It’s time for a bit of Straight Talk with Debra Kayn!
When you are getting ready to start a new book, what’s the first thing you do? I usually blab it on Twitter. Nothing is sacred since Twitter came around. lol Then I write the first chapter. I’ll later go back and clean it up, but I have to get it out of my head for the rest of the story to start making sense. Oh, and I have a thing for Wasabi peas when I’m writing. So that’s a must.
Have you had any fun fan moments since you became a writer? I’ve had a few! One reviewer read one of my books, and it reminded her so much of her father, she contacted him after years of being estranged from him. She wrote me crying and thanking me. The next weekend, her dad visited her and they went on a Harley ride together. If that’s not a happily ever after, I don’t know what is!
Then there was a lady who stopped me in the store and asked if I was Debra Kayn. I might’ve looked a little shocked, but it turned out she recognized my hair from my website. She kept repeating, “I’m not a stalker, really. I read your book.” It was very funny.
I also have loved the reader emails from the Sisters of McDougal series. There are so many women who’ve lost their dad or their grandpa, and wanted to tell me their story. I cherish those emails.
If you could have dinner, coffee, or drinks with a fictional character, who would you choose and where would you go? I’m weird. I don’t like coffee (I know, don’t hate me). So, I’d invite Roy Lee Hanson, the husband of Margot McDougal, to dinner at my house. I’d grill a mean Angus burger. Then I’d loosin’ him up with a few whiskey shots. Once that was done, I’d plan some fun way we could hook up Roy Lee’s half-brother Ryan (aka Cityboy) to a wild cowgirl. That guy needs a woman…bad!
What was the inspiration for your book? Rodeo Rebel has everything I love in it. I love the country life, cowgirls and cowboys, and family. Most of all, I connected with the McDougal sisters because my dad passed away when I was 16 years old. All the sisters reacted differently to losing their father in the story, and I was able to express all the different ways I felt losing my own daddy. So, I have to say telling how much I loved my father inspired me to write the book.
How difficult is if for you to come up with a title for your books? It depends. Sometimes titles come to me before I even start writing. I love when that happens. Other times, I finish the book and I’m still struggling with a title. Luckily, I’ve had wonderful editors who help if I pick a bad one. I tend to be a little cheesy. As an example, I thought “Save a bull, Ride a Cowboy” would’ve been a good one for Rodeo Rebel.
Where does the magic happen? Where do you write? I have a desk in the family room, and I write on my desktop computer. That’s the only place I write. If I’m on my laptop, I become too distracted by Twitter and Facebook to write. I also love chaos and noise. If the kids have their music blaring or a houseful of their friends over, I’m in my zone. I can’t write in silence.
Aside from writing, what do you do in your free time? I’m a grown-up tomboy. I love to ride motorcycles, play tennis, and fish. I spend a lot of time with the animals, and even have them join in the fun. That’s how I taught a 270 lb hog to go jogging with me every morning.
Do you prefer print books or eBooks? I’m a Kindle girl. I would die without it! I take it to bed with me, in the truck, and to all appointments. It’s all about the 1-click, baby. I am so addicted.
What’s in the works for you? Lots! I have a new book contracted in the Indulgence line at Entangled Publishing that I’m so excited about. I’ve also turned in several submissions. I’d tell you more, but it’s hard to type when my fingers are crossed.
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