Kat Martin – Romantic Suspense Author Extraordinaire!
June 2, 2018 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as Kat Martin, new release, romantic suspense
New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. Currently residing in Missoula, Montana with her Western-author husband, L. J. Martin, Kat has written sixty-five Historical and Contemporary Romantic Suspense novels. More than sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Her last novel, Beyond Danger, hit #4 in Mass Market fiction on the Bookscan National Bestseller list.
Kat is currently at work on her next Romantic Suspense.
Several years ago I had the pleasure to meet Kat Martin. I was attending my first Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America meeting with two fellow writers. I knew very little about the organization and had no clue what to expect. To my surprise and delight while getting coffee at the refreshment table, I was greeted by none other than Kat Martin, one of my favorite authors. What made it more amazing was that I had just finished reading Gypsy Lord, her latest book, and never, ever thought I would actually meet her. Now here I am today in 2018, doing a Q & A with her. So, let’s get started.
Jann: You have a stellar list of Historical and Contemporary Romantic Suspense novels. May 30th, Beyond Control, the third book in the Texas Trilogy made its debut. How do you do it? How do you keep writing these wonderful books?
Kat: Thank you so much for the compliment. I really try hard to come up with good characters. I try to find a good plot and hope I can make it all come together. I will say it is getting harder and harder to come up with new and interesting stories. But I’ll keep doing my best!
Jann: Where did you get the idea for the Texas Trilogy – Beyond Reason, Beyond Danger, Beyond Control?
Kat: I never really know where an idea comes from. It’s just sort of not there one minute and there the next. It’s just a kernel of an idea to start with then it expands during the course of writing the novel.
Jann: Tell us about Joshua Cain and Victoria Bradford from Beyond Control.
Kat: Tory is a strong woman but she has been beat down by life, losing her husband, raising a child, then hooking up
with a very bad man. Josh is exactly the kind of guy Tory needs because he’s strong and supportive. Coming out of the war in Afghanistan, he’s had problems of his own, but Josh is tough enough to handle them. They made a great couple to write.
Jann: Victoria has a four-year-old daughter, Ivy. When working on your characters and the plot, how do you decide if you want to have a child in the story?
Kat: Putting a child in the story makes the book much more difficult to write–at least for me. I don’t have children so I have to rely on interactions I’ve had with other people’s children and my husband’s sons and grandkids. Usually the story just calls for kids or it doesn’t. I just kind of go with my instincts.
Jann: What profession other than your own would you love to attempt?
Kat: At this stage, there is nothing I want to do I haven’t done–except maybe travel more. I used to joke that if I could start over, I’d be an astrophysicist. I love astronomy. It would have been an exciting career.
Jann: What is one of the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Kat: We stayed in a house on stilts in the middle of a violently flooding river. It was stupid and dangerous. We were lucky the house didn’t get swept away and drown us!
Jann: If you could travel back in time with whom would you like to meet and why?
Kat: Winston Churchill would be interesting. I’d also like to meet Margaret Thatcher, one of my personal heroes.
Jann: If a spaceship landed in your backyard and the aliens on board offered to take you for a ride, would you go? Why or why not?
Kat: I don’t think I’m ready for a spaceship ride. I’m a little too practical.
Jann: Do you ever run out of ideas? If so, how did you get past that?
Kat: I freak out when I run into an idea roadblock. Terrifying! I usually try to run through ideas with my husband. Just saying everything out loud often solves the problem. Sometimes going for a ride, taking a day off, going to the show will help. Anything to stir up fresh ideas.
Jann: How do you stay motivated? What drives you to keep writing?
Kat: I like the puzzle-solving aspect, the chance to be creative. Earning a living, of course, is part of the reason I write. I don’t think I would keep going if I had to work for free. I like getting rewarded for what I do. I love it when people like my books. That’s one of the best rewards.
Jann: It was great getting to catch up with you Kat and wish to thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. If you have any comments or questions for Kat, please use the comment form below.
Kat has a guest post here on A Slice of Orange, Writing Dialogue. You can also read Geralyn Corcillo’s Book Review: BEYOND CONTROL. And finally, here are all three books in Kat’s Texas Trilogy. If you hover over the cover images a buy link will show up. Happy reading.
