(Or does it choose you?)
At the end of May, AGAINST THE TIDE, the twelfth novel in my AGAINST series is being released. This is the last of three books about the rugged Brodie brothers of Alaska.
Being plot-oriented, I usually work through a story in my head then figure out the best place for the story to take place. Sometimes, as happened with the Alaska Trilogy, AGAINST THE WILD, AGAINST THE SKY, and AGAINST THE TIDE, the setting was an essential part of the stories before they were even conceived.
The concept for the trilogy began with a month-long trip my husband and I took to Alaska–a place that has fascinated me since childhood. Even before we set out, I knew I wanted to write an Alaskan trilogy, but had no story concepts until we set out on the five thousand mile journey north.
It was my second long trip, both of which involved traveling cross-country, staying in a tiny pickup camper. Every day and night spent out in the open filled my head with story ideas. By the time we got home, I had rough outlines for three high-action romantic suspense novels about the rugged Brodie brothers, Dylan, Nick, and Rafe, and the women who loved them.
In AGAINST THE TIDE, Rafe Brodie is the owner of a charter boat fishing company in remote Valdez. Liv Chandler, the beautiful new owner of the Pelican Café, has fled to Valdez, fearing for her life. Liv can’t trust anyone, not even Rafe, the one man who makes her feel safe.
Rafe finds Olivia an intriguing mystery. He’s determined to uncover her secrets, but the woman has a past more dangerous than Rafe can guess. When murder strikes in the tiny town, he begins to believe something terrible is coming. And even in remote Valdez, Alaska, Rafe may not be able to protect the woman he loves.
Though I was comfortable writing Alaska from the months I spent up there and was familiar with the wildlife and mountainous terrain, since I live in Montana, the trip added vistas, sounds, smells, and ideas for some of the interesting characters who appear in the novels.
Setting is always important to a story, in some books more than in others. To help me with the different locales, I use Google Maps extensively. They have street maps, street cameras, satellite views, terrain maps, and still photos, all of which help me see what an area looks like. What an amazing writers’ tool!
Going to the location, of course, is the best way to chose a setting. There are places I couldn’t write about without having been there. Alaska was one of them.
Driving all the way from Montana through Canada, over the Top of the World road, we took a side trip to Valdez. It was raining there, but the scenery was still spectacular. Valdez is the shipping terminal for the great Alaska pipeline, which gave me the plot line for AGAINST THE TIDE.
I try to choose locals that are fun for readers, enhance the suspense, and give insight into the characters.
I hope you enjoy my Alaskan he-man, Rafe Brodie, along with the mysterious Olivia Chandler in AGAINST THE TIDE.
Till then, very best wishes and happy reading, Kat
New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. She is married to L.J. Martin, author of western, non-fiction, and suspense novels.
Kat has written more than sixty-five novels. Sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries, including Japan, France, Germany, Argentina, Greece, China, Russia, and Spain.
Born in Bakersfield, California, Kat currently resides in Missoula, Montana, on a small ranch in the beautiful Sapphire mountains.
Her last eleven books have hit the prestigious New York Times bestseller list. Both AGAINST THE WILD and AGAINST THE SKY, her latest release, took top ten spots. AGAINST THE TIDE the 3rd book in the Brodies of Alaska series will hit shelves in a couple weeks!
New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. Before she started writing in 1985, Kat was a real estate broker. During that time she met her husband, L.J. Martin, author of thirty western, non-fiction, historical, and suspense novels. A resident of Missoula, Montana, Kat and her husband spend their winters in Ventura, California. She is a currently writing her next Romantic Suspense.
With fifty-five novels to her credit and more than fifteen million copies of her books in print, Ms. Martin has been published in twenty-one foreign countries including France, Japan, Greece, Argentina, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, China, and Spain. Here is a short interview with Ms. Martin.
Have you ever suffered writer’s block? If so, how did/do you get past it?
I mostly suffer plotting block…that means I have my hero and heroine in deep trouble and I’m racking my brain, trying to figure out how to get them out. I spend about half the time thinking and the other half writing a book. I make a lot of notes, try to get some input from my husband, who’s also a writer.
What profession other than your own would you love to attempt?
I wanted to be an astrophysicist. Unfortunately, I don’t have that big a brain.
What’s the funniest (or sweetest or best or nicest) thing a fan ever said to you?
I had a wonderful email yesterday from a fan thanking me for the uplifting words I said to her mother who has cancer. Sometimes readers tell me they escape their problem in the pages of my books. I love hearing that.
If you could travel back in time whom would you like to meet and why?
Be fun to meet Buffalo Bill Cody. He was a true hero and a legend, a handsome man in his day, too!
If a space ship landed in your backyard and the aliens on board offered to take you for a ride, would you go? Why or why not?
I would definitely go with them. Life on earth is much too short. Gotta jam in all you can. Imagine what you could learn from a trip to another planet?
