Kristan Higgins in the Lair!

by Joan

The Bandits are pleased to welcome award winning author Kristan Higgins to the Lair. Kristan’s HQN title “Catch of the Day” won the 2008 RITA for Single Title Contemporary at the RWA conference in San Francisco. Kristan’s wit and heart are expertly woven into the most entertaining, wonderful stories of life and love that I’ve read in a good long while.

Welcome to the Lair, Kristan!

Thanks for inviting me, Joan! Ahoy, Bandits!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I'm the product of good old American middle class normalcy. Nice nuclear family, wholesome upbringing, dogs, horse, tree fort, stuff like that. Small liberal arts college, English degree, low-paying but interesting jobs. I'm married to a great guy, live in my hometown, am mommy to a lovely daughter and adorable son. Not too exciting to read about, but definitely wonderful to have!

I think my defining trait is that I'm a hard worker. Goes with being a Connecticut Yankee. We tilled the rocky soil and got stuff to grow. We're not whimsical people...you say you're going to do something, you get to work! That's something that's served me well as a writer...I'm not sentimental about my own work. It's just my job to make it as good as I possibly can. I love my books, of course, but I'm also my own sternest critic. It sounds harsh, but it actually saves me a lot of time.

Many authors say they’ve been writers all their lives. How about you? When did you start writing?

I didn't start writing fiction until about eight years ago, but I'd always worked as a writer, which definitely helped when I did sit down to write a novel. I didn't have to learn about things like "show, don't tell," having come from advertising world. As a copywriter, I wrote every day. I had to write bright, vivid copy that got your attention, and I had to do it on a deadline. I was lucky, because when I started writing fiction, that muscle was already pretty developed.

But despite the lack of any real fiction writing until not too long ago, I feel like I've been a writer since I was a teenager. See, I read Gone With the Wind when I was 13. My copy was 1042 pages long, and I spent 1041 pages believing that Scarlett and Rhett would get back together. When the ending came, I was, no exaggeration, devastated! Being 13, I had no appreciation for subtlety, so I spent much of my teen years imagining that famous couple back together...all those missed opportunities taken, Scarlett's stubbornness abating for just a minute, Rhett's pride dropping enough to say those three difficult words. I read Gone With the Wind 14 times. In a row. This should give you an idea of my teenage years. Picture me, glasses, bad perm, a bowl of ice cream by my side, sitting in the cellar on a hot summer day, reading. (Now that I think of it, the only difference between then and now is that my hair is better...)

You do a masterful job of crafting a heroine you want to cheer for as well as a hero you long for. Which do you find easier to write?

Thanks for the 'masterful,' Joan! So far, I've written in first person, so I'd say the heroines are easier, since I'm right there in their heads. I do love the heroes, of course. First person is fun, because everything that the narrator states is true may not be. That's why I love writing that way...if, for example, I'd given Malone in CATCH OF THE DAY his own point of view, he wouldn't have been nearly so interesting. In my opinion, anyway.

One of my favorite parts of writing is when I outline the hero's character. I always swore I'd never write a brooding alpha male...I've found that if I've sworn not to do something, it probably means I should do it. So I figured, what the heck? Let's do a brooding alpha male. But I wanted him to have reasons to be a loner, to be brooding, to be reluctant to talk about...well, in Malone's case, to talk about just about anything. I figured his actions would tell the readers everything. Making up his history, family background, personality...that was fun. My heroines tend to come to me fully formed, but the heroes take a little more time. It's amazing, too, how true it is...your characters take on a life of their own. Sometimes it feels like I'm not really writing...I'm channeling.

How did puppies get to be the focus of your covers?

The marketing department at HQN loved Digger, the dog in my first book (FOOLS RUSH IN). And who doesn't like a dog? That cover was so charming that the publisher ran with the theme. I hadn't deliberately decided to have a dog in every book, but I do love dogs (Digger is actually based on my own sweet dog of the same name). I don't think I'm going to have a dog in a book just for the sake of it, but I write about women who are looking for commitment. Having a pet shows commitment, so it feels natural that my heroines are also pet owners. In the book I'm writing now, I think I'm going to have a cat. This is a blatant suck-up move for my own two cats, who adore and snuggle with my children but ignore me unless they need to go out. And in. And back out. And in again. I'm just the doorman in their eyes.

The You Tube video of the trash talking ST finalists was hilarious. Did you find it hard to embrace your inner Soprano?

My inner Soprano is alive and well! Actually, I've always loved doing different accents (you should hear me reading Harry Potter to my kids). But doing it for public viewing...much, much harder! I had to send my family out of the house for the filming. It took me about 10 tries. Originally, I'd wanted to have my own dog in the clip, but he kept licking my face or jumping off the couch, so I had to go with a prop. I actually had someone approach me at the National conference, not because she'd read my books, but because she recognized me from the video.
:-)
(Joan: Gulp, {sheepish look})

What did it feel like to win the coveted RITA award?

Well, I won't lie. It was one of the happiest nights of my life. Definitely in the top three. First of all, I got to wear a GOWN! I haven't worn a gown since my wedding day! That was prize enough. I really didn't expect to win...Rachel Gibson, anyone? The great Susan Andersen? Jennifer Greene? In fact, I'd say CATCH OF THE DAY was definitely a dark horse candidate. So when the presenter read my title, I was stunned, and just so, so happy. Floated around for days. Still can't quite believe it.

Your latest release “Just One of the Guys” features a beagle with a fireman’s helmet and your DH is a firefighter. Was he your inspiration?

Absolutely! I'd been waiting to write a firefighter hero, and I can't tell you how much fun it was to both honor and gently mock the firefighters I know, including my DH. My husband is definitely a hero. He's done amazing, extraordinary things...my son and I once watched him drag an unconscious man from a burning building. He's picked up severed limbs at accidents, calmed strung out teenagers, made hearts beat again, and he does those things with a grace and calm that are astonishing. That being said, he can't make our bed to save his life, and he refuses to follow directions when driving.

One of the best things about writing JUST ONE OF THE GUYS was having my husband read it. He doesn't read my stuff until it comes out, so it was awfully touching to see him get all teary-eyed when he read the dedication. It's to him, of course.

You share on your website that you like to bake. We have quite a few bakers in the Lair ::cough:: state fair winners ::cough:: What is your favorite thing to bake?

Ooh! I love to bake. I have a few blue ribbons myself! I love to bake apple pie, because it makes the house smell so good. Chocolate chip cookies are a specialty...let's see...banana bread, rice pudding, sponge cake. All my recipes are from my grandmother, who was an amazing baker. At Christmas, I make Hungarian cookies, which are so complicated and difficult that I always say if I don't cry, I'm doing something wrong. But the pay-off is wonderful, and I'm the only one in my very large extended family who bakes them, so I'm quite adored come December. In the book I'm working on now, the heroine is a baker. I feel it's my job as a good writer to eat as many pastries as I can...all in the name of research, of course.

Now I have a question for the Bandita’s and their BB’s. One of the things I hear a lot is that my books are “standard” romantic comedy…..my characters aren’t famous people, ex-military or extraordinarily gifted, and I tend to close the door on love scenes. What books have you read that veer off the beaten path but deliver the goods anyway? I have to confess that Loretta Chase’s “Lord of Scoundrels” did that for me. An ugly hero who had really, really good reason to shy away from love . From page one of that book there was a tension and electricity in that book that didn’t stop till the end. So how about you guys?