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Gone Fishing
May 2, 2018 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as Authors, interviews, Jann Ryan
It’s true, Jann has gone fishing. We hope she catches one (or two) and has a lovely relaxing day. In the mean time click the tab below and read some of Jann’s recent interviews. You can also leave her a message.
0 0 Read moreROMANCE + MYSTERY + PARANORMAL = AUTHOR MARY CASTILLO!!
April 2, 2018 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as Mary Castillo, mystery, paranormal, romance
It is no wonder that Mary Castillo is a paranormal mystery and romance author. She grew up in a haunted house.
Her mom once found her in the closet talking to the nicest lady who had a daughter and two sons. Mary was the only person in the closet and the more questions her mom asked, the plainer it was that her then three-year-old child described the previous (and deceased) resident of their house!
Mary grew up in the same town as the psychic detective of her paranormal mystery series, Dori Orihuela. She even “gave” Dori her dream home, a three-story white Edwardian mansion based on a real historic property. (And no, there are no bootleggers buried in their backyard!) Also, Mary made Dori a tough, smart robbery detective because Mary has discovered from practical experience as a former reporter that is not cop material. She likes to think that Dori is a psychic version of Wonder Woman!
With her degree in history, Mary also loves to find and share untold histories such as bootlegging women and no-nonsense World War II era nurses. Mary’s background is in marketing, public relations, and journalism, proving that yes, you can make a living as a writer! Combining her love of the paranormal with historical, Gothic fiction is a dream come true. Mary now writes the books she loves to read—chilling, psychic suspense novels with sexy heroes and courageous heroines.
However, her current home in Orange County, California is not haunted.
Jann: We’re here today with the remarkable author, Mary Castillo, to talk about haunted houses, a Mystery series and audiobooks.
Jann: What are some of the best things you have learned since your debut novel, Hot Tamara, in 2005?
Mary: The best thing I learned since Hot Tamara is how we can touch our readers’ lives. A few months after its publication, I received an email from a woman who never thought she’d laugh out loud in the chemo infusion room. 
But she did thanks to reading my book! What a beautiful gift. Ever since then, she pops into my mind and inspires me to do the very best I can with each story because I never know how or when one of my books will come into someone’s life.
Jann: What was it like to have Cosmopolitan magazine select Hot Tamara as the Red Hot Read in April of 2005?
Mary: It was very unexpected and so exciting. The only problem was that my grandma read that issue of Cosmo first before reading the book. Her first impression of my writing was well, spicy to say the least! But she was so excited to see my lifelong dream come true. I must lay the blame on her because when I was 12 she lent me Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins and told me that being an author would be the best job in the world. Good thing I listened to my grandma because she was right!
Jann: What was it like to grow up in a haunted house?
Mary: My parents were very open and natural about our resident spirit, so it didn’t occur to me that it was odd until I was old enough to tell my friends and either scare the heck out of them or be teased! My mom got a few concerned phone calls from parents. Honestly, our ghost was like a nosey, shut-in spinster aunt. Every now and then she’d switch the lights on and off, or open and close doors. We knew she was around when the room would turn cold and we’d just say hello and ask her not to scare us.
Jann: If your house hadn’t been haunted, do you think you would be writing the Dori O Paranormal Mystery series?
Mary: Lost in the Light is heavily inspired by the classic movie, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (I listened to the soundtrack while writing and editing the book). I was also edging into the paranormal with little touches in In Between Men and especially, Switchcraft in which the heroines switch bodies and live each other’s lives.
Jann: Tell us about Detective Dori Oriheula and the series.
Mary: Dori first appeared in a novella I wrote with my author friends titled, Names I Call My Sister. I loved her from the start: she’s beautiful, smart, tall and can take down a grown man without messing up her hair. She’s the least likely person to be psychic and I’ve had a lot of fun watching her wrestle with accepting this fact. She’s getting there.
Jann: Dori is getting a second chance at love with Gavin Salazar. Where do you see their relationship going?
