Karen, we are excited to have you here. I miss seeing you at GRW meetings. Ladies, help me welcome Karen.
Hi, and thanks for hosting me on the Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers blog! I’m excited to be here and I’m celebrating the release of TAKE ME TWO TIMES, the second book in my series about an agency that recovers stolen art. (For more info please visit www.KarenKendall.com.)
What was your first published book and with whom?
My first published book was SOMETHING ABOUT CECILY, which was released by Avon Books in May, 2001.
How many books did you write before selling one?
I wrote four complete manuscripts before selling the fourth.
How many books have you published?
At this point, I’ve published eighteen, written four more and am under contract for another three.
What themes go through your books?
Interesting question! I’d say themes of honesty, growth, materialism vs. what really matters in life, and all different kinds of love . . .
How would you best describe your books?
I’d say my books are character studies, romps, capers – but with some very serious themes like forgiveness, redemption, etc.
How did you write with kids and deadlines?
Well, I have no kids (unfortunately) but I do have two very tolerant greyhounds, Merry and Lilah, a funny, sarcastic, sweet husband, Don – and a demanding cat, Boo.
Which other jobs have you had?
I’ve worked retail, I’ve worked for small museums and galleries, I’ve done merchandising. I’ve been a grants writer . . . lots of odd jobs! Funny, they’ve all ended up helping me in my writing career.
What do you love most about writing and do you not like?
I love creating characters, bringing them to life, exploring a new story world. I love the process of writing, even though it always feels like a pressure-cooker because of the deadline
What are you writing now?
Right now, I’m working on the revisions for TAKE ME FOR A RIDE, which is the third book in the TAKE ME series. (Book one is TAKE ME IF YOU CAN and book two, which just came out yesterday, is TAKE ME TWO TIMES.)
What would you write if you could do write anything you wanted to write?
You know, I really, really love this series that I’m writing now! I feel lucky that I’m able to work on these books. They draw on my art background and also my love of exciting intrigue—movies like the Thomas Crown Affair (remake) and the Alias series and old films like Cary Grant’s To Catch a Thief.
Why do you write?
I write because I love to. I can’t imagine doing anything else, despite the pressures of promotion and sales and all those other things that don’t come naturally. I love bringing characters to life and telling stories about human behavior and what motivates it . . .
How do you write?
It’s funny—I’m a combination of what they call a “pantser” and a “plotter.” What I do is start with some basic plot points in the classic three-act story structure. Then I flesh those points out into a synopsis. And from there I do the first few chapters of a proposal. Then, LOL, I hope my editor buys it!
After that, the story may change or I may restructure it. Some of those changes can be drastic (like when I threw out 200 pp. of TAKE ME IF YOU CAN and changed the villain to the hero!) but most often they’re subtle.
Do you write what you know?
I love this question! I think that a fiction writer always produces a combination of what he/she knows and what he/she imagines and researches.
What’s next for you?
Coming next is the third book in the TAKE ME series, which is TAKE ME FOR A RIDE. It’s a really fun story involving a family heirloom necklace which once belonged to Catherine the Great. The hero is a bad, bad boy—in fact, the girls at ARTemis, Inc. (my art recovery agency) love to call him McManWhore. But even bad boys fall in love—it just takes the right woman!
Thanks for having me on the Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers blog—it’s been a lot of fun. Ask me anything you’re curious about, okay? And be sure to check out the sizzling hot, sexy series video trailer for the TAKE ME series at www.KarenKendall.com!
I’m also giving away a copy of TAKE ME IF YOU CAN to a lucky commenter. Have a great spring full of lots of wonderful books! All the best,
Karen Kendall
