Q&A With Kat Martin 

A few days ago Kat Martin was kind enough to reply to my email and agree to do a Q&A with me. Kat is the New York Times Bestselling author of Historical and Romantic Suspense novels. 

Q: So Kat, what fascinates you about writing historical and romantic suspense novels? 

Bianca–I started writing historical romance because I am a history buff.  After about 40 novels set in the West and in England, I switched to Romantic Suspense.  Today, I write even bigger plots and the books are labeled Romantic Thrillers.  I love the intrigue of mystery, adding suspense and romance.  It’s fun to link all of that together in one novel.

Q: When did you realize that being an author was your calling in life? 

A:  I began to realize it as I helped my husband edit a historical novel he had written.  It was intriguing work I enjoyed, which made me start to think of writing a novel of my own.  Once I started, I was hooked.  I realized writing was the work I was meant to do.

Q: What is your advice to anyone wanting to write historical and romantic suspense novels? What is your advice to anyone dealing with writer’s block and how do you deal with it?

A:  Persistence is the secret to success.  Just keep writing, keep doing what you love.  Never stop learning as you go along.  Keep trying to get better.  In regard to writer’s block, I don’t think there is an easy answer.  Researching your novel will help.  Aside from that, just keep writing.  You can always rewrite or change your mind

Q: Is it fair to say any of the characters in your novels are somewhat based on people you know? I love it when authors create fictional characters and base them off of real people they know. 

A:   I would guess that subconsciously some of my characters are based on real people.  If I like the looks of someone, I keep them in my mental file.  I also cut ads out of magazines with faces on them.  That helps me focus.  Other than that, it’s mostly my imagination.

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to any of your novels? 

A:  I would love to have one of my books made into a movie.  I had an option on the first book in my Texas series, Beyond Reason, but it never went very far.  I think it would have made a great TV series. A billionaire and a lady trucker.  It’s a fun read, I think.

Q: If you’re writing a new novel now, are you allowed to reveal any details?

A:  For my next novel, I tackled a very unusual project, which I just turned in and will be released in October.  I wanted to write a ghost story.  I had written two earlier, both based on true incidents and both were well received.   This one was very emotional for me.  When I started researching the book, I had no idea where the information would lead me.  It was a difficult story to write, but one I am very proud of.  The name (unless they change it) is Ghost Illusion.  You are the first to know about this!

Q: What is your advice to new authors on how to deal with negative feedback whether it’s negative reviews, online trolls and friends and family members who are not supportive of their writing goals?

A:  That can be a tough problem.  I was in real estate when I first started writing.  All of my friends thought I was crazy.  Even my mother.  They finally accepted my new career and became supportive.  One thing I don’t do is read my reviews.  I hate the black paint poured in my bucket.  Read the good reviews and forget the others.  There is always a know-it-all who thinks they can do it better.