Author Talk With KT Egan

 

Personal writing has become quiet popular over the last year. More people are picking up reading as a hobby and fans are reaching out to their favorite authors. YA Romance Author KT Egan stopped by today to chat with us about being a writer.

 

I’ve taught several writing classes over the years and the most common question is regarding how an author begins and evolves. Tell us about your career in a nutshell.

KT: I’ve been writing since I was five years old. My parents were both avid readers and they had always been super supportive of me following my dreams. I have one book published and one that will be published next May.

 

I’m normally a smut miser but do enjoy any good romance. All You Hold On To is one of my favorites. I look forward to your next book. Tell us about what you write.

KT: I write contemporary romance, mainly for YA and NA audiences. I don’t think I could ever write historical fiction – I studied history and literature in parallel in college and I loved it but I don’t have the passion for historical fiction the way I do for other things.

 

Do you have a special place you like to write or any quirks when it comes to writing?

KT: Not really…I’m more of a ‘need to write while I’m inspired’ type of writer. I can write anywhere as long as I have some background noise.

 

I always have to have my tunes playing when I write. I find a lot of fans enjoy authors plays lists. Do you ever get to meet your readers?

KT: I haven’t had the chance due to the pandemic…but I’m really excited to be able to get the chance in the future.

 

I’m sure that will happen. I look forward to catching up with you at writers/readers conv. It’s great fun chatting with readers in person. I’m sure you catch up with everyone via the net tho. What is a question most people ask you?

KT: Where did I get the inspiration for the plot of the series.

 

We’ll save that answer for the interview in May. *wink, wink* What is the strangest thing you’ve Goggled while working on a story?

KT: I once Googled about eight different can designs for Folger’s coffee cans – it was a very miniscule detail to the story I was working on but something I was determined to get right.

 

They say (I’m not sure who THEY are) that good writers are good readers. What is on your TBR pile right now?

KT: A ton of ARCs from some really awesome authors, and Tinder Fella by Jennifer L. Schiff

 

Are you a daydreamer?

KT: I think that, to be a good author, you need to be a daydreamer. You need to find yourself getting lost in your head, at least every once in a while. And for me, that does seem to happen a lot – maybe a little bit more than I would wish for.

 

So true. Now to get a little silly…If we were to take a sneak peak in your purse, what would we find?

KT: Some dairy digestive pills, a ton of handsanitizer, and at least three tubes of lipstick.

 

FUN STUFF:

EBooks or Print? EBooks

Wine or beer? Neither – I’m not much of a drinker

Coffee or tea? Tea

Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla

What is your biggest “girlish” vice? (Nails, shopping, chick flicks?) I need to have my nails done constantly.

Romantic dinner at home or dinner out? Dinner out

What is your favorite flavor or ice cream? Strawberry or vanilla

 

Thanks for joining us today, KT! 

 

Connect with KT Egan:

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

GOODREADS

 

Make sure to check out her book, All You Hold On To.

BUY NOW ON AMAZON

Aspiring author Roxanne Wortham lives a comfortable life in Las Vegas. She spends her days at her nine-to-five job and comes home to her boyfriend, Ethan, and an unfinished novel that she can’t seem to crack. Her life is simple— that is, until she gets a phone call saying that her childhood best friend and ex-boyfriend, Maverick Sterling, has been in a near-fatal car crash.

As Roxanne discovers that she still has power of attorney over his affairs, she places her life on hold and rushes to Maverick’s side in Scranton, Pennsylvania. While helping him to recover, memories of childhood and old relationships resurface, making it difficult for Roxanne to balance her new life with her old one. Roxanne is left to sort through complicated feelings from her past alongside the realization that Maverick may still have feelings for her— and even worse, she may still have feelings for him, too.

 

 

#WritingPrompt - Personal Landscape

     It's lovely but cold winter morning in my neck of the woods.

 I have a Writing Prompt to help encourage you to write and keep a journal. 

Sit comfortably with your notebook and pen. Write for 10 -15 minutes.


EXERCISE: PERSONAL LANDSCAPES

It's snowy winter here in Michigan 

and I have some amazing memories of growing up in my winter wonderland state. 

BFFs Trish, me, and Erin.

Picture winter in your childhood or some years back. Think of an outdoor place or landscape that was special to you. It may be a location you saw frequently, somewhere you went occasionally, or a place you visited only once. It could be a field, a road, a river, beach, playground, zoo, mountain, view from a window, the outside of a building. 

Describe the place, picking out features that were important to you. Include any sounds, colors, textures and smells you remember. Explain how you felt about the place and also how you feel as you think and write about it now.

