...read all about it !!!
Welcome KD, so great to have you here with
us. Can you tell us a little about
yourself?
I live in the great state of
Maryland with my wife and dog. During
the day, I work in a law firm. I’ve
written a number of non-fiction works, but this is my first novel—now,I’ve been
trying to write this first novel for what seems like forever, but perhaps like
a good wine it just takes time to come together.
Do real life events find their way into your
stories?
Yes, but I try not to be too
obvious. Also, real places I’ve visited
or lived at.
Do you ever mimic family members or people you
know when you choose characters?
Not family usually (they’re kind of
boring, actually), but definitely some of the more colorful people I’ve met
over the years can see a hint of themselves in some characters. Bu usually, I
find myself drawing on great characters I loved in books I read.
Do you find yourself going back to the same
inspiration for each story or is it always something different?
There are some themes I enjoy
reading, and so they tend to reappear. I
love underdogs. I love redemption. I love characters refusing to give up even in
the face of hopeless situations and impossible odds. So, I want that stuff in
my story.
When do you write? Early morning? During the day sometime or all
day? After the kids go to bed?
A typical writing day for me begins
at about 4:30am. I’ll write until 7am or
so and then go to work. At work, I try
to edit stuff I’ve already written at lunch, and then I’ll edit some more after
work. So, my truly creative writing stage takes place in the early morning dark
with a cup of coffee and a deadly silent house, interrupted only by the sound
of my snoring dog who insists on sleeping at my feet wherever I am. Sigh.
How do you feel about marketing your book?
Writing the book was like running a
marathon—Just put one foot in front of the other and don't think about how many
miles you still have to go. Promoting it
is beginning to feel like running a second marathon. There’s so many millions of books clamoring
for attention that it’s a real chore trying to be heard above the din. I
thought I was social media savvy before, but there is a lot I didn’t know and
have had to learn—mostly the hard way.
You have to endure a ton of
rejection getting a book published. I
knew that going in. What I didn’t quite
realize is that you have to endure another ton of rejection promoting your book
too.
What social sites do you feel work best for marketing?
Definitely Twitter and blogs that
focus on particular subgenres. You need to go where the people are at who are
the readers for you type of book. And
chef Boyardee, it bit ain’t easy—and with that, I think we may have the start
of the lyrics to a really bad country song.
Do you like to pitch stories to your publisher
or do you wait until you have written the story and have a final manuscript to
turn in?
Final manuscript, definitely.
Is there any other genre that you would love to
try writing? If so, what is it?
Yes, science fiction. As a kid,I grew up hooked on the genre—I
loved Andre Norton, Heinlein, Asimov, etc. One day I’m going to take the plunge
myself.
Do you always/ever see yourself as the
heroine/hero when you write a story?
I’m always the
anti-hero/heroine. The hero/heroine is
always the person that made the right choices I didn’t make.
Just for fun, I have a few personal
questions,
Favorite 5
1) Favorite
Male Actor - Russell
Crowe
2) Favorite
vehicle – Chevrolet Camaro (my car)
3) Favorite
way to relax – Listening to my playlists
4) Favorite
ice cream – The darkest chocolate available
5) Favorite
outfit – Plain, worn out jeans and a sweatshirt
And for a bonus: If you could pick any place in the world to
live, besides where you are now, where would it be? (Of course, without the hindrance of jobs or
money needed)
I stay in the states, I like it
here, but I’d probably go back to where I spent many years growing up–Seattle.
Where can our readers find you??
Email: kvbrunt@gmail.com
Twitter: @kdvanbrunt
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kdvanbrunt
Website/blog: www.kdvanbrunt.com
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21395951-win-the-rings
Is there an upcoming or current release you
would like to share with us today and where can we find it?
My book WIN THE RINGS was published
on March 7. You can read excerpts and bonus content and click through to Amazon
to buy at my website (www.kdvanbrunt)
or here (www.evernightteen.com).
Backcover:
Jace has been the
property of the U.S. Army since they found out about her when she was five, and
now she has become one of its most valuable weapons. But Jace is not the only
one of her kind. Gray is one too, but with the help of his sister, he has spent
most of his sixteen years hiding from the Army.
Now, the Army has found
out about Gray and they cannot allow him to roam free. Operating on the theory
that it takes one to catch one, Jace is send out with a special ops squad to
hunt Gray down. But Jace is not the only one pursuing Gray, and the competition
is after her too. What ensues is a desperate chase through city after city as
duty and honor collide with love and sacrifice.
Okay, one last thing before we let you leave us today. Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? I like to cook and am always looking for new
recipes to try and share but it's totally up to you.
I love to cook too. Here’s a favorite of mine:
Reisling Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken cut into 8
pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter,
divided
4 medium leeks, chopped
2 tablespoons shallot, chopped
4 medium carrots, chopped
diagonally in one inch pieces
1-1/2 cups of a nice Alsatian
Riesling (the rest of the bottle for the cook)
1 1/2 pound small red potatoes
2 tablespoons tarragon,
chopped
1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy
cream
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Steps
* Preheat
oven to 350F with rack in middle.
* Sprinkle
Chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
* Heat
oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a wide 5-quart heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high
heat and brown chicken. Transfer to a plate. Pour out the oil.
* Cook
leeks, shallot, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining butter, covered, over
medium-low heat until leeks are pale golden.
* Add
back chicken, skin sides up, with any juices from plate, carrots, and wine and
boil until liquid is reduced by half.
* Cover
pot and braise chicken in oven until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.
* While
chicken braises, peel potatoes, cover with cold water and add 1 1/2 teaspoons
salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are just tender (15 minutes
or so). Drain in a colander, then return to saucepan. Add tarragon and shake to
coat.
* Stir
crème fraîche/heavy cream into chicken mixture and season with salt, pepper,
and lemon juice, then add potatoes.
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