**To enter to win autographed copies of Fangs for the Memories, Any Way You Want It and an ARC of I Want You to Want Me, please send an email with your name and mailing address to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   with KATHY LOVE in the subject. The contest ends on June 27, 2008, after which the winner will be chosen randomly and notified via email. Only one entry per mailing address.    

By Christina Radish     

Kathy Love at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention Book Fair held at the Hilton Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 19, 2008.

Now, Love is working on her latest venture, that started with Any Way You Want It, about the leader of the vampire bar band The Impalers, for which the follow-up, I Want You To Want Me, hits shelves in August. She recently took time out from writing to talk to MediaBlvd Magazine about writing such character-driven stories.

MediaBlvd Magazine> How long have you been writing, and have you had any formal training?

Kathy Love> I grew up in a small mill town, in the mountains of Maine. I sold my first book in 2002, and I’ve published 10 since then. I don’t have any formal training. I majored in English in college, but never put that to use until I started writing.

MediaBlvd> When and how did you decide that you wanted to make a career out of being a writer?

Kathy> I knew I wanted to be a writer in junior high. I used to read Harlequin Romances, and rewrote them to have the plot twisted and endings I wanted. This was before the days of “fan fiction,” but I’m sure if that had been available to me, I would have been totally addicted to it. I was basically doing the same thing.

MediaBlvd> Where did the confidence come from that enabled you to sit down and write your first novel?

Kathy> I’m not sure it was confidence. It was just knowing that I wasn’t happy in any of my other jobs, and I’ve had many -- Atari consultant, sales clerk, receptionist in a hair salon. While I wasn’t exactly unhappy, I wasn’t content. And, the desire to write never left me. So, I joined my local chapter of Romance Writers of America and tried to learn the best way to get my books written and read by editors.

MediaBlvd> What was it about the romance genre that attracted you? Had you been a romance reader as well?

Kathy> I’ve been a huge romance reader since junior high. I love the guarantee of a happy ending. I don’t read to feel badly. I read to escape, and those are the kind of stories I want to share with others. There is definitely strife and some angst in my stories, but they will always leave the reader on a high note.

MediaBlvd> You decided to give up writing for awhile, in the beginning. What led you back to it?

Kathy> I did decide to give up the idea of writing, right out of college, because I didn’t know how to go about getting published. But, the need to write just never disappeared. So, I had to give it a shot and, thankfully, it worked.

MediaBlvd> When you made that decision to return to writing, how long did it take you to get your first novel published?

Kathy> It took me about two years, and that was mainly just getting my first book written. I was very lucky to find a wonderful editor, Kate Duffy at Kensington, very quickly. She saw potential in my work and has backed my writing ever since.

MediaBlvd> For those who are not yet familiar with your work, can you talk about who the Young brothers are and what those books are about?

Kathy> For people who have read a lot of vampire romances, they’re not quite the vampires that they’re going to expect. There is definitely humor, but I do think there is a lot of emotion there.  But at the core of these stories is the romance.  All the vampire angst isn’t gone, but I think they’re dealing with it in interesting ways, like repressing their memories, and doing AA to give up blood and blogging about it.  But they are absolutely romances. They have a happy ending, but I’m trying to mix it up and give something different.

MediaBlvd> Did you come up with Rhys, Christian and Sebastian at the same time?