     

How To Keep a Journal

As a young girl, I kept diaries and journals filled with thoughts and poems. I continue to write in a journal and have a couple special ones just for recording adventures during family vacations. 

However, over the years taught high school and college students as well as senior citizens how to keep a journal. Writing down thoughts and experiences not only holds memories but also allows the mind to blossom in creativity.

Start blooming today!

Simple rules of keeping a journal:

* Sit in a comfortable place where you won't be interrupted for a few moments.

* Don't spend alot of time. Set a timer if needed. Use only a few minutes to write. Think of it as drinking a glass of water rather than an entire gallon. Once you get the  hang of it, you might have times where your thoughts may take up several pages.

* Don't be a critique. Journal entries are raw. Think of them as rough drafts if your wish, but don't change them. It may ruin the beauty of the words. If editing is your thing, save the original and edit a copy. Keep every draft you make. I've done that and it's fun to look back at the growth.

*Keep a journal in a notebook or on a computer. It doesn't matter. Whatever is comfortable to you. I like a journal I can hold and carry. There is something about writing with a pencil on paper that feels good.

* Don't just write, keep other things in your journal. Paste a poem or comic that you enjoyed. Clip an article. Save those doodles! Keep inspirational photos.

A Journal Writing Prompt - In This Moment

Are you snowed in? Are you in self-isolation? Are you in lock down mode? 

Many people have taken time during covid to begin writing or at least keeping a journal.

Writing in a journal is a great way to relax and escape.

Here's a little Writing Prompt 

to help train your mind to write, 

to exercise your brain, 

to get you started putting thoughts down.

IN THIS MOMENT 

Sit comfortably with your notebook and pen. Write for 10 -15 minutes.

This exercise is one of my favorites. 

Read the following questions then close your eyes.

What sounds do you hear? Do you notice any odors? How is the temperature?

Are you in a relaxed state?

Now, open your eyes and immediately pick up your pen/pencil 

and write about the first thing that comes to mind.

          

Leading Ladies & Fellas

When I was a teenager way back around 1980, my mom belonged to the Harlequin Readers Service and she would receive a box of romance books every month.  She would pour over those books with a hunger only another book lover would understand. Sometimes I'd sneak a book and hide in the basement to discover the adventures that lie within the pages.

Mom’s favorites depicted historical with brawny manly men such as cowboys and damsels in distress or rich educated hunks such as doctors with an established woman in search of a man accepting of her liberation.

As I grew as a reader then became a writer, I came to appreciate the variety of characters behind well written romance stories. Personally, I don’t care for the wimpy gal who can’t tie her shoe without help. However, a gal does have the right to be doted on by a loving man…as long as she tends to her own footwear, unless he’s taking off said footwear to give her peds some undivided attention.  After all, who doesn’t love a good foot massage?

Anyways…..back to my original trail of thought.

Creating characters is actually pretty fun. (That is until they take over a writer’s mind and keep thus writer up all night until a scene or story is finished.) Let’s take the overly confident guy who helps a meek gal find her inner sensuality and eventually turns the table on him. He becomes empty and she is the only one who can fill him. This is much like my characters in Crow Magic. The hero in this story is the first of several Native American shifters I create; this one is a Crow shaman.

Let me tease you with a couple characters…. 

how about a dominating hot cop and a submissive lawyer? Sounds hot! In Handcuffs & Silk, the rough, tough female cop learns a bit about herself when she has a one night stand with a hot male big-city lawyer who’s a bit submissive and passive. 

The hero in Eagle Dance is a huge man with wild hair who is a big softie inside. He is looking for a woman to appreciate the simple things with him. He's the second Native American shifter, a sexy eagle and retired Marine. His leading lady is chasing a ghost but slows down for pizza and a hot shower scene. 

I’m a sucker for a good romance story with well built characters. 

(Not referring to muscular build…well maybe. Duh!) Nonetheless, 

I believe heroes can have weakness and leading ladies can be strong. They are certainly fun to create!

What kinds of characters in leading roles do you prefer?

#WednesdayWritingPrompt - Patterning

Patterning is making a list in which you repeat the same form of words to introduce each item. The repetition helps release ideas and feelings. It’s also a chance to play with words. The list becomes a kind of rhythmic writing which can have a very strong effect and may even turn into a poem!

Are you  ready to begin?

Sit comfortably with your notebook and pen (or electronic device).

Write quickly, without thinking too much and enjoy experimenting.

Take one of these opening phrases and write a line with it, then add lines for six minutes. Feel free to share!

Choose from the following:

I feel...

I want...

I don’t want…

My life is…

I wish I could…

In my perfect world…

Today I am…

#WednesdayWritingPrompt - Negative and Positive

Sit comfortably with your notebook and pen.