Mary: I can’t tell you or else I’ll ruin the series! But I can say this: as long as they’re together, there will be challenges. He is a laid-back, creative surfer guy who loves his little daughter. Dori is quiet, fact-driven and on the surface, isn’t cozy. While he’s open to the idea of the paranormal, Dori is very guarded which only adds to their trust issues. When I threw them together, I knew they had something if only they’d open-up to one another. It’s been fun to make their lives difficult and see them come together as a team.
Jann: You have published three books in this series, Lost In The Light, Girl In The Mist and Lost In Whispers–is there a book four coming soon?
Mary: Yes, I’m preparing the fourth book (a novella) for October 2018. It picks up right where we left off with Lost in Whispers. My mom begged me to tell her what happened to one of the main characters who was in a coma at the end of the book. I didn’t even tell her. She’ll make me pay for it, one way or another!
Jann: All three books are available on iTunes and Audible and you are the narrator. Why did you decide to do your own narration?
Mary: I really, really wanted an audiobook. But we didn’t have the budget to produce one. I have a background in drama and video production, and I’ve always had so much fun performing at book readings. In January 2016, I did some test recordings and began narrating my audiobook. I fell in love with this method of telling stories. Now that it is a finalist in the ABR Listener’s Choice Award for Mystery, I may have found a new career!
But the unexpected gift of recording Lost in the Light while I was editing Lost in Whispers, helped with continuity because I recalled details that I had forgotten! Once I finished Lost in the Light, I jumped into Girl in the Mist, which taught me that it is fun to write a steamy love scene but a bit awkward recording it! I’m now recording Lost in Whispers which I plan to release in the fall and then the fourth Dori novella to be released in Winter 2018.
Jann: Thank you Mary for letting us into your writing world. You can contact Mary at the following sites.
Website: https://marycastillo.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marycastillo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MCastilloWrites/
A selection of Mary Castillo’s books are available below. Hover over the book cover for the buy links.
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Author Susan Squires Spins Her Magic…by Jann Ryan
March 2, 2018 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as contemporary romance, Paranormal Romance, Susan Squires
Susan Squires grew up among the giant redwoods of California. She thought she was being practical by changing her major in college from theater to English literature. Immersed in a PhD. Program, she slowly realized that none of her graduating friends had work. So she dropped out after receiving a Master’s degree to take a paying job in the business world.
As an executive in a Fortune 500 company, she returned to her love of writing while continuing to hold her day-job, much to the amusement of her fellow executives. Her novel Danegeld, had already been purchased by Dorchester by the time she accepted a Golden Heart for Best Unpublished Paranormal Manuscript from Romance Writers of America. It was the first of an eclectic group of historical and contemporary paranormal stories known for their intensity. Body Electric was named by Publishers Weekly one of the ten most influential paperbacks of 2002, for blending romance and science-fiction. Book List compared No More Lies to the works of Robin Cook and Michael Crichton, but it was also a Rita finalist for Best Published Paranormal Romance by Romance Writers of America.
Susan’s Companion Series for St. Martin’s Press, continued to garner attention with admiring reviews and several visits to the New York Times Bestseller List. Publishers Weekly named One with the Shadows a Best Book of the Year, and several of the series received starred reviews. Her books have won the many regional contests for published works of paranormal romantic fiction.
Susan no longer has to use tales of romance and adventure to escape budgets and projects. She finally left her day job, and researches and writes her books at the beach in Southern California, supported by three Belgian Sheepdogs and a wonderful husband named Harry who writes occult mysteries as H.R. Knight.
Jann: Today, the amazing Susan Squires is going to share a little bit of magic with us.
Jann: A Romance Writer of America Golden Heart winner, a Rita finalist and a New York Times Bestseller—what a resume. How did these achievements impact your writing?
Susan: I don’t think these affected the writing itself at all. I have always written big, intense books with a lot going on in them to support the romance. Winning the Golden Heart and being a Rita finalist certainly impacted my confidence and my determination to persevere. The Golden Heart looks great in a query letter, too. In my case by the time of the Golden Heart ceremony my book (DANEGELD) had already been acquired by an editor for a NY publishing house. But he found that book by judging a contest I’d entered through the Orange County Chapter of RWA, so I definitely believe in entering contests. Being on the NYT list gave me access to a wider audience. Even when I began to self-publish as well as working with traditional publishers, I had a large mailing list to boost my sales.