Kathy> Actually, Rhys came to me, absolutely fully-formed. In my original version, he had his memory, but he came to me when I heard the song “Iris,” by the Goo Goo Dolls. He just appeared in my head. Very often, I get one character very, very clear, and then I try to think of somebody who, essentially, has the same problems, but is coming at their troubles from a totally different angle. So making Jane this naive, small-town girl who is completely taken out of her element, and then having Rhys be this jaded guy who has secluded himself in his own little world, they both want the same thing. They both want family, they both want happiness, and they both, essentially, want acceptance.  They want lives--really happy, fulfilling lives. They just come at it from different angles. Now Christian, Rhys's brother is another story. You would never picture Christian going to a trailer park, but there he is with his beautiful car. He’s always been wealthy and he’s always been gorgeous. And then, Jolee, his heroine, comes from this terrible family and grew up poor. But, actually, they’re the same. They both want to overcome very unpleasant pasts.  I really enjoy doing that with characters. I really enjoy taking characters that, if you read the back cover, you initially think, “These two aren’t anything alike,” and making them almost exactly alike, by what they want. If you haven’t read the books about the brothers, hopefully you’re going to laugh and hopefully you’re going to root for them. I’ve had readers say, “Oh, man, I teared up when this happened.” I actually teared up myself, all the way through the writing of Ellie and Mason, with the Stepp sisters books. I was so attached to this book because I loved these two characters so much. When I put the book into the mail for my editor, I actually moped because it felt like my friends had left me. And, I actually felt that way about Jane and Rhys. I also felt that way about Sebastian, the youngest Young brother, a little bit, although I knew I was writing Elizabeth’s book and Sebastian would be back in full-force in her story. With Christian and Jolee, I was like, “Just go away, I’m done with you!”  So books are harder to write.  And Christian's was.  But part of why I write series is because I actually like to know what happens to these characters. With Jane and Rhys, it was easy because Rhys is so serious that he’s almost the butt of the joke, all the way through. Sebastian is the humor. But, in Sebastian's book I Only Have Fangs For You, it totally flipped.  Sebastian was still funny, but suddenly Rhys got a lot funnier because he could just show up and be lighthearted--and Rhys was already over his angst and living in his happily ever after. Secondary characters are always easier to make funny than lead heroes and heroines. Also there’s always a character who takes over, and Sebastian absolutely takes over every book he appears in. You put him in a scene, and you might as well forget everybody else.

MediaBlvd> How soon was it after you began to explore the Young brothers did their heroines come into play?

Kathy> I did create the Young brothers first, but I had ideas of what their heroines needed to be, almost right away. For Sebastian’s book, when I originally came up with the idea of Mina, I actually had her much more victimized. She was raped and turned into a vampire against her will.  But, I write for Brava, and the Brava line has to be steamy and there has to be a lot of sexual chemistry. I originally had it that she was really scared of Sebastian. I called (fellow author) Erin McCarthy and said, “Okay, he touched her wrist and she ran away. How am I supposed to get these two in bed?” I had to rewrite her. I honestly rewrote the first 80 pages of that book, probably five times. She was a really strong character, and she was just terrified of him. I could not get her calmed down. It took me a long time to get her to a point where she wasn't just going to fight Sebastian.  I was like, “Sebastian is so nice. Why are you running away?” I have all those crazy moments, which I’ve now learned to embrace. When you meet other people who write, you realize we all struggle with our characters, and you realize, “Okay, I’m not as crazy as I thought!”  

MediaBlvd> Can you talk about the Stepp sisters and how you came up with the idea for them?

Kathy> With those stories, I just went with a basic fairy tale idea. How I pitched them to my editor was to say, “Forget Cinderella. This is the Stepp sisters chance at love.” I wanted them to not be the typically beautiful, romance novel heroines. That was the right kind of twist to give the stories, to mix it up a little. They are straight-forward, small-town romances. I’m very comfortable writing small-town.  Having grown up in a little mill town, I'm comfortable writing that setting, and all the characters who reside there.  So, the Stepp sisters are small-town, and they’re feel-good books. I root for the underdog, and these heroines are just that. For some reason, Chase seems to be the one of those three heroes that gets the biggest response. I’ve actually had people email me and ask, “Do you have Chase’s address?”  I wish I did, but I wouldn’t be giving out to others.  I’d be keeping it for myself. 

MediaBlvd> Do you have a favorite of the Young brothers, or Stepp sisters?

Kathy> As far as the Young brother go, Sebastian is my favorite of the Young Brothers, absolutely. Although, Rhys is a close second. And, I would have to say that Ellie is definitely my favorite Stepp sister. To me, she’s the typical woman we’ve all known.

MediaBlvd> Which one of the Stepp sisters do you think is most like you?

