Once a die-hard true crime/murder mystery junkie. K. R. Brorman scoffed at romance novels, “Anyone can do that!” until a friend challenged her to write romantic fiction…and there the story begins. Writing and editing skills learned in college quickly revived when she wrote a well-received contemporary romance novella, Stay, for an online forum. She began to read romance novels, consuming some of everything under the romance umbrella. She would plow through an author’s series in a matter of days or weeks: the romantic suspense of Nora Roberts, Christina Dodd, and Sandra Brown; the paranormals of JR Ward and Sherilynn Kenyon while continuing to add to the body count with Michael Connolly, Karin Slaughter, John Sanford and others. She boasts an impressive audio library that feeds her literary cravings and keeps the dust bunnies at bay.
Could you tell us about yourself?
My husband and I farm in the Texas Panhandle. After graduating with a degree in Agriculture Communications, mostly journalism writing, I moved to the farm and we started our family. I’ve had a small catering business for 15 years and often find myself incorporating an appreciation for food and drink, or a high level of organizational skills into my characters. I love to cook, garden and experiment with both. My kids are in college now and spend time spoiling our rescue dog, Stella (someone dumped her on the highway and she truly rescued me) and four “country” cats.
While teachers often called me a daydreamer, the idea of writing seriously and publishing didn’t begin to take hold until I was almost 40 and began writing fanfiction and round robin style fiction with CC Cedras and SA Young wich soon morphed into the Stilettos, Stoli & Scribbles series.
Which is your favourite genre to write and why?
My favorite to write is romance and romantic suspense. I love the idea that imperfect people in imperfect situations can find and work to keep lasting love. I DO believe in HEAs.
What is the best part about writing, and the worst?
The best part of writing is creating characters with the best and worst flaws I personally have and figuring out how they overcome or are loved for all of these things.
The worst part is the self-doubt. When catering or event planning I know if the food is good, if the event will go off smoothly. Writing comes with no such guarantees.
Tell us about one of, or your most recent book?
At this time, I only have one book published, Eden’s Fall (EF). The first in a planned three-part series with my writing partners, revolving around three strong heroines, Kenna Campbell, Candace Fisher, Frankie Winslow. EF builds on their friendship and follows our first heroine, Kenna, and her love interest Lucius Chaerea. The three women ultimately travel to Istanbul to rescue Lucius from a human trafficker. I believe this is something our books offer that many contemporary romantic suspense novels are weak on. The women are the driving forces and while our heroes get to be heroic, the women save the day.
For me, the most satisfying aspect of the novel is the addressing of human trafficking and its pervasiveness on a global scale. One reviewer wrote, she didn’t realize how bad it was. We decided after writing EF that our characters couldn’t simply be exposed to this tragedy and do nothing, so we have added to their story continued support and involvement with organizations dedicated to fighting trafficking and supporting its victims.
Do you have any inspirations for you writing? Other authors / people / events?
My earliest binge reading was Sherlock Holmes mysteries. As an adult I consumed James Patterson, Particia Cornwell, John Grisham, Karin Slaughter. I also enjoy paranormal romances of JR Ward and Sherilynn Kennyon, and can’t have a list of influences without Diana Gabaldon, before there was a TV show! Most recently I’ve become a big fan of Sandra Brown as a model for rom/susp. I admire how Christina Dodd interacts with her fans on social media.
I’d say inspiration for my stories does come from people I meet every day. I learned of the horror of human trafficking from the women and staff at a women’s shelter in Las Vegas. I’m working on a solo project inspired by recent wild fires in the Texas Panhandle. And world events and politics influence many aspects of the SSS series.
...adventure, a little mystery, romance, a few steamy scenes, intelligent characters, and a few surprises.
Tell us about your main characters. Are they based on real people or a product of the imagination?
I think the SSS heroines are somewhat biographical. They share some of our quirks and humor. I can say our heroes are products of men we’ve met, loved and imagined – flaws and all.
What are you currently working on? How long before release?
Winter’s Thaw, the second in the series is due to release in Spring 2019. I am also working on two solo projects; “Smoke”, the story of recovery and redemption following deadly grassfires and an untitled NaNoWriMo novel set in a small Texas town during a Highland Games/Celtic Heritage Festival, also on track to release in 2019.
When you have finished writing the book – what do you do next? By that I mean, do you edit the book yourself? Do you design your own book cover? Do you prepare a project plan to market your book?
We/I do some preliminary editing and polishing, but have discovered professional eyes are best for getting the highest quality product out. After a few attempts to design a cover, I discovered this is another job best left to professionals. There are so many out there, hungry and ready to create.
Marketing is where we are weakest. I think this is true for many authors. As I’ve slowly learned more about self-publishing I know my writing time is cut down dramatically. Finding the balance is proving difficult.
How important do you think social media is for an author?
What advice would you give to make the most of social media?
Like it or not, social media is vital for authors, especially new & self-published authors. My advice is be consistent, be yourself, and keep the sales pitches to a minimum.
Which authors and novels would you recommend as must reads?
Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre
John Grisham, The Painted House
Dennia Lehane, The Drop
Ann Patchett, State of Wonder: A Novel
James Clavell, Shogun
Margaret Mitchell, Gone With The Wind
I better stop here.
If you could sit down with any author dead or alive, who would that be and what would you chat about?
Several summers ago, I “did” Truman Capote. Read everything he wrote. I think I would like to talk to him about In Cold Blood.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing, marketing, or being involved with your book business? Do you have any hobbies?
I cook a lot and love to garden. I substitute teach regularly, to cover book publishing expenses mostly. I enjoy traveling with friends.
Any fun facts about you that you would like to share?
I sing pretty well and will do just about anything on a bet.
Could you tell us about your annual pilgrimage to New York City?
This annual event never actually played out to be annual, unfortunately. Finances, schedules and the working relationship altered dramatically. We have committed to meeting annually in Virginia, at CC Cedras’ home for retreats to work on the SSS novels.
Your website is called Stilettos, Stoli & Scribbles – Served with a twist, what a fantastic title! How did the name come about?
Thank you! Our first connection was not so much as writers but as fans of expensive, beautiful shoes, good martinis and then the joys of writing. As we began to build a platform for three co-authors, we wanted to incorporate those aspects of our collaboration and reflect our heroines. They are sharp dressed and enjoy a good martini too.
Thank you so much for taking part in my ‘Meet Other Authors’ segment. Good luck with your forthcoming second instalment, I hope you can stick to schedule. I know how that can sometimes slip.
You can find Kristine’s books on Amazon and catch up with her on her website or on social media.
