Author’s Bio: USA
Today Bestselling author K. L. Brady is a D.C. native and award-winning author
of 15 novels. She self-published her first book, THE BUM MAGNET, after an Oprah
"live your best life" moment, which was picked up by Simon &
Schuster in a two-book deal. She’s been publishing romantic comedies ever
since.
K.L. is a Washington
football fan and professed nerd-girl who loves all things Star Trek, Star Wars,
and Big Bang Theory. She lives to write stories involving hilarious quirky
characters looking for love. She's hard at work on her next several projects,
including the sequel to her story ACQUIRED which, as part of the BILLIONAIRE
EVER AFTER anthology, hit the USA Today Bestseller list!
DL: What’s the inspiration for writing your book?
KLB: TROUBLE’S
IN THE CARDS is my new romantic comedy centered around a greeting card company
called Keep It Real Cards. I guess you
could say it's inspired by a lot of the interactions that I see on social
media. When I was growing up, political correctness wasn't a negative concept.
Being kind and decent wasn’t cast in a negative light. Nowadays, I think people
underestimate the power of words and how they can impact the lives they touch.
So, at the core of TROUBLE’S, we have a greeting card company sells tell-it-like-it-is
cards, truth with a heavy dose of snark, no holds barred. The owner of the
company, who never recovered from a brutal breakup, has convinced herself that
it's okay to tell a blunt truth, even if it hurts, as long as it’s done in the
spirit of helping. But what she finds out is we can control our words, we can
control intention, but what we cannot control its impact. And she finds out the
hard way that words, and how you communicate them, matter. This idea is
centered in a romance between a successful CEO of a publishing enterprise—Kody—
who buys the greeting card company of his ex-girlfriend—Tessa--and the drama
and hilarity that ensues.
DL: Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in
any way either growing up or as an adult?
KLB: Without question, Terry
McMillan was probably most instrumental in helping me to find my own voice and
helping me to realize that I didn’t need to be Toni Morrison or Maya Angelou
(both of whom I idolized for their beautiful prose) to write good books. I’ve never had a literary voice. I’ve always
been more real and comedic. For years
(decades), I was afraid to write because I didn’t think that I could find an
audience with my voice. Terry McMillan and her books DISAPPEARING ACTS and WAITING
TO EXHALE helped me to see that it was possible.
DL: How long did it take to write your book?
KLB: Typically, my books take
three to six months to write. TROUBLE’S IN THE CARDS took about four months. I
probably could have written it faster but I experienced a lot of turmoil in my
other (non-writing) life this year, so the words have come a little more
slowly.
DL: Do you write with an outline, or just let it flow organically?
KLB: I used to be a “pantser.” I used to believe that to create your best
work it had to flow organically. What I
have come to realize as a writer who still needs to maintain a full-time job to
find my passion is I don’t have the luxury of “organic,” nor do I have the
mental space. If I want to produce consistently, within my time and life
constraints, I need to outline. Now, outlines and organic creativity, to me, are
not mutually exclusive. You can have both. I find that an outline keeps me
productive every day, whether my “muse” is working on not. But I don’t live and
die by outlines. If my character does something that veers away from the story
I have planned, I allow it. If it sticks, I just implement the necessary
changes to the outline and narrative. I think the biggest mistake pantsers make
is treating the outline as if it’s law instead of a changeable guideline.
DL: Do you listen to music when you write? If yes, is there a
theme song for this book?
KLB: At this point in my life,
I need silence to be truly productive during the creative phase. I can listen
to music while I'm proofreading, but not during the story-building phase. Music
comes last. For this song, I would have to say Like A Star by Corinne Bailey Rae. It’s about loving someone who
incenses you at the same time. That’s the relationship between Tessa and Kody,
a constant tension but also an attraction.
DL: What are the keys to success in marketing your book(s)?
KLB: Consistency. I’m most
successful when I’m consistent. Whatever you do, whether it’s blogging, or
buying ads, or newsletters, I must be consistent. Admittedly, I have put more
focus into writing books than marketing them. I need to get the words out of my
head or they haunt me. But I have put plans in place to market more, joining
groups of like-minded writers who market together. That way, we combine our
marketing power.
DL: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
KLB: Focus more on writing and
your craft than the publishing. Invest time in the writing. If you don’t have a
book written, don’t worry about publishing. Worry about finishing your first
draft. Don’t be afraid to write a crappy first draft. That’s what it’s supposed
to be—a brain dump.
DL: How about sharing an excerpt from TROUBLE’S IN THE CARDS?
KLB: To set up this scene, Kody
has acquired Tessa’s company. His best friend and VP, Kyle, is romantically
interested in Tessa and has invited her to dinner. Kody, miffed that Tessa
stood him up for lunch, not only recommends Kyle take Tessa to a restaurant
where she got food poisoning, but he showed up on her date (with his
girlfriend) and invited him to sit at their table.
Kody wasted no time pulling
out a seat for Chandra.
She flaunted a cheerful
mask even if wished to slap him into the New Year. This uncanny capability was
one of the things he told himself that he loved about her, a stark contrast
from the woman now sitting across from him.
Unlike Chandra, Tessa
would’ve announced her displeasure on the spot, turned on her inner witch full
tilt and, with barely a swish of her broom, embarrassed the hell out of
everyone within a 50-mile radius.
“That’s fine, Sweetie. You
know what I always say.”
“Let me guess,” Tessa
piped in. “What your Kodykins wants, your Kodykins gets.”
Chandra giggled and, for
reasons unbeknownst to him, the sound weighed on his nerves like chest fat on a
healthy heart. He remembered the time, mostly during their honeymoon phase,
when he thought her laugh angelic and cute. Now the sound had the same effect
as fingernails dragging across a chalkboard.
“Kody, you better hang onto
this one,” Tessa said, the smirk she wore a less subtle than a micro-aggression.
“You two truly are a perfect match.”
A
brief lull in the conversation led Chandra to lean over and rub Kody’s arm.
Kody narrowed his eyes with a clear understanding of precisely what she meant,
knowing Tessa intended nothing good.
“Thank you,” he said, glaring at his foe. “You
are too kind. And I really appreciate you for allowing us to join you since you
already have a waiter. Now, we don’t have to wait to order. I’m famished, you
know, since my lunch plans took an unexpected turn.”
“You
don’t say.” Tessa tilted her head toward him and feigned a pitying expression.
“I really hate it when that happens. I’m a bear when I miss a meal. What
happened to your plans? Do tell.”
DL: What’s next for you?
KLB: More writing. More books. I’ve got holiday books
planned for the next couple of years – the next one is the 007th Day
of Christmas. It’s about a woman who finds intrigue, and maybe gets a shot at
love, during a New Year’s Eve Spy Ball. I’ll be finishing the next book in my
spy novel series (J.J. McCall novels) over the next few months…and so much
more. Please stay tuned!
DL: Where can readers find out more about you and
your book(s)?
·
Website: www.klbradyauthor.com
·
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/K.L.-Brady/e/B002O15D78/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1539994899&sr=8-1
·
Book Buy Links: TROUBLE’S
IN THE CARDS is coming December 2018.
It’s been a pleasure
having you here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting to know you
and your work.
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