Kathy> Probably Ellie. Definitely not Marty. I’m only about 5'2". I always wanted to be taller. But you always want to be what you aren’t, I suppose. And, I definitely was always the chubby kid.  I think I was writing Ellie as the person that I was in high school. Writing has given me a lot of confidence. I’ve actually gotten letters from readers saying, “Ellie’s a doormat. She’s not a believable character at all.” Yet that is the character I identified with the most, so it’s funny to me she gets that strong a reaction.  Then again, I also get readers saying they identify with her totally. It’s interesting. Writing is an extremely subjective business. Somebody could hate your book, and the next person could tell you it’s the best book they’ve ever read. I’m fine with a review that says, “I’ve read her other stuff and this seemed sub par.” I don’t believe any writer sits down to write a bad book. I just think plotlines and characters resonate with some readers and don't with others.  Also the more successful an author becomes, the more they are driven to produce.  So some of that sparkle in the first books may be lost in later books. I think that’s a common problem because, if you’re selling, publishers do want more, faster.

MediaBlvd> You have a great ability to write the perfect love interest for your characters. Does that come easy for you, or do you have to put a lot of thought into that aspect of your stories?

Kathy> I put a lot of thought into my characters. I believe I’m very much a character-driven author. In romance, the characters and their relationships to each other are the main focus of the story. Making them believable, making them sympathetic and interesting, and making their love emotional is my goal. You have to care about the characters to keep reading. You can have the best plot in the world, but if you don’t like the characters, there’s nothing. I think that is especially true in romance.

MediaBlvd> Is the fact that you’re such a character-driven writer something you do intentionally, or does it just turn out that way?

Kathy> It turns out that way. I don’t do it intentionally. The characters absolutely pop into my head first, and then I create plot around them. Granted, when I’m writing a series of books, I know who the characters are. I knew who Elizabeth was, even when I still thought she was dead. (I decided she was alive and a werewolf when I finished the second book.)  But, I always think of a character first, and then the plot just pops in. And, I almost always think of one character first, and then I make up who I would want them to be with. I’ve had a lot of mixed reaction to Mina because Sebastian is so the ladies man and so good looking. I think a lot of people wanted to see him with someone equally as good looking as he is. In my mind, he needed to stop being shallow and he needed to start seeing somebody for who they really are. I didn’t picture her unattractive. I think she worked at making herself unattractive. She was a really fun character to write.   She was fragile and feisty at the same time.  She’s also clumsy. I’d never read a vampire who falls down. Vampires don’t fall down. They’re always graceful and they’re always in control, and she just falls down randomly, all the time. You’ve just got to write the characters you see in your head and not worry about what other people will say. You’re never going to write a book that everybody is going to love. The best thing you can do is be passionate about it. That’s going to reflect on the page.

MediaBlvd> Which is the hardest character you’ve ever written?

Kathy> The hardest character that I’ve written was Abby because she’s an overachiever, she’s uptight and she’s regimented. She is not me. I am the most disorganized person. And so, writing somebody who’s a very linear thinker was very difficult for me. In fact, I had to keep writing to my critique partner at the time, who is very much that way, to ask her, “Is this how you would think?” The hard part is when you start writing characters who aren’t anything like you. I’ve written a few characters who aren’t anything like me. But mostly, I think there is some of you in a character. Although, I swear Sebastian is funnier than I am. Sometimes he would just make me laugh out loud. I don’t normally wander around, laughing at myself, but once in awhile, after writing a scene where he was particularly humorous, I'd be  like, “Man, you crack me up!”

MediaBlvd> You have a lot of humor in your books. Is that something that comes from you, or does that evolve out of your characters?

Kathy> People tell me I’m funny, but I think the humor in my books does come from my characters. Not all my characters or the situations in my books are humorous. But, certainly some of my characters make me laugh, so hopefully, they make the readers laugh too.

MediaBlvd> Is writing sex scenes easy for you, or did you have to learn to get more bold about it?

