Kay: I’m a wife of twenty years and mother of two teens, a dog lover, chocolate addict and love to travel. I published in 2005 with Harlequin Superromance and have contracted fourteen books with them and a novella with Berkley Publishing, and have been a Book Buyers Best, HOLT Medallion and RITA Award Finalist.
Jen: Tell us about The Sheriff’s Daughter and where is can be purchased.
Kay: The Sheriff’s Daughter can be purchased anywhere books are sold, and is the first story in my North Star, Montana series featuring Carly Taggert, who first appeared in Montana Skies as a teenager. True to form, Carly’s on a mission and she isn’t going to let anyone stand in the way—especially not Liam, her father’s right hand man.
Kay: I discovered writing very early on. I wrote my first book when I was home sick from school. I copied the pictures out of a Charlie Brown book and rewrote the story because I didn’t like the plot. I sold my seventh completed manuscript in 2005, and received the call moments before I was to head out the door to deliver cupcakes and juice for my children’s Valentine’s Day parties at school. Let’s just say I was late a wee bit preoccupied by the time I made it to class.
Kay: No, not that I know of.
Kay: I am definitely a plotter. How I get from A to B might be a surprise but I have to know what B is before I start.
Kay: Deadlines are…always interesting. I’m one of those people who likes to turn things in early so I’m usually okay when it comes to meeting deadlines but that last week or so before the big day is usually spent frantically tearing the book apart and reworking it no matter what. It’s a sickness.
Kay: I’d like to think my writer’s voice has grown but not necessarily changed, if that makes sense. We are who we are and writers are no exception.
Kay: The most challenging part of writing is getting that first draft done. I don’t like writing, I like having written. LOL Once the draft is done I have something to work with and that’s a whole lot easier than facing a blank page. As to the ‘easiest’ part of writing, I’m not sure there is one. Every book is different and at some point I’ve probably struggled with every aspect of writing. As to the most rewarding? I have to say it’s a combination of holding the book in my hands and getting reader feedback that the story has touched or changed their lives in some way. That means so much to me.
Kay: Oooooh, tough question! Carly is a red head so probably Emily Blunt and… Hmmm… Liam is so hot…Sam Worthington??
Kay: Oh, tough one. Early on I read a lot of historicals, even though I write contemporary. Julie Garwood, Lisa Kleypas, Johanna Lindsey, Catherine Anderson are the ones who come to mind. I guess the thing I would say to them is simply “Thank You.” Every writer is also a reader and their stories saw me through tough times at work, sleepless nights with babies, etc.
Kay: You know how timing is everything? I got “the call” the Friday before my husband and I were scheduled to leave for Vegas for a convention. Perfect timing. What a way to celebrate!
Kay: The Sheriff’s Daughter is the start of a whole new series titled North Star, Montana, which features characters from my previous Montana books titled Montana Secrets and Montana Skies, as well as a whole new set of yummy heroes I’ve had sooooo much fun researching and writing.
The books (so far) in the series are:
THE SHERIFF’S DAUGHTER (SEP 2011)
IN THE RANCHER’S FOOTSTEPS (OCT 2011)
CHRISTMAS IN MONTANA (NOV 2011)
A HERO IN THE MAKING (JAN 2012)
Kay: I can be found on Facebook, @kaystockham on Twitter and at my website www.kaystockham.com.
Kay: Whenever I meet readers I’m always curious as to what they are reading right now. Suggestions for great books I simply can’t miss???
Contest details:
- We have copies of The Sheriff’s Daughter and In the Rancher’s Footsteps up for grabs. US readers can choose between print and ebook, international readers will be in the drawing for ebook only due to shipping costs. There will be two winners – one for each book.
- The contest is open to everyone over the age of 16.
- You must leave a meaningful comment for entry. This means your comment needs to be more than “please enter me in the contest”.
- A valid email address needs to be included in your comment. If you’re worried about spam, please modify your address, such as admin.bookblog AT gmail.com. You can also send a message to this email after your comment has been posted.
- While following the blog isn’t required, it is appreciated.
- The contest ends on Sunday, September 25.
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