Mary Kay Andrews’ Murderous Secret Identity

Mary Kay Andrews books are transformative.  When you’re done with them, you think twice about your life decisions, and you feel as if you’ve found long-lost sisters.  She takes you down the back roads of America — to little towns and places where traditions and secrets run deep, and friendship runs even deeper.  Her heroines are the kind of women I want to be — brave, able to deal squarely with their problems (okay it might take a few chapters) and move in new directions.

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But if you’re as much of a fan as I am — you might notice that there is always an element of suspense or mystery buried within the pages of her novels.  Well, the reason is finally made clear as Kiss and Thrill reveals that Mary Kay is also mystery writer Kathy Hogan Trocheck.  What a scoop!  Take that all you fancy reporters at CNN.  <smile>  And an even more recent scoop — Mary Kay just bought her dream house, Ebbtide, the one that was featured in her book Summer Rental!

I love Mary Kay’s dual identity more than I can say, because I also write both suspense and women’s fiction and can tell you, Mary Kay is exactly who I want to be when I finally grow up.

Tell us who you want to be when you grow up and you might win a copy of Spring Fever by Mary Kay!  

Today we’re giving away as prizes TEN COPIES of her newest women’s fiction novel:  Spring Fever — a fab read I know you’ll enjoy.  Don’t forget to leave a comment or ask a question to be entered!  Mary Kay is going to try to stop by and answer as many as possible.

(Please make sure you contact us within ten days of  us posting the winners or you’ll forfeit your prize.  Chances of winning depend upon number of people entered.  Winners will be chosen from those that leave comments today and tomorrow at both Kiss and Thrill and Diana Belchase’s website, and you are invited to post comments on both sites for an extra chance to win.)  Good Luck!

AN INTERVIEW WITH REBECCA YORK

Sometimes things just don’t go well.

Rebecca is a fellow member of two of my writing groups.  Knowing the interview/blog was coming up, I had my husband snap a photo of the two of us at a party we attended together.  Rebecca wore this drop dead elegant faux leopard coat, I was in my holiday best.  The photo he got had my hair standing on end and both of us in the midst of smiling.  We ended up looking as if we were gnashing our teeth!  I called Rebecca and told her we couldn’t use the photo and she laughed.  Her husband, who is an excellent photographer, apparently hadn’t gotten a good shot of her that day either.  Oh well.  That’s life, and I’m sure rotten photos plague bestselling authors even more than they do me.  After all, how often have I been in the paper compared to the incomparable Rebecca York?  Glad she could send this lovely photo of herself instead.

Rebecca York

Doesn’t she look mysterious against that black background?  I couldn’t let Rebecca get away without asking her a few questions today!  She graciously set aside some time to let me ask away.  At the end of the interview, please scroll down and see the lucky person who will receive one of Rebecca’s Harlequin Intrigues.   Oh!  Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow for Daphne du Maurier winning author, Roxanne St. Clair, and our own Sharon Wray!  So…. Here we go….

AN INTERVIEW WITH REBECCA YORK

1.  You’re known as one of the premier authors in romantic suspense, how did you start writing in this genre?  What drew you to it?

My first published book was a kids’ science fiction novel called INVASION OF THE BLUE LIGHTS. Then a friend asked me if I wanted to write romances.  I love relationship stories, but I wanted that danger element too, so I proposed a romantic suspense series that everyone turned down. (Some said, “We like this.  Put in more suspense.”  Others said, “We like this.  Put in more romance.”) It turned out to be just what Dell was looking for in the mid-80’s, which got me in on the beginning of modern romantic suspense.

2.  What other genres did you start out in?  Do you ever long to go back to them?

As I said, I started with science fiction.  In a way I’ve gone back to it with all the paranormal I write.  I’ve also written 15 cookbooks, but I’m too old for all the physical labor of  recipe testing.

3.  Your characters are unforgettable.  You write your male characters, many of whom are paranormal creatures, in an exceptionally believable way.  What is your secret to making them seem so real?

I think it’s making them as human as possible. Giving them the emotions, fears and conflicts that we all have.  They may have superhuman traits, but we can always identify with their feelings.

Rebecca’s newest book is Dark Moon

4.  What is your favorite flavor of ice-cream?  Sprinkles?  Nuts?  Whipped Cream?

This is hard.  I love chocolate but also coffee and strawberry. Also peach if I can get it. I don’t like a lot of goop in my ice cream.  Just plain, please.  I will admit that when we were in Italy last May, we often had gelatto instead of lunch.

5.  Your husband is so visibly supportive of your career — he’s awfully cute, too!  So many female writers — and women in general — don’t have that kind of support.  Any words of advice?

Naive me at the age of 18 picked the right guy.  Apparently I could recognize quality when I saw it.

6.  Congratulations on the Romance Writer’s of America Centennial Award, for having written over 100 novels!  A little birdie told me you’ve written way more than that.  How many novels have you written and what does the award mean to you?

Hum, I guess I’ve written about 115 or 120 novels.  And those cookbooks. I think of the award as recognition for a lot of hard work.

7.  You’ve been on the USA Today bestseller’s list forever — and I mean that in a really good way <G>.  How did it feel the first time it happened?  How does it feel when it happens now?  How many books must sell to get on that list?

I have no idea how many books it takes to get on the lists.  How did I/ do I feel?  Excited.  It’s always wonderful to know people like my work.  And I’m hoping they want to read my Decorah Security series that I’m publishing as e-books.  They’re already up on Amazon and B&N.

Now for the lucky winner!  Remember you have ten days to send us your email address.  ………..DRUM ROLL PLEASE ……….

The winner is:  Gabby Diangelo.  Please send us your email address within ten days to qualify.