Kathy> To be honest, when I was writing stories way back in my younger days, they had sex in them. I have always written that. One thing that I find difficult about writing sex scenes is keeping them different. A lot of times, I will write a sex scene very loosely and then go back and try to put in more dialogue and make it more personal. I write a lot of sex in my Brava books. I hope that the sex scenes aren’t just gratuitous. I hope they bring the characters closer together, or actually tear them apart. They should serve a purpose. If I’m not feeling particularly like taking on that challenge, I will skip over those scenes and go back to them. Also, I have a critique partner who is rather rabid about sex scenes, so she’ll call me on it when I’m being lazy.

MediaBlvd> What was it about romance writing that appealed to you? Is that a genre you plan to continue in, or are you also looking to branch out, in the future?

Kathy> As I said, I like a happy ending. I don’t mind a book making me cry, or moving me strongly, but I have to know things will turn out alright in the end. I don’t think I will ever write anything without any romance at all, but I would like to write darker stuff, with an ending that still leaves the reader feeling satisfied that the main characters will be okay.

MediaBlvd> When did your interest in writing vampires start?

Kathy> I actually became intrigued by vampires when I was very young. I happened to come downstairs when my parents were watching Roman Polanski’s The Fearless Vampire Killers, which is a black comedy, but being only about six years old, I didn’t actually get the humor. I was scared and fascinated. From there, I just wanted to know more about the creatures. Maybe because what I was first exposed to was indeed comedic, that did influence my later decision to write humorous vampires. I’m not sure.

MediaBlvd> With books like this, how do you find the right balance between the story and the romance to make sure the story is not too heavy on one or the other?

Kathy> I tend to be a fairly organic writer. I don’t do a lot of plotting. Because I’m character-driven, that just seems to naturally balance itself out. I think I am a little bit heavier on character than plot, sometimes. With Abby and Chase, there wasn’t much external plot. There’s Summer-Ann, the desperate ex-girlfriend who wanted Chase back, and Abby doesn’t want to move back to that town, but the story was really about those two getting to know each other. I guess you could call that the romance, but it’s also the plot, too. It’s not a big, giant plot. They’re not blowing up stuff.  But, it’s these two characters, really getting to know each other, so that you can start caring about the characters. Hopefully, there is enough plot to maintain it. Sometimes, I do go into it thinking about how I’m going to balance the sex scenes because the Brava books need to be heavier on sex. It depends on whether the characters are really digging each other. With Sebastian and Mina, it was harder to get them together because Mina had so many hang-ups. When I wrote Ellie and Mason, they were just crazy attracted to each other, right from page one. I actually cut sex out of that book. It was a Zebra, another imprint at Kensington, which tends to not have as much sex. My editor actually called me and said, “I’m totally digging it. I bought the sex. I bought the chemistry between them. But, you have to tone it down.” And, I don’t even think I toned it down that much. Those two were just totally into each, as soon as I threw them together. It took Jolee and Christian longer to get there. And, that’s just character. It’s not my plot plan.                                                    

MediaBlvd> Do you feel like the location you set a book in also become its own character?

Kathy> I do. In Rhys and Jane’s book, Fangs For The Memories, the backdrop of New York City isn’t much of a character. It’s just where they are. But, in Christian and Jolee’s book, Fangs But No Fangs, the karaoke bar became a character. Even the trailer park became a character. For me, it’s easier to write small-town because of the setting. New York plays more of a character in Sebastian’s book, but Sebastian has more love for the city and I think that comes across more.

MediaBlvd> Can you talk about Any Way You Want It? What is that about, who are the characters in it, and what inspired that idea?

Kathy> Any Way You Want It was inspired by a trip to New Orleans and all the live music playing on Bourbon Street. Fellow author Erin McCarthy and I actually befriended some of the musicians there, and came up with the idea of The Impalers, a vampire band pretending to be a vampire band, so they could exist right out in the open. The musicians even agreed to play at conferences for us. The Impalers, as they are named, have now played Heather Graham’s Writers for New Orleans Conference (www.theoriginalheathergraham.com), and they just played the Romantic Times BookLovers Convention (www.rtconvention.com) in Pittsburgh. The hero of Any Way You Want It, Ren D’Antoni, was a classical musician on the cusp of renowned success, just before he was crossed over as a lampir. Lampirs are energy-sucking vampires. So, he retreats, but never quits music. When the book starts, he’s a lead singer in a Bourbon Street cover band. The heroine, Maggie Gallagher, authenticates classical music, either to prove a certain discovered piece is actually real, or to figure out which composer may have written an unsigned piece. She’s just received a large shipment of unsigned compositions, which are, of course, the works of the hero’s. There are also curses, an evil mother, lots of bad choices and, ultimately, a happy ending. I had a lot of fun writing that book.

