Meet Kathy

For many years, I wrote romance novels. They were my first love, both as a reader and a writer. So when I was approached by my best friend, Erin McCarthy about doing a mystery series–involving a llama, I wasn’t sure. 

Oh, I was definitely sold on the idea of the llama. Llamas pretty much rock. But I’d never written a true mystery before. I’d had a bit of mystery in my romances, but dead bodies, suspects, clues, and red herrings. I’d never done that.

Still, I decided I’d like to try something different. And again, the llama was a real selling point. As well as working with my bestie. So, off we went on this adventure of creating a mystery together. And I quickly discovered something.

I loved it!

I loved the spunky heroine, the quirky characters, the quaint small town, and the puzzle of putting together a real whodunit. It was so much fun, and I found such a joy in writing.

So, I’ve decided to focus on mysteries for the time being. But my romance fans need not worry, there is, of course, some romance in my new mysteries. After all, every good story needs some romance, right? And apparently a llama.

:-) Kathy

I started writing romances when I was in junior high. The heroines were my friends, and the heroes were guys you may have heard of such as the Beatles, the Monkees and other various rock stars and actors. I even wrote a romance where Steven Tyler of Aerosmith was the hero and worked at a carnival, which I think is pretty accurate. If he hadn’t made it as a rock star, he’d definitely be a carnie. I was the heroine, of course.

Even though I loved to write, I never really believed I would get published. After all, in the small mill town where I grew up in the mountains of Maine, we have a saying, “You can’t get there from here.” And that was how I felt about the publishing world.

So I set aside my dream of being an author. I attended the University of Maine, left my junior year to move to Providence, then moved to California, then Maryland. For nearly three years, I didn’t write a single story.

But during these years I had many jobs, most of them unfulfilling. I worked as an Atari consultant (don’t ask), in retail, and finally as a receptionist at a hair salon (this one was pretty fun). All the while, the desire to write still nagged at me. Finally, in 2000, I decided I needed to try again.

At this point, I should probably add that while I did write lots of stories in my teen years, I never actually finished one. So this was my first attempt to write a real, honest to gosh, novel. With a beginning, a middle and an actual end. I joined the Maryland Romance Writers and a critique group that I’m with to this day. (Thank you, Tarts, I couldn’t have made it without you ladies!) And I started my first book, a humorous vampire romance. And guess what?

I did finish it. It took two years, but I did it!

At a conference, Kate Duffy from Kensington Publishing heard about my book from one of my critique partners and asked to see the full manuscript. What? Yes, that was my exact response. I couldn’t believe it. But I sent it in. Kate called and told me that while she liked my voice, she didn’t really love the vampires, and did I have anything else I could show her?

Assuming she wasn’t interested in any of the uncompleted stories from my teen years, (even the very believable Steven Tyler/carnival story) I had to tell her no. To my shock, she asked me to pitch an idea. After a couple weeks of toying with ideas and generally freaking out, I came up with the stories for my Stepp sisters trilogy. I emailed the ideas to her, and within an hour, Kate called and told me she wanted to buy them. Again, I was floored.

Now I have finished over twenty books. Yep, all with beginnings, middles and ends. I’ve even managed to rework that first book that Kate rejected, and it was released as Fangs for the Memories. I can’t begin to tell you what an amazing experience this has been for me. Somehow, it did “get there from here” (This is best said with a heavy Maine accent–“get they-ah from he-ah.”)

And not only did I get there, but my best friend who wrote all those silly stories with me made it too. My dear friend, Julie Cohen also became a writer. Check her out here (he-ah). (http://www.julie-cohen.com/)

Pretty exciting for two girls from Rumford, Maine.

Now if I can just get that Steven Tyler/carnival thing published.  Although I have written two books with one of my other besties, Erin McCarthy about a New Orleans vampire band called The Impalers. (The Fangover and Fangs for Nothing.) So that’s pretty close to my Steven Tyler opus. 

;-)  Kathy