Hi Kathryn. Thanks for visiting! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Sure, but first off, I’d
like to say thank you for having me today!
I’m the mom of two boys, and my wonderful husband has been my biggest
supporter throughout this journey into writing. My educational background is actually in
business, and I went as far as earning an MBA in an attempt to steer myself
into a “practical” career! Most mornings
I teach fitness classes, which is a great part time job that I enjoy immensely.
What a great job that would be – and it would fit so
well into a writing schedule too! When did you first consider yourself a
writer?
It took me 2 ½ years to write Silver
Lake, but I honestly didn’t consider myself a writer until I got that
publishing contract on a Friday morning in December. Having a publisher willing to back my work
made it real for me.
Do you remember what inspired you to write your first
book?
I had developed almost the entire plot for Silver
Lake years before I even typed one word.
My husband is the one who convinced me to write the story down. I think the original idea came from my genuine
love for ghost stories mixed with romance.
For me, a mysterious and spooky paranormal element combined with a
tension-filled romantic relationship is the perfect recipe for an exciting
read.
It sounds like this book was ‘the book of your heart’.
I can’t wait to read it! I love call stories. Can you tell us about yours and your
reaction?
On a chilly morning in December 2011, I opened my
emails to see one waiting for me from the editor I’d submitted to at my
publisher. The subject line was only the
title of my book, so I wasn’t sure what would be waiting inside. When I opened it, heart pounding, I saw the
line, “Attached please find your author contract.” I ran around the kitchen, jumping up and
down, and my youngest son, who had not yet left for school, was hugging me and
jumping around with me.
That is
such a gorgeous picture! How great to have such a special person to share your
moment with! What drew you to write your chosen genre?
When I was in second grade, my father
brought home the usual weekly stack of chapter books the local librarian had
recommended for me. Generally, the books
revolved around horses, my main interest as an 8-year-old girl. But sometimes other subject matter found its
way into the pile, and this time, there was a book entitled Jane-Emily, by
Patricia Clapp. The tag line read “A
ghost story…and a love story”. My first
paranormal romance—I was hooked. I read
that book over and over again throughout my childhood. I’ve read it to my children. When I see a looking glass ball in someone’s
yard, the young ghost of the fictional Emily is still the first thing that
jumps into my thoughts.
What’s the most challenging part of the writing
process for you?
I’m a perfectionist, so that’s a big challenge. It becomes painful when it’s time for the
final proof read of the Galley copy, when I know it’s my last chance to make a
change or fix an error. I drive myself
crazy!
Oh, yes *nodding vigorously in agreement* That final
check before hitting ‘send’ can be terrifying! Has anything coincidental
happened in the real world while writing one of your books in terms of the
characters, scenes or world you’ve created?
One thing I did not have figured out
when I began writing Silver Lake was the location. I knew I needed certain
requirements for the story to work, and after researching options, I chose the
wealthy area of Fairfield County, Connecticut, and the nearby vacation area
surrounding Candlewood Lake. Once I had made the decision, I knew I had to plan
a visit—but since it was at least a 4-hour drive, I couldn’t do it in a day
trip. In the next few days, we received a notification from my son’s AAA
baseball team that we would need to make plans to travel to a tournament—which
turned out to be right where I set my novel!
How cool is that?! It just goes to show this book was
meant to be written J What are
you working on right now?
I have a third novel on the
backburner while I focus on edits for my second novel.
Latest news?
Last month, I received a
contract for my second paranormal romance, Gull Harbor. We just finished
perfecting the blurb and I hope to get a spring release date.
Congratulations Kathryn! Now, who wants to learn more about Kathryn's book? I do too! Here is the blurb and a short excerpt. Don't forget to make a comment and leave your email address in case you're the lucky winner of the Silver Lake giveaway!
BLURB:
Rain Anderson can't decide which is more unsettling—encountering the ghost of her missing friend, or reuniting with the man whose love she foolishly rejected. But one thing is certain: the past has come back to haunt her, quite literally.
Five years ago, Rain's tight-knit group of high school friends unraveled when one vanished during their senior year. Now, a parent's deathbed request has reunited the friends at Silver Lake, including Jason Lansing, the man Rain discarded. Rain and Jason discover the powerful attraction between them has survived, but though Jason is willing to forgive, he can't let himself forget. The possibility of falling for Rain again is too risky.
Slamming doors, crashing objects, flaring fires—clearly the ghost has a message to share. As Rain and Jason struggle to unravel the truth, they must face a desperate spirit in need of help…and a burning passion that refuses to die.
EXCERPT:
“I saw...a figure. A figure with dark hair, and I think it was Brandy.” She shuddered and put her forehead back on his chest.
Reluctantly, he moved their bodies apart a bit and scanned her face. He held on to her shoulders and asked calmly, “You saw Brandy? Brandy is here?”
She shook her head. “No, I saw… like… an image of Brandy. I woke up, because it was cold, and I saw something moving. It was Brandy, I’m sure of it, although I didn’t see her face clearly. And then she, um, disappeared.”
“An image of Brandy? Are you saying you saw a ghost, Rain?” He was pretty sure she’d had another nightmare, but the way she had flown out of her room gave him the impression it had been an extremely vivid one.
“I know, it sounds ridiculous. But that’s what I saw. And she sort of, well, went through the wall. I’m sure you don’t believe me,” she added miserably, lifting her stormy eyes to his.
He pulled her back into a hug before he could stop himself. “I absolutely believe you. Whether you were awake or asleep, you saw Brandy and that’s scary. I don’t think we can deny that weird things are happening here.”
Jason smoothed her hair and waited patiently for her trembling to subside. If a ghost really was lurking in her bedroom, there wasn’t a whole heck of a lot he could do about that. A rare sense of powerlessness caused his jaw to clench in frustration.
He stopped watching the door and instead focused on the gorgeous woman in his arms. She clung to him, and his body responded to hers with a familiar ache. He knew he was losing the battle to keep his feelings platonic.