MediaBlvd> Is that something you are turning into a series, or did you write that as a stand-alone novel?

Kathy> I also wrote Ren’s brother, Vittorio. His book, I Want You To Want Me, will be out in September 2008. Vittorio is also being tormented by their evil mother, but in this case, the ante is upped because his mother has really lost her mind and is a very real danger. There’s also a demon willing to do anything for some information. And, Vittorio’s heroine doesn’t have a clue what danger she is in, just knowing him. That was very fun to write as well. I love these characters, especially Maksim, the demon. In fact, his book is the one I’m working on now. So, yes, these are a series, and Ren and Vittorio do make appearances in later books.

MediaBlvd> Do you have any specific writing habits, like a particular location or time of day that you prefer to write in? Do you write every day?

Kathy> I’m a horrible procrastinator and I put off writing. I also do have a 6-year-old daughter who talks as much as I do, so I can’t get anything done during the day. I can’t even edit or anything. I go out to write. I have written whole books in Starbucks. I can drown out other people, but I can’t drown out my daughter. And, my critique group has a joke that I apparently can’t write a sex scene unless I’m in public. I also write at night. I will just pack up my bag at 6 pm, and go out and write until the coffee shops closes. I actually tend to be a really a really fast writer and I probably could write a lot more books, if I didn’t procrastinate so much. I get myself down to the wire and then I can really write quickly. That’s one thing that I’m trying to work on. As I get more of a name, I am going to need to write more books, so I need to be more disciplined about writing between certain hours. But I am a terrible procrastinator. I’ve been known to clean toilets rather than write. It’s pathetic, which is weird because it’s something I actually enjoy doing. I enjoy thinking about writing more than sitting down and doing it. I do make soundtracks for my books. I put those on, in the car, and I just drive and things come to me. There are a lot of authors who will say, “I can’t have any noise when I write,” but I’m not one of them.

MediaBlvd> How do you juggle being a full-time writer with being a full-time mother?

Kathy> When my daughter was younger, it was much more difficult. But, now that she’s in school, I find it a lot easier. I have plenty of time to write now, but I still have to set aside definite time to write. And, I’m not a morning person. I write a bit in the afternoon now, but mostly I write after my daughter goes to bed. The difference with her being in school is that I can now catch a nap. It’s easier to write with a little more sleep.

MediaBlvd> Would you ever like to see any of your books made into a movie?

Kathy> That’s my fantasy. Truthfully, I think it would probably be more likely to happen with the Stepp sisters. That would be fascinating to me.

MediaBlvd> Are you the kind of writer who prefers to plot, or do you prefer to see where the story and the characters take you?

Kathy> I definitely know where I’m starting and I know where I’m ending, but in between is always sort of vague. I’m not a big plotter. That being said, I do write myself into corners, more than occasionally, in which case, I have to step back and try to figure out where I’m going wrong.

MediaBlvd> Do you enjoy getting feedback or suggestions from fans? Has there been one character that you’ve written that readers have responded to the most?

Kathy> I love to hear from readers, and quite a few of them have given me suggestions, mainly in regard to which characters they want to have a book of their own. As far as characters that readers have reacted to strongly, I have to say that would be Sebastian, the hero of I Only Have Fangs For You, and Mason, the hero of Wanting What You Get, one of the Stepp sisters books. Most readers have liked Sebastian a lot. He’s charming and cheeky. I loved writing him. I swear, he’s far funnier and silver-tongued than I am. Mason has gotten mixed reviews. He’s an alcoholic. Not a recovering one, but full-blown and in the height of denial about his condition. Some readers love him, relating to his pain and denial. Others hate him. And, Ellie, Mason’s heroine, also gets a strong reaction. As I said before, I love that character, but readers seem to have a love or hate reaction to her. I’m pleased with both reactions, actually, because my characters are touching a nerve, and that’s what a writer wants, whether it be good or bad.