Jann: You write historical and contemporary paranormal romance—Time Travel, Vampires and Magic. On February 7, 2018 you released Book 6 in your Magic series, This Magic Moment. Let’s talk a little magic.
Susan: Whenever I try to write straight romance, paranormal elements just seem to creep in. The Tremaines in the Magic series are a big family who live on an isolated bluff over the ocean in a ritzy suburb of Los Angeles. Sounds pretty ordinary, right? But they are descended from Merlin of Camelot, and they inherited a magic gene. Merlin’s powers were dispersed through the ages, but now the magic wants to come together. So when two people who have the gene meet, they are irresistibly attracted to each other, and each gets a magic power. Sounds great, right? But magic has a cost as well as being a gift. Besides, what if your destined lover is someone you just can’t stand? Or maybe you feel trapped because the choice won’t be yours? What if you’re sure your family’s destiny has passed you by? Each book in the Magic series features one of the Tremaine siblings. And of course, there are also those who got their power from Morgan Le Fay. The Tremaines want to do good in the world with their abilities. Morgan’s Clan, not so much.
Jann: Where did you get the idea for the series?
Susan: I wrote a book in my DaVinci time travel series called THE MISTS OF TIME. In it, a romance writer wants to escape her life and return to Camelot, to the age when courtly romance began. Of course, Camelot isn’t at all what she imagined. In fact, she herself isn’t who she thought she was.
Merlin and his son were characters in that novel. I liked them. It occurred to me that what Merlin must have wanted most was to pass his powers down through his progeny in order to change the world for the better. But he didn’t, did he? In the legends he didn’t even have a son. So I began thinking, what if his lost powers did come down to the present day? Who would get them? How would they work? What would those people do with them? That’s when the story of the Tremaines started taking shape.
Jann: You have written such amazing characters for this series. Did you have them all worked out before you started the first book, Do You Believe in Magic ?
Susan: I did have to work them all out in advance. The problem with writing a story about an extended family with an overarching villain plot only resolved in book six, is that you have to know how everything works before you start. The younger siblings have to be, in the very first book, who they will be by the time they get their own story. Of course they will be affected by events in between, but they can’t turn into different characters. So I wrote an extended synopsis that included stories and characters for each book. Not that I stuck exactly to the script, and I certainly embellished, but it was a roadmap.
Jann: Tell us about Tammy Tremaine and Thomas, the main characters in This Magic Moment.
Susan: Tammy is the baby of the Tremaine family. She’s been isolated at the family compound since the family was put in danger by the Clan, so she’s never had a normal teenage experience. Thomas was raised in a monastery on Mount Athos in Greece, sent there when he was nine by his mentor—Morgan Le Fay. Now she’s brought him back to the U.S. to fulfill a purpose. He doesn’t even know what it is. Tammy sees him across a parking lot and knows instantly that she is so, so doomed. Her destined lover is a member of the Clan. Morgan’s plans are coming to fruitio, and both their families will be ranged against them. The question is, will they be able to conquer their differences before it’s too late?
Jann: Will there be another Magic book?
Susan: Well, that’s a bit of a trick question. I have not planned another one. I wrote six, as well as a novella with the Tremaine parents back story. But readers will see that I Ieft at least one trap door, in case I want to come back to this wonderful family. I have grown to love them so much that I will truly miss them.
Jann: Do you find yourself returning to certain themes in your stories? What? Why?
Susan: As I look back on my books I think there is a common theme. I guess it would be that you have to embrace what you fear most in order to be whole. It’s expressed in many different ways, but this is how my characters grow and change.
Jann: What’s the best writing advice you ever received?
Susan: The best writing advice I ever got was one word. Persevere. It takes time to get good at writing. My first book was horrible. So were most writers’ first books. I remember hanging out at the bar with Charlaine Harris after we’d been on a panel together. She was so tired of being asked what it felt like to be an overnight success. She said “What about the 25 mysteries I wrote before the Sookie Stackhouse books? What about the five books before that which were so terrible they couldn’t even be published?” No success is overnight. You have to persevere and learn your craft.
