Monday, November 7, 2011

Kat Martin: Inside The Mind Of A Writer—You Might Be Surprised


Kat Martin

It's our pleasure to welcome Kat Martin to our blog. She took time out of her busy schedule to be with us this week.

Currently living in Missoula, Montana, she is the bestselling author of over fifty Historical and Contemporary Romance Suspense novels. Before she started writing in 1985, Kat was a real estate broker. During that time, she met her husband, Larry Jay Martin, author of more than twenty books, both westerns and mysteries. Kat is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History.

"I've always loved books. I was an avid reader, with any number of my own stories rolling around in my head. Writing them down seemed a logical step."
"I love anything old," Kat says. "I love to travel and especially like to visit the places where my books are set. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and houses built in times past. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a by-gone era."
Kat began with historical romance and is currently writing romantic suspense.
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Inside the mind of a writer—you might be surprised.
Then again, you might not.

Most people have the impression that a writer sits down at his desk and thoughts and words just pour out of his head. The truth is oftentimes the thoughts roll around for weeks, months, years before they get the chance to spew out on the pages.

Sometimes it never gets to happen at all.

From as far back as I can remember I’ve had stories percolating in my head. I used to tell my brother and sister wild tales when we were kids. (I would get in my brother’s crib and tell my little sister that I was in jail and she would cry!)

I guess I was testing my story telling abilities even then. In college, people in my dorm would sit on the floor of my room and I would make up stories to entertain them. (I barely remember that since I am such a forward-thinking person and my past is sort of a fog in my brain.)

I never thought of becoming a writer--not until years later when my husband wrote an historical novel and I was helping him with the edits. I decided to try to write a book of my own and picked a Western Romance, Magnificent Passage, because the Old West was a subject I knew a lot about and to which I felt very connected. Our home in Montana is full of Western memorabilia and our library is filled with reference books on the subject.

So I’ve always had lots of story ideas and not all of them have turned into books. One of my wilder story concepts involved a Viking from an unknown island who washed up on English shores in the 1850’s. That was Heart of Honor and I’m not so sure that one went over too well with my readers.

More recently, I’ve been writing Contemporary Romantic Suspense and I’ve discovered it’s a really nice fit for me. The books all feature rugged, tough-as-they-come heroes, and women who can handle them.

In my latest, AGAINST THE STORM, Trace Rawlins is an ex-Army Ranger turned private detective. Trace knows from experience that redheads are nothing but trouble, but when photographer, Maggie O’Connell, comes to him for help against a stalker, Trace can’t resist.

I love the characters in this book. Because of my schedule these days, I don’t always have the entire story fleshed out as I used to do. Now it’s an adventure to see what problems the protagonists are going to encounter and figure out a way to help them get those problems solved. Though I don’t recommend starting a book without knowing the end of a story and a credible way to help the characters get there.

I hope you’ll watch for AGAINST THE STORM and that you enjoy Trace and Maggie’s adventure.

Very best wishes,
 Kat

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P.S.  Kat will be back on friday to share an excerpt of Against the Storm. Please visit her website, enter her  contest and why not connect with her on facebook. .

3 comments:

Ruby Johnson said...

Thank you so much for visiting our blog. I look forward to your excerpt on Friday.

Anonymous said...

It's always nice to learn how a writer's mind works especially as it relates to writing.
Enjoyed the post.
Thorne

kat martin said...

Very nice page. Love the photo of Fort Worth. Thanks for giving me the chance to visit. warmest, kat

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