Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?
Mine was probably an unconventional start to writing. It was the end of 2008 and I decided I’d done the corporate executive thing for long enough. I really wanted to spend more time with my kids. I had this very romantic (and completely unrealistic LOL) idea of what it would be like to be a stay at home Mom. I thought I would get more involved at the kid’s school, I’d take pottery classes and I’d finally get fit. Yeah, right. Well, it wasn’t long before I realized I needed something more, something more mentally challenging. I’d always read romance and I decided I would write one. I think I uncovered the thing I was meant to do with that first book. I loved it! Now, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Who or what has been your biggest influence as a writer?
I can’t pinpoint anything specifically apart from those wonderful writers who make me think and feel with their writing. I aspire to be able to do that for my readers.
What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?
When I read a book, do I think about the story or the characters long after I’ve finished it? That’s the criteria I use to determine if a story has been great or not. I think there’s probably many things that have to be present for a great story, but for me it’s as simple as - has the book left some kind of impression beyond ‘the end’?
Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.
How many people make decisions every day, never thinking about the consequences years in the future or how they could change their lives? Picture This is about a hero (a rude, crude, demanding hero who’s used to getting his way, especially when it comes to women) and a heroine whose choice many years earlier has come back to her in the most unexpected of ways.
How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?
I have a bit of a convoluted writing approach. I kinda hope it becomes more efficient over time, but for right now it seems to work. I spend a great deal of time on the characters, going so far as to fill out what I call a ‘character map’. Many of the details I add to create the character profiles never make it to the book explicitly, but I know them inside and out at the end of the process. I usually start the story with the start and end in mind. I usually have an idea about what happens during the book. I guess you could call it a rough outline, but it’s certainly not a plot at all. I also write ‘all over the book’, which means I write the chapters or scenes completely out of sequence depending on what I feel I could write on any given day.
Did your book require a lot of research?
No. It’s a contemporary story and didn’t require much research at all.
If you could have any vice without repercussions, what would it be?
Well, I’d love to be able to eat anything I wanted and not put on any weight! Does that count?
Out of all your books, do you have a favorite one? If not, then which
one is closest to your heart?
Actually, my favorite book is usually the one I’m currently working on. I totally bond with the heroine and fall madly in love with the hero, each and every time. If I didn’t, I don’t think the book would be any good. The book I’m currently working on has a hero who’s very soul has been wounded. He’s such a hard case, but incredibly vulnerable and I find it hard to resist a hero like that. I’m finding it very satisfying to give him his Happy Ever After.
one is closest to your heart?
Actually, my favorite book is usually the one I’m currently working on. I totally bond with the heroine and fall madly in love with the hero, each and every time. If I didn’t, I don’t think the book would be any good. The book I’m currently working on has a hero who’s very soul has been wounded. He’s such a hard case, but incredibly vulnerable and I find it hard to resist a hero like that. I’m finding it very satisfying to give him his Happy Ever After.
What character out of all your books is the closest to your
personality?
While I don’t base any of my characters on myself, each of them must have something of me in them, even if I can’t pinpoint it.
What do you feel is the most important aspect a new author should
remember when writing/creating their own stories? Any advice for
aspiring authors?
I think aspiring authors need to just write. Recently at the RWA Nationals conference in Orlando, I was shocked to hear the statistic that only 3% of people who say they’re going to write a book actually do. If you’ve written a book, regardless of how good/bad it is, you’ve accomplished a tremendous milestone. The only thing that will make you a better writer is writing and writing complete stories. My advice? Don’t give up. If you really want it, you have to keep at it and expect rejection to be part of the journey.
You come back from the dead as a spirit, what message are you trying to get across?
It probably depends what being dead was like, but hopefully it was a pleasant experience and I’d want to reassure everyone about it J.
If you were a world ruler and you were given a choice of 3 laws to enact, what would they be?
Mmm, well, if I really had the power, I would eradicate poverty and war. Oh, and husbands have to rub their wives feet daily,
If your muse were to talk behind your back, what secrets would he/she tell?
Oh gosh, that’s a scary thought. Probably that I mess around too much on the internet!
If you were a Super heroine/hero, would you wear tights and a cape?
LOL. No, I’m not the exhibitionist type.
Please tell us about the projects you are currently working on; what can readers expect to see in the coming months?
I have my next book about to go through final edits and am currently finishing up another one. I don’t have release dates for these, as yet. They’re both hot and steamy contemporaries with the same feel as Picture This. I also have a couple of paranormal series outlined. No vampires or werewolves, though. I’ve developed what I hope will be a unique idea. I also have a couple of full length novels I’m pursuing and outlines for about three other contemporary romances.
Where can readers find out what's new and how can they contact you?
I have a website and a blog. I keep the blog updated and readers can find out what I’m up to and what I’m working on from that. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter and I love people to reach out to me!
My website - http://www.kailyhart.com/
My blog - http://kailyhart.blogspot.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/kailyhart
Sneak Peek into Picture This, available at Ellora's Cave
Oh my God, Samuel Steele was a walking, talking wet dream.
She’d drooled from afar plenty, but up close he was downright gorgeous. Every woman in the place, and even some of the guys, had checked out his tight butt, flat abs and broad shoulders, and although he’d never worn anything but a suit to the office, that didn’t stop imaginations from running riot. His hair was dark and thick, his skin tanned, and regardless of the time of day, his jaw always seemed darkened with at least a day’s beard growth. And his eyes. She’d never been close enough to make out their color before, but they were a dark, piercing gray. They should have looked cold, but the way he was looking at her made her wonder if someone had turned off the air-conditioning.
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