What’s the best thing about being an author?
The great people you meet and the places you get to visit to research a book.
What are you currently working on and when can we read it
I just finished the edits for Against the Tide, which is Rafe Brodie’s story. It’s the last of my Brodies of Alaska series, out May 27th. After that, I’m sticking with the Brodies, introducing Nick’s cousin Ethan, a hunky PI and bodyguard who works at BOSS, Inc in Seattle, the first of my INTO books. Into the Fury is book #1, out February, 2016.
You can read more about Kat on her website: www.KatMartin.com.
Or follow her on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatMartinAuthor
Twitter: @katbooks https://twitter.com/katbooks
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/luvromance/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kat-Martin/e/B000AQ0OJQ/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49381.Kat_Martin
Kat’s current book, Against The Sky, will debut at No. 7 on the New York Times Bestseller list.
It is available at the following online stores:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1420133845/
BN:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/against-the-sky-kat-martin/1119437332?ean=9781420133844
Indiebound:
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781420133844
0 0 Read moreI’ve always been a plot-oriented writer, which can be a boon or a burden. When I came up with the idea to write three books set in Alaska, I knew immediately knew I wanted the stories to revolve around three brothers. I had written about the Raines brothers when I began my AGAINST Series with Jackson, Gabe, and Dev, in AGAINST THE WIND, AGAINST THE FIRE, and AGAINST THE LAW.
I loved the interaction between the three men and wanted to try it again. I knew I wanted all three of the brothers to be tough outdoorsmen, the kind of guys who face the harsh challenges of Alaska every day.
Being a plot-oriented author, the stories that came to mind didn’t all fit into one tiny town. AGAINST THE WILD was set in the fictional village of Watertown on the Alaska panhandle near the real town of Wrangell. AGAINST THE SKY is set near Anchorage, AGAINST THE TIDE is in Valdez. The action takes place miles apart, but the Brodie brothers, Dylan, Nick, and Rafe have a very strong bond. The kind of men who are there for each other, no matter what dangers might befall them.
In AGAINST THE SKY, Nick Brodie, a former Army Ranger and ex-Anchorage homicide detective, has a serious case of burnout. He wants a new life, something that doesn’t include violence and death. Unfortunately when his neighbor, twelve-year-old Jimmy Evans, comes to him beaten and battered, claiming his father was murdered, Nick has no choice but to help him.
To make matters worse, Nick has a lady friend visiting from San Francisco. Samantha Hollis, owner of the Perfect Pup pet grooming parlor, isn’t cut out for the harsh life in Alaska. Unwillingly swept into Jimmy’s problems, she finds herself on a wild ride with Nick that leads them both into passion and terrible danger.
Because I write bigger stories, this one pulls Nick and Samantha into the seedy world of drugs and prostitution when they come up against the Russian mafia.
It’s one of my favorite stories–lots of heart in this one.
I hope you enjoy AGAINST THE SKY and that you’ll watch for Rafe, the oldest Brodie brother, in AGAINST THE TIDE, out May 27th. Until then, all best and happy reading.
Kat
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/luvromance/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kat-Martin/e/B000AQ0OJQ/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49381.Kat_Martin
One lucky random commenter with recieve a copy paperback or ebook copy of AGAINST THE SKY. (United States, only.)
With ten or more reality shows about Alaska, it’s becoming clear that word is out on this magnificent jewel of a state.
A lifelong dream of mine was to drive there–a more than five-thousand mile journey from my home in Montana. In the end, Alaska was so wonderful my husband and I made the month-long trip in the back of a tiny pickup camper–two times!
In AGAINST THE WILD, Dylan’s the new owner of an old fishing lodge in remote Eagle Bay, Alaska, a place he intends to rebuild as a home for himself and his eight-year-old daughter.
Unfortunately, the crew working on the lodge are beginning to believe the old place is haunted. So does sexy, red-haired interior designer, Lane Bishop, the woman Dylan has hired to help him with the extensive remodel.
But is the haunting real? Or is it something even more sinister?
There was so much about Alaska I wanted to explore in my writing that the project expanded to include novels for Dylan’s two brothers, Nick and Rafe. AGAINST THE SKY and AGAINST THE TIDE are scheduled for release next year.
I hope you enjoy AGAINST THE WILD and that you’ll look for the next Brodie brothers’ adventure.
Till then, all best and happy reading, Kat
Why does the romance genre dominate book sales? It’s a question that dozens of people have tried to answer. On Valentine’s Day, article after article attempts to explore the concept. Non-fiction books are written about it, essays are printed. Internet sites Chat about it.
Book Trailer Video: http://katbooks.com/AgainsttheMark.htm#VIDEO
RT Book Reviews 4.5 Star Review: http://katbooks.com/AgainsttheMarkRTBookReviews.htm
Excerpt : http://katbooks.com/AgainstheMarkExcerpt1.htm
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