Interview with Romantic Suspense Author Katy Eeten!

Welcome to Readers Write to Know! I asked you, my readers, what questions they would ask their favorite authors if given the chance, and the authors visiting my blog answered them! This week I’m excited to have author Katy Eeten as my guest. I love it when I discover another author who has had a dream that had to become a book! That’s how I started writing in the first place (you can read about it here). I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did. Katy is giving away a copy of her latest release! Read on to see how you can enter to win!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I live in southeast Wisconsin with my husband of 24 years and our two teenage sons. I’ve always loved to write, and I’m grateful I’ve been able to turn that passion into Christian fiction. I’ve published five contemporary Christian romance novels and novellas; A Stalker to Die For is my first romantic suspense. I work full time in the corporate world, but I try to find time for what I love. That includes writing, reading, taking walks, baking, traveling, and playing games with my family.

Tell us about your current release.

A Stalker to Die For is a window into the online dating world. Well, hopefully Ashley’s experience with online dating isn’t a common one, but it does show how one bad date can spiral into a full fledged stalking situation. Thankfully, she finds respite in Jackson, the man hired to paint her house. Together, they navigate the escalating antics of a man who won’t take No for an answer.

With all those characters in your head screaming to get out, how do you write fast enough to get it all down?

This is a great question! I’ve been blessed with the ability to type over 100 words per minute, so that definitely helps get thoughts into written form. I also use the Notes app on my phone when inspiration hits during inconvenient times. It’s so frustrating when a good idea hits and I think I’ll remember it, only to wrack my brain in vain hours later.

Where’s the strangest place you’ve ever had a great writing idea?

I remember having a dream while staying overnight at my in-laws one weekend, and when I woke up, I just knew I had to turn the concept of the dream into a book. And that’s how my novella Christmas in Meadow Creek was born!

Who were some of your favorite authors as a child? (Book series, maybe?)

As a child, I devoured the Sweet Valley Twins book series. I remember going to the school library every week and hoping the next book in the series was available to check out 🙂 I was also a big fan of Beverly Cleary and the Ramona series as well as Judy Blume. Classics!

What is one thing that you never saw yourself doing that you either do now or have done?

I never saw myself managing people at work. I was always a “doer” – just tell me what needs to be done, and I’ll get it done! However, a few years back, after 15 years in the same position at my company, I decided to apply for a Supervisor position … and I got the job! I spent almost three years in that role before deciding to move on to another job at a totally different company. I’m proud I took the leap, but I don’t think I’ll ever pursue that type of role again.

I often wondered – when you sit down to write that first line or paragraph in a new book or novella, is it difficult to get that started, or do the words flow easily?

Yes, that opening scene can be a challenge to tackle! Sometimes, I start out with a different scene or chapter that gets more into the “meat” of the story and then circle back to the beginning once the juices are flowing. And often, I’ll change the first line or scene entirely once the first draft is fully written. I know from my own experience that if the reader gets bored right away, they may not stick with the book, so that first scene is crucial to get right!

How hard is it to come up with names for your characters? What are some of the sources you use?

Coming up with names is fun for me! I just use my own imagination and make sure no two characters have similar sounding names so as not to confuse my readers (ex: if the heroine is Amy, I don’t want her best friend to be Amber. The dual “Am-” could be easily mixed up!).

Find Katy Eeten online:

Website: katyeeten.wordpress.com
Amazon author page: Katy Eeten on Amazon
Goodreads: Goodreads
Facebook: @KatyEeten
Instagram: @KatyEeten