Jann: Where can we get your books?
Susan: All my books are available at Amazon.com in digital format and trade paperback. For a list, you can visit. susansquires.com. You can also find the order of the Magic series books there. While they can all be read as standalone stories, I think they benefit from being read in order, beginning with DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?
Jann: Thank you Susan for spending time with us here on A Slice of Orange.
Jann Ryan grew up with the smell of orange blossoms in Orange County in sunny Southern California, where she has lived her entire life and dreamed up stories since she was a young girl. Never an avid reader, she was in her thirties when she picked up her first romance quite by accident. She fell in love with happily ever after and has been reading romances ever since.
Wanting to put pen to paper, Jann joined of Romance Writers of America®. Currently, she is working on a romantic suspense series set in Stellar Bay, a fictitious town along the California central coast to fulfill her publishing dream.
WRITER, SPEAKER, PUBLISHER & QUILTER: A WOMAN OF MANY TALENTS
February 2, 2018 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as Quilting, romance, writing, Writing Something Romantic
Debra Dixon has published with major publishers, written ten books, contributed to twelve anthologies, and served as Vice President of RWA, and her popular GMC:Goal, Motivation, and Conflict workshop spawned a book that has become a how-to bible for writers.
These days, she’s better known as Publisher for BelleBooks and its imprint Bell Bridge Books, which tackles a broad spectrum of genres in both print and ebook formats. A 2011 company highlight was holding the # 1 spot on the full Paid Kindle list for more than two weeks. Their titles have been picked up in translation and by major New York publishers in subrights deals for mass market paperback, book club, audio and large print. The company has published work from NYT’s bestselling authors: Anne Bishop, Susan Addison Allen, Deborah Smith, Sharon Sala, Sabrina Jeffries, Sandra Hill, Jill Marie Landis, and Jill Barnett. As well as USA Today bestseller Kalayna Price.
Debra lives in the South with her husband and son. When she’s not working in publishing or Corporate America, she moonlights as an award-winning quilter. The current home-remodeling-project-that-will-not-end began because Debra thought it would be nice to have a quilt studio for her art.
Jann: We’re starting February out with a bang!! The phenomenal Debra Dixon, is here with us today.
Jann: Let’s take a look back. How long had you been writing before you published your first romance Tall, Dark and Lonesome? Why the romance genre?
Debra: I had written all of my life, but seriously submitting fantasy for a few years before switching to the romance genre. I read romance as well as many other genres, and I’d met someone at a dog show of all things who was going through her page proofs. I thought, ‘Gee, an everyday real person is published in romance. Maybe I should try that.’ I joined RWA, one of the few professional writing groups that allowed unpublished authors to join. Shortly after that I found an agent. Carin Rafferty came to my city and founded the River City Romance Writers. That was my signal to really invest in romance because I had a support group and an agent! I went to conferences and the rest is history or some small dark corner of history.
Jann: In 1996 you published GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict. This phenomenal book is on my bookshelf and is mentioned in the majority of writing workshops I’ve attended. I’ve been privileged to hear two of your workshops based on this book. What was the motivation for you to write this book (no pun intended)?
Debra: I gave this workshop at my local chapter in a much abbreviated format when I was still an unpublished author. They’d told me they needed me to come speak about plot. Then I had to figure out the “how” of plot for me. Those writers told people, and I started getting requests for the workshop. Then a very tiny company who specialized in books for writers came to me and badgered me to write a book. I kept telling them, “No one is going to buy this book. I don’t think this is a good idea for your investment.” Well, they wouldn’t take no for an answer. They were very clear that they wanted the book to be almost a conversation. They absolutely did not want the book to be stuffy, ponderous or pedantic. I had to revise to get the tone right, but I’m so happy now that they had a clear vision for the kind of book that GMC should be.
Jann: With your writing career in full swing, you decided to open a small press with seven other authors—and BellBooks, Inc. was founded in 1999. Since then Bell Bridge Books and ImaJinn Books joined the family. In this constantly changing world of publication, what bits of wisdom can you share with today’s writers—both published and unpublished.
