, CA. I’m actually not a creme brulee person, but this isn’t exactly creme brulee. It’s the creme part of vanilla custard then covered by a layer of caramel, and then dark chocolate ganache and sea salt. It is incredible.
3. Support Myself as an Author
I love my dream of being an author, I’ve crossed so many accomplishments and goals off my bucket list over the last 10 years. More than that, I am so, so lucky that I get to pursue it full time. For now. But I won’t be able to keep this up if I can’t make it contribute to my family. It doesn’t have to be huge. I’m not looking to be the next Nora Roberts or multi-million earning writer. But an income that contributes… it’s the only way I get to keep doing this. To me, this means continuing to work on my craft and keep publishing the best works I can, and pray that the luck side of this business comes my way.
2. Live in Estes Park, CO
I’ve wanted this as long as I can remember. Convincing my husband to retire there might take some work. Leaving friends to move would also be hard. It would be awesome if the lottery could strike and, boom, vacation home where we can stay a lot!
1. Meet My Great Grandkids
I want to live long enough to see my kids live through major life moments–prom, high school graduation, going to college, getting married, and having children. But I’m selfish. I want to see this for my grandkids too. And to meet my great grandkids. I got to know my great grandmother until I was 12. Hearing about and imagining her life, and knowing she touched mine, is one of my favorite life experiences. I’d love to have it again, on the other side.
Those are my top 5 (for now). What about you? What’s one your bucket list?
I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to announce I just signed a contract for sweet romance with Kensington! SNOWBALL’S CHRISTMAS, in which Snowball the kitten plays matchmaker to two humans during the holidays, has been signed to John Scognamiglio in a 2-book deal. The first book is aimed at an October 2020 release, so hang with me a bit for more info on the details.
This is my first contract with a top 5 publisher and the realization of a decade-long dream (longer if you look back at the 20 years of writing and dreaming before I finished my first book). After ten years in the industry, I know a contract doesn’t necessarily mean success, sales, or readership, or even longevity. But an editor at a top 5 read my submission and loved it enough to put work, time, and money into it. You better believe I’ll work my tail off for this opportunity, just like I have for every other opportunity I’ve had along the way! It’s a wonderful step to take and I can’t wait to see where this road takes me.
A huge thank you to Evan Marshall, my agent working on this contract, for all your hard work and believing in me.
For those who don’t know me, I am a romance author. I’ve been a romance reader since I was twelve, and an author since 2012. Seems kind of appropriate that on December 12th, I’d decide to start a new pen name and a new adventure.
I have always enjoyed every subgenre there is in romancelandia. Now I feel it’s time to try my hand at sweet contemporary romance. I am already an award-winning author in both contemporary romance, as Kadie Scott, and in paranormal romance, as Abigail Owen. Under both those names, my romances fall decidedly to the steamy side.
To make sure my readers are never uncertain about what they’ll get, I’ve decided to write sweet romance and possibly Amish and other inspirational romance under the name Kristen McKanagh.
Already I have some WIPs in progress. I hope you’ll check back for more information as I get things rolling!
I’ve always considered myself a writer. I feel like I became an author the day a total stranger purchased a copy of Blue Violet, my first self-published novel.
Lol. It’s always the one I just finished or just released. This is partly because I learn more with each book written, and so feel like each new one is better than the last. It’s not always true, because some books are harder and some easier than the others to write. At the moment, I’m writing my first book under this pen name, and having a blast with it, so Snowball’s Christmas is my favorite.
