|
ABOUT KELLY
Hi, my
name is Kelly Conrad, and I've always
loved to write. I excelled in English
class at school, and always thought I
wanted to be a writer. It's very
difficult to tell you just when I began
writing. In looking back, I would have
to say my writing career began as early
as elementary school when I sat in Study
Hall and thought up names for romance
novels. Can you see it? A list of hot,
sultry titles that my teacher snatched
away from me and turned red as she read
them? I was a bit undisciplined to say
the least, and spent a lot of time in
the principal's office.
Later I began writing stories for my
friends to read. The first story was
about a teacher who had an affair with a
student. Oh, my! Even then my
imagination was in overdrive! After that
my life took off in several directions
until the day I decided I wanted to get
back to my first love, writing. Since
I'm from Texas, the most natural thing
in the world for me is to write a
western ménage with lots of heat.
Depending on the story line I might ad a
touch of suspense to give it an extra
kick.
I lived my life as a big-haired blond. I
have blue eyes, and I like that
tear-jerkin' western music, and I even
sing some. I love square dancing, and I
speak with a Texas twang (me and Dolly
Parton). Although I'm new with Siren
Publishing I hope to entertain you with
some great books in the future.
By the way, I think Dolly comes from
Tennessee. I'm telling you that so you
won't get us mixed up. Yeah, right!
INTERVIEW
Q: What do you like most about writing?
A: I guess what I like most about
writing is creating great characters
that can live up to, and overcome, the
precarious situations I put them in. I
don't like weak men. I like the hero to
be strong and take control, but it
tickles me when a strong heroine comes
along that is every bit his equal and
refuses to take any guff from him. This
promotes sexual tension between the two
which can lead to some very hot love
scenes.
Q: …and hate most about writing?
A: What I don't like is that blank page
in the beginning. I try to begin my
story, and each chapter, with a hook,
and end each chapter with a cliffhanger.
Of course, no matter what happens there
will always be a happy ending, but I try
to give my readers a rip-roaring ride
before they get there.
Q: Is it difficult to choose a
name for your character?
A: It's a challenge I like to be faced
with. You have to consider the setting
your character is in, as well as where
he comes from, and his background. For a
Southern setting you not only have to
pick a Southern name, you also have to
consider accents. I've been told by some
well-meaning Northerners that the South
is almost like a different country.
Also, I like to give my villains names
that sound dark and dangerous. For
instance, can't you just see a
gunslinger named Bart wearing a black
hat?
Q: Do you have to get in the mood
before you write a love scene?
A: Actually, since I'm working and in
the middle of conflict, action, and
dirty rotten villains, I'm never in the
mood when I begin writing a love scene.
I simply begin writing and as I describe
the scene, I can't help but imagine
myself there in the bed with my
characters. That's when I get in the
mood. The test of a good love scene is
if you feel it while you're writing it.
If you are moved by your words, then
your reader will be moved as well. If
you have to do something to get yourself
in the mood, what can I say? Erase it
and start over. But this time let the
words do it, not…something else.
Q: Which comes first, the story,
the characters, or the setting?
A: The story always. I have a folder in
my computer that has many, many story
ideas, but I haven't had the time to
develop them yet. An idea can grow out
of one scene, and one scene can become a
book, and one book can become, what
else? A bestseller.
|