Debra: I’m so sorry to trot out the obvious, but “write.” Write a lot. Keep writing, improving. Building an audience is great, but if you can’t feed that audience they’ll wander off and forget you. I can’t say how many books to write a year because every writer has a different ability to output and writing a 150k word fantasy takes a little more time than a 70k word mystery, etc. But writers should think long term and plan to put out books as frequently as they can write a GOOD book. We see most successful authors today have found a way to engage with their readers in an authentic way through a variety of social media. And then read. Read a lot. Most of all I’d say there is no ONE path. Every writer has a different idea of what success looks like. Enjoying the process is always good advice. Don’t be afraid to carve out your own path that looks quite different from someone else’s.
Jann: Do you see writing another romance in the future?
Debra: I occasionally fantasize about writing the most awesome Regency historical <g> or other project, but the reality is that I have authors who are counting on me to do my job and put their books first. So, I don’t think I’m going to find the time to write anything in the near future.
Jann: As a Publisher, public speaker, and a writer your schedule must be full. Do you have time to travel? Would you share some of your favorite travel adventures.
Debra: Not much time to travel for pleasure! We do take the occasional road trip. Hubby loves to drive, and I’m fortunate to be able to read, knit, and play on the iPad in the car! My favorite story about traveling to speak, is one time before cell phones were ubiquitous. When I landed in a foreign country, no one was there to pick me up. (My designated handler was stuck in a horrible 2-hour long traffic jam unbeknownst to me or anyone else.) When I called the hotel to check on a shuttle, they didn’t have the event on their schedule. (The group had changed the venue and never told me.) So there I was—marooned in a foreign land (Canada). Okay, so they spoke English, but it was pretty funny trying to figure out where to go or what to do. I finally tracked people down at the restaurant after managing to sweet talk the phone number for the old Workshop Chairman out of the cancelled hotel. She was no longer a member of the chapter, but she gave me some phone numbers. Then those numbers led to the restaurant. They were amazed I could find them. So was I. LOL! Thank heavens for the rental car place that let me tie up their phone!
Jann: Do you have a bucket list of future destinations?
Debra: I’d like to go back to Australia and New Zealand. Maybe spend a month in Italy just eating cheese, olives, and bread! My uncle does adventure vacations to unbelievable places in the world, and every time we get a chance to sit with him and go through his slides of a trip, it’s almost like we’ve been there! He’s even been to base camp at Everest. I’m not sure I want to adventure vacation and climb mountains. I really like the traditional “sleep late, what are we eating tonight?” vacations!
Jann: Do you still find the time to quilt? Do you have any pictures you can share?
Debra: Yes, quilting is my stress relief! I quilt every day, even if it’s only ten minutes. Sometimes it’s handwork, sometimes it’s working on the machine or designing the next quilt. Never ask a quilter if they have pictures…you’ll be there all day. But I’ll limit to applique, a pieced quilt, and a bag I made to carry around my knitting.
The applique quilt with the vase of flowers is one I’m working on hand quilting now. This is an original quilt design with the exception of the vase and flowers. Those are adapted from the line drawing of another quilter—Sandra Leichner.
Next is a pieced sampler (teal & brown) that I finished sewing the binding on when my husband was in the hospital. (Yep, I even took quilting to the hospital.) And for those who really are curious, here’s a link to a little photo tour of my quilt studio.
Jann: Thanks Debra for being here with us on A Slice of Orange and sharing bits of wisdom and your lovely quilting.
Jann Ryan grew up with the smell of orange blossoms in Orange County in sunny Southern California, where she has lived her entire life and dreamed up stories since she was a young girl. Never an avid reader, she was in her thirties when she picked up her first romance quite by accident. She fell in love with happily ever after and has been reading romances ever since.
Wanting to put pen to paper, Jann joined of Romance Writers of America®. Currently, she is working on a romantic suspense series set in Stellar Bay, a fictitious town along the California central coast to fulfill her publishing dream. Jann is also a member of Writing Something Romantic critique group.
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THE LAST GOODNIGHT
With another body turning up, one woman is hot on the trail of a killer . . .
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