Positive: List three experiences you have had that were interesting, satisfying, illuminating or uplifting. Choose one of the experiences and write about it for seven minutes, concentrating on your feelings and thoughts.

Negative: List three experiences you have had that upset, angered or disturbed you in some way. Choose one of the experiences and write about it for seven minutes, concentrating on your feelings and thoughts.

Here’s an example from Jim Johnston

I was dizzy by the time I found the room where they did blood tests. Outside, it was a waiting area full of people. I couldn’t sit down, paced up and down. Frightened of a little jab, I sneered at myself. “You’re not a child of ten. You’re supposed to be a man of 32.”

“Something wrong?” The nurse was a slight little thing with kind eyes.

I couldn’t help myself: “it’s the blood, I can’t bear the sight of it.”

 “No problem, “she smiled. “We’ll make sure you don’t see any. You’d be surprised how many we get inhere like that, my little love.”

Little love! I’m over six feet. She barely reached my elbow. We both laughed and suddenly I was half crying, saying. She sat me down with a paper cup of tea. I’ve never felt such a fool in my life!

#WednesdayWritingPrompt - Desert Islands

It's a chilly Wednesday in my neck of the woods. Temp is 18 degrees and only a little snow on the ground. On the bright side... we have sunny. Let's escape the cold and visit a desert island. Here's today's Writing Prompt to help train your mind to write, to exercise your brain, to encourage you keep a journal. Use these prompts to break a writer's block if needed.

EXERCISE 3: DESERT ISLANDS

Sit comfortably with your notebook and pen.

You are marooned on a desert island. It is warm, without dangerous creatures, offers plenty of easily obtainable bananas, coconuts, other fruits and fish to eat as well as fresh water and tree shelter. You have time on your hands.

Write for three or four minutes about each of the following:

A.   What and who you would most miss, explaining why.

B.   What you would be glad to get away from.

C.   Which two objects you would choose to have with you from your home to make your life more bearable and give it some interest. (Phone, radio and TV are not available.)

D.   How you would cope with isolation and structure your time.

Wednesday's Writing Prompt - Personal Landscapes

It's Wednesday and here's a Writing Prompt to help train your mind to write, to exercise your brain, to encourage you keep a journal. Use these prompts to break a writer's block if needed.

Sit comfortably with your notebook and pen. Write for 10 -15 minutes.

EXERCISE: PERSONAL LANDSCAPES

 Picture an outdoor place or landscape that was special to you in your childhood or some years back. It may be a location you saw frequently, somewhere you went occasionally, or a place you visited only once. It could be a garden, a road, a river, beach, playground, zoo, mountain, view from a window, the outside of a building. 

Describe the place, picking out features that were important to you. Include any sounds, colors, textures and smells you remember. Explain how you felt about the place and also how you feel as you think and write about it now.

Simple rules of keeping a journal:
* Sit in a comfortable place where you won't be interrupted for a few moments.
* Don't spend alot of time. Set a timer if needed. Use only a few minutes to write. Think of it as drinking a glass of water rather than an entire gallon. Once you get the  hang of it, you might have times where your thoughts may take up several pages.
* Don't be a critique. Journal entries are raw. Think of them as rough drafts if your wish, but don't change them. It may ruin the beauty of the words. If editing is your thing, save the original and edit a copy. Keep every draft you make. I've done that and it's fun to look back at the growth.
*Keep a journal in a notebook or on a computer. It doesn't matter. Whatever is comfortable to you. I like a journal I can hold and carry. There is something about writing with a pencil on paper that feels good.
* Don't just write, keep other things in your journal. Paste a poem or comic that you enjoyed. Clip an article. Save those doodles! Keep inspirational photos.

Wednesday's Writing Prompt - How are you?

Well... it's Wednesday. Here's today's Writing Prompt to help train your mind to write, to exercise your brain, to encourage you keep a journal. Use these prompts to break a writer's block if needed.


IN THIS MOMENT part 2

Sit comfortably with your notebook and pen. Write for 10 -15 minutes.

 Describe yourself, how you are sitting, your mood, feelings, preoccupations, the thoughts that come into your head.

Technical Tip: Always remember to write in a way that is comfortable to you. During small exercises, don't get hung up on grammar, punctuation and such. These are meant to help you get thoughts down on paper as quickly and efficiently  possible. If you wish, keep a second journal to "edit" your work. Voice of experience, keeping the raw/rough draft can be inspiring sometimes years later. It's much like keeping your child's kindergarten painting years after your child grown. Have you ever looked at school items your parent saved from your younger days? How did you feel? Maybe write about it.