Help me welcome Kayla Perrin, long time friend. So, Kayla I finally got you here. I had to drag her all the way from Canada.
Kayla is smiling at you, just so you know.
So, Kayla, what was your first published book and to whom did you sell it?
The first book I published was called AGAIN, MY LOVE and it was published by Genesis Press in 1998. That book was just re-released in 2008, so it’s been given a second life!
How many books did you write before selling one?
Well, this is an interesting question. I’ve been writing fairly consistently since I could hold a pencil, and sent my first book to a publisher when I was thirteen. It was a children’s book—not a romance. Then there were the numerous partly started but not finished books. These I all wrote as a teenager. So other than my illustrated children’s fiction, I had written one complete romance novel before I sold my first novel. And that complete romance novel was not the one I submitted (thank God!). Though I’d had children’s fiction rejected, I sold the first romance novel I submitted—which was AGAIN, MY LOVE.
I always thought you were an over-night success. How many books have you published?
I now have 33 books published—this includes 7 novellas—I think!
What themes go through your books?
One of the themes I’ve explored often is “keeping secrets”. How secrets never truly remain secret, and have a way of coming back to throw my characters’ lives into turmoil. I also enjoy writing about the jilted woman who comes into her own and gets a second (or third, or fourth) chance at love. This is such a reality today. Sometimes, we have to kiss many frogs before finding that Mr. Right.
How would you best describe your books?
Hmmm…. I’d say they are romantic and suspenseful. I love incorporating suspense into my work. Or, they are romantic and funny. And some are erotic. I’m a Gemini—something you know all about!—and it’s hard to get me to stick to just one thing. So, I can’t write in just one genre. I like to jump around. That’s why I can’t describe my books as just one thing. I will say, though, that people always tell me I write a fast and compelling read—no matter the genre. That makes me proud, because I love books that you get so absorbed in, you can’t stop reading until they’re finished.
How did you write with kids and deadlines? (Kayla has a beautiful and precocious daughter who is all girl!)
I can’t reveal all my secrets… Ha ha. Well, to tell the truth, I don’t know how. Sometimes, it’s excruciatingly hard. But I have to. I have deadlines, and that means no choice. I get less sleep these days than I’d like—that’s not good, but something’s gotta give.
Which other jobs have you had?
Being true to my Gemini nature, I’ve had several jobs. I’ve been an actress, a waitress, a film editor, a teacher, a customer service rep, a jail guard at a local police station (I kept watch over the prisoners while all the officers were out on the road). Oh, and how can I forget being a film extra? Those days were . . . well, let’s just say “fun.” Not always—but they were always interesting, and being an extra was a great way to make cash while working on my writing.
What do you love most about writing and do you not like?
First and foremost, I believe I was put on the planet to write. It’s what I’ve enjoyed doing since a very young age. So I love the fact that I actually get to do this for a living. It’s a dream come true. I also love the freedom of writing. I literally can write anywhere in the world. I love being able to travel when I want, and not having to ask for time off from work. What I don’t like—sometimes, having all the time in the world to write becomes a curse. Because you literally believe you have all the time in the world . . . so time passes you by, and then you realize that you’re so close to a deadline and you’re up the proverbial creek without a paddle. It doesn’t help if you’re a procrastinator! But, I’ve always done my best work under pressure. Writing is best for me that way. While writing a book is a hell of a lot longer than a college paper, I still get that burst of adrenaline with a deadline approaching. I wish I could change my pattern, but I’m pretty much stuck in it. A few weeks ago, when I was in deadline hell, I reminded myself that I have the best job in the world, that my worst day is better than any other day at another job—and that really made me smile. Because it’s true. And I was able to go back to the computer with a renewed sense of purpose.
What are you writing now?
Right now, I’m working on a suspense novel for St. Martin’s Press called SPRING BREAK. It’s the story about a group of college kids who head to a Caribbean island for Spring Break, and a girl goes missing. Sound a little familiar? Yes, I took the basic premise from the Natalee Holloway story—and many others where tourists have gone missing—but of course my story has its own twists and nothing is as it seems.
What would you write if you could do write anything you wanted to write?
Well, that’s easy! I’d write the next Da Vinci Code, or the next Harry Potter. Then I could retire on a Caribbean island. Heck—I could buy the island!
Seriously, though—I’m pretty much writing what I want to write. Suspense, romance, mom lit, mainstream fiction, erotica. I wouldn’t mind doing a paranormal about a psychic—but I won’t be doing any stories about vampires or werewolves.
Then again—never say never.
Why do you write?
I write because since I was a young child, there were always stories in my head. I love creating. I didn’t know until I was twelve that people got paid to write books—but when I learned that, I realized that being a published author was my destiny. At least, I hoped I could make it my destiny. Being a published, full-time author truly is a dream come true for me.
How do you write?
Ha ha ha. Is that a trick question? What have you heard? Oh, boy—now this is a tough question. I am such a panster, that there is no true method. I sit down and write, hoping my stories will come to me. It’s the only way I know how.
I do start with an idea. From there, I try to map out my story as I go. Just thinking of writing detailed plots has me breaking out in a cold sweat.
Do you write what you know?
Of course. All the hot sex in my books—I’ve tried it all! Just kidding! Truthfully, I do write what I know—at least some of what I know. Have I been jilted? Yes. Do I know football? My brother and two cousins played professionally. So, writing about the football hero is a natural fit for me. Am I a single mother? Yes. So writing my SINGLE MAMA series has been another area I know, even if I’m nothing like my heroine, who still has a lot of growing up to do.
What’s next for you?
In the fall, my erotic thriller was released by SPICE. OBSESSION is continuing to get great reader responses! My latest release is SINGLE MAMA’S GOT MORE DRAMA, a January release from Mira Books. It’s the sequel to SINGLE MAMA DRAMA, which came out in 2008. Readers need to read the books in order, as book 1 ended with a cliffhanger. The third book in this series is called SINGLE MAMA’S STILL GOT DRAMA. Stay tuned for a release date!
In the meantime, readers can check out the video trailers for both books on Youtube.
SINGLE MAMA DRAMA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mS88pLJe20
My website is www.kaylaperrin.com.