MediaBlvd> Do you have a favorite book or story that you’ve written?

Kathy> That’s a tie. I really love Wanting What You Get and I Only Have Fangs For You, for the reasons above. I felt strongly about the characters in those books, and I think that translates to the page, which is why they’ve gotten the most reaction. Although, Any Way You Want It holds a special place in my heart because it’s the beginning of a new series, and it was created with the help of some dear friends.

MediaBlvd> What is your proudest accomplishment, thus far?

Kathy> Being an author has been my dream since grade school, so I’m extremely proud and thrilled that I’ve been able to make this my career. But, my daughter is my proudest accomplishment of my personal life. She’s the most important thing to me. She keeps me anchored and strong.           

MediaBlvd> Do you know what’s next for you?

Kathy> I just sold three more paranormal romances, which will stem from characters introduced in Any Way You Want It. These books will mix up many paranormal elements and creatures, such as demons, a half vampire/half werewolf and psychics. I’m having a lot of fun with making the paranormal world my own, with my twists. And, I’d love to write a historical paranormal. All my books have been contemporaries, so I’d like to try my hand at historicals. I read historical romance and always have, so I’d like to give one a shot.

MediaBlvd> Is there something that you’d like to write, that you haven’t gotten the chance to write yet?

Kathy> I want to do a dark historical that would take place after the Civil War, about a voodoo priestess who was a slave who was given to the son of the family to work at his plantation. He’s actually a practicing magician, like Aleister Crowley, and he was utilizing her in sexual rituals of magic. So, it’s pretty dark. She’s pretty messed up. But, she was learning voodoo and eventually learned to combine his knowledge of magic with her knowledge of voodoo, and she actually became more powerful than he is, so he let her go. He released her because he was actually afraid of her. I’m hoping it’s going to be a series, and the premise is that these two characters run through, fighting each other. I’m hoping that you won’t know who’s the good one and who’s the bad one, and who’s really evil and who’s really not. They will still have a romance, but there will be another storyline that runs through, of the actual characters of that book. In the first book,  the heroine is a woman who’s Irish and who’s been cursed by the fae, so she’s part fairy, but they want her dead because of her magic. And, she’s actually a prostitute who can make herself look like anything any man wants because she’s party fairy. Her hero is a man who lost his wife, who he was madly in love with, and they end up coming together because she pretends to be his wife for him. It’s a very bizarre little story, but I’m hoping it’s going to work out. That’s pretty rough because I’m just starting to plot and outline it, but it’s definitely going to be darker. I do need to outline this idea, because the history and timeline is important. My choice in doing historical was to cut down on some of my humor. I don’t think I can pull it off as easily in historical times. Those two characters -- the magician and the voodoo priestess -- will run through all the books. Each story will be about these people who come to her for help. That woman comes to her for help to cure her curse. I hope they’re going to be cool.

MediaBlvd> Are you going to keep writing in the paranormal genre now, or do you think you might return to writing contemporary romance, at some point?

Kathy> I am staying in paranormal romance. I’d love to go back to my contemporaries, but they are on the back burner, for now.

MediaBlvd> What kind of advice can you offer to other aspiring writers who are not only looking to get published, but who would also like to have a long-lasting career?

Kathy> Write the book and submit it. Just keep writing and keep submitting. Once you take that step, you’ve already done the scariest part. Yeah, the rejections suck, but the worst part is just putting that first baby in the mail and letting it go. And, don’t give up. I can’t say this enough, but don’t let anybody change your voice. Even if you get rejections that say that they don’t like your voice, don’t mess with it. There’s going to be another editor who totally gets your voice. That’s the one thing you can’t mess with. I had a critique partner who just tried to change everything I did and if I had listened to her, I wouldn’t be published. I’m really glad I didn’t listen to her. Just be really wary of that. Make sure that the people you’re showing your stuff to are people that you trust.