Terrific Tuesday with K.T. Bishop:)

Welcome! Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest release.

For those who doesn't know, I am K.T. Bishop and I write romance novels at Red Rose Publishing. My latest release is Catching a Cuban Curveball, which came out during Memorial Day weekend. It's the sequel to Curing a Cajun Cold. Arnaz Booker, the hero, finds out his real father was alive. He goes on a journey to find his dad.

Have you ever had an idea for a story which scared you after you began writing it?

The first thing I wrote four years ago.

Have you incorporated actual events from your own life into your books?

Actually, yes. The College Love 101 series-- Curing a Cajun Cold and Catching a Cuban Curveball, were loosely based on my experiences at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee during the summer of 1990. It was the greatest year of my life and a life-changing experience for me. My life didn't end up that way, leading me to twisting the story around.
I enjoyed Curing a Cajun Cold!

How much research do you do? Do you research first and then write, or do you write first, then research as needed?

I spend a lot of pre-writing time in the research mode, depending on the subject matter. I am a stickler for detail and love to have all of my facts in place before writing. My research can last a few hours or even take several days to complete. It's something I enjoy.

Is there any message you want readers to take from reading your work?

K.T.: That every story has a happy ending and true love conquers all.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? And have you ever had a story take on a life of its own?

Curling Up, my third release, was called Feel the Fire. It was rejected and originally revolved around a gymnast and swedish skater for the Summer Olympics. I rewrote it and changed the title to Curling Up, detailing that same Swedish skater around a black curler. It worked out pretty well, as I landed a contract after the rewrite.

I sooooo want to read this one next!

How long did it take for you to be published?

Two months after landing my first contract with Red Rose in the spring of 2008. Another book was released that summer with them.

If you could go back and tell yourself anything when you first began your writing career, what would you say?

I should've gotten into the business 10 years earlier. Paperbacks and hard

covered books were in high demand. Ebooks have now taken over and print books depend on sales.

Laptop or pen and ink? What are your ‘must-haves’ when writing?

I can go both ways. I use the laptop when the internet's available. When I am at the bookstore or at events, the pen and notebook comes out.

Who are your favorite authors? Who would you say influenced you the most?

Susan Elizabeth Phillips showed me that sports romance novels can be successful. Carly Phillips, Joanne Rock, Pamela Britton, Destiny Blaine, Lori Foster, Bella Andre, and Kate Angell are also among my favorite authors to write about this genre.

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

That I am a sportswriter in my day job.

For Fun:

Mountains or Beach?

Beach

Favorite amusement park ride?

Roller Coaster.

Favorite drink?

Mountain Dew

Thank you for being here today! Please tell us where we can find your books.

Red Rose Publishing

Catching a Cuban Curveball
College Love 101 Series: Book 2
K.T. Bishop

Mainstream Romance: Contemporary, Inspirational, Interracial/Multicultural
ISBN: 978-1-60435-710-3
Cover Artist: Nika Dixon
Editor: Crystal B
Word Count: 7,656
Release Date: May 27th, 2010

Arnaz Booker was told his father had died in a car accident before he was born. Working on a college project, he searched for family information in the garage. He stumbled upon letters from Cuba addressed to his mother. He read through a couple and realized his father was still alive. He located his father in Los Angeles and took an internship on the West Coast to meet J.C. Valden.

Somewhere along the lines, he has to go find himself as well as his father. But behind Isis waits for him. Will Isis be there for him once he gets the answers he needs or will she have moved on and he struck out?

Excerpt:

Hours before Jax arrived to pick him up for the airport, a storm hit Holt, Alabama. The constant flash of lighting and heavy raindrops pounding onto the roof and sidewalk at four-ten in the morning interrupted his sleep. Arnaz rose from the bed, turning on the lights, and made sure he had everything packed.

He placed the letters back into the huge container in the basement. He jotted down quotes and dates from the correspondences to throw them in Valden’s face when he got to the west coast. “I’m going to get some damned answers one way or the other.”

By the time he dressed, the storm passed through. He stared out the window as the sun merged from the white, overcast skies. The cuckoo clock in the living room read 5:45, fifteen minutes from Jax’s arrival.

Clara, wiping her eyes, emerged from the bedroom and saw the suitcase under his arm. “I forgot you were leaving today.’’

“Yeah, it appears that way,” Arnaz snorted.

“The house will be so empty without you.”

Arnaz’s gaze moved from Clara to the front door, where an image of Jax stood banging in the glass on the door. “Excuse me, my ride’s here.”

She wrapped her arms around him, but he pulled back from the embrace and screamed, “Get your goddamned hands off me!”

Clara suddenly exploded into tears, crushed by the rejection.