Monday, January 26, 2015

Today's Special - - Q&A with Kat Martin







Hi, Kat! Welcome to the Romance Dish! I just finished reading Against the Sky…in one day. It refused to let me go!

Thanks so much for having me!  So glad you enjoyed the Book!

Please tell our readers what they can expect from Against the Sky.

Against the Sky is the eleventh book in my Against Series.  Nick Brodie is a former Anchorage homicide detective with a serious case of burnout.  Nick wants a new life, something that doesn't include violence and death.  Unfortunately when his neighbor, twelve-year-old Jimmy Evans, comes to him beaten and battered, claiming his father was murdered, Nick has no choice but to help him.
To make matters worse,  Nick has a lady friend visiting from San Francisco.  Samantha Hollis, owner of the Perfect Pup pet grooming parlor, isn't cut out for the harsh life in Alaska.  Unwillingly swept into Jimmy's problems, she finds herself on a wild ride with Nick that leads them into passion and love and terrible danger. 

A visit to Alaska is on my bucket list. Have you been there? What is it about this state that inspires you as a writer?

I’ve been to Alaska twice, each time for a month, staying in the back of a small pickup camper.  They were both grueling trips and I would do it again in a heartbeat.  There is no place like Alaska.  It’s still a rugged frontier, still a place that reaches out and grabs you.  There is something primal and wonderful about Alaska.

I want to know more about Nick’s best friend, Cord. Do you have anything planned for him? Will he finally get his happy ever after?

I’d like to write three more Alaska books down the road someday.  One for Cord, one for Noah, and one for Derek.  Depends on whether readers would like to return to Alaska as much as I would.  

Are you firmly entrenched in the here and now or do you ever get the urge to revisit historical romance?

I read an occasional Historical Romance.  As for writing one...at the moment I am loving writing the hunky guys in my Against novels.

Readers, have you visited  Alaska? What place is on your bucket list? One randomly chosen person who leaves a comment on today's post will receive a copy of Against the Sky. (winner's choice of kindle, nook or paperback)






AGAINST THE SKY
By Kat Martin

Chapter One


Samantha had almost reached her door when she saw a man walking toward her, tall and heavyset, weaving a little.  His suit was wrinkled, his brown hair mussed and falling over a wide forehead.  Obviously he was drunk.
She didn’t like the leering grin that appeared on his flushed face as he spotted her and staggered in her direction.  Samantha opened her purse and began digging frantically for her key card.  She was still searching when the man stopped in front of her.
     “Hello there, sweetheart.  Aren’t you a pretty little thing?”
She ignored him, kept on digging, couldn’t find the damned card, prayed she hadn’t left it in her room.
“Not talking, huh?  I’m Howard.”  He stuck out a meaty hand she ignored, finally let it drop.  “Want me to help you find your key?”
“No, thank you.”  For once, she wished her purse wasn’t so big.
“Say, why don’t we go downstairs and have a drink?  There’s a lot of great restaurants in the hotel.  What do you say I buy you dinner?”
His words were thick and a faintly slurred, though Samantha didn’t think he was quite as drunk as he had first seemed.
“I have plans.”  Like a soak in the tub and an early evening.  “Please leave me alone.”
Pain-in-the-ass Howard’s bushy eyebrows went up.  “No reason to take that attitude.”  He started crowding her, forcing her back against the door.  She wasn’t very big and he towered above her. 
He moved closer, knocking the shoes she had taken off to soothe her aching feet out of her hand.  “Come on, what do you say?” 
“I told you to leave me alone.”  Samantha set her palms on his thick chest and tried to push him away.  “If you don’t leave, I’m going to call security.”  She pushed, didn’t budge him.  “Please--I’m just not interested.”
“Come on, sweetheart, it’s only a drink.”
He had her completely boxed in against the door, and though her heart was thrumming away, she was more angry than scared.  There were hotel cameras everywhere.  In another second, she was going to scream. 
She might have done it if good ol’ Howard hadn’t suddenly been jerked away like a puppet on a string and slammed hard against the wall.  In an instant, he was facing the opposite direction, spread-eagled, legs splayed, one of his beefy arms forced up behind his back.
“Time to go home, buddy.  The lady has other plans.”
“What business is that of yours?”
Her rescuer, tall and broad-shouldered with wavy black hair, cranked the arm up higher, drawing a hiss of pain.  “I told you the lady has plans.”
“Don’t hurt him,” Samantha said.  “He’s just drunk.”
The most amazing blue eyes she had ever seen swung in her direction.  “He a friend of yours?”
“Heavens, no.  I was just trying to open the door to my room when he walked up and started accosting me.”
The black-haired man turned back to good ol’ Howard, who seemed to have realized the game was up.  “Thanks to the lady, I’m letting you go and not calling the hotel police.  If you’re smart, you’ll walk away, go back to your room and sober up.”
Howard stiffened.  The arm behind his back got cranked a little higher.  Howard hissed and nodded.
“Smart move.”  Easing up a little, her rescuer released him and stepped away.  With a last angry glance, Howard moved off at a loping stagger down the hall, heading back the way he had come.
“You okay?”  
Dear God, the man was handsome.  With his blue eyes, high-cheekbones, and straight nose, he was one of the best-looking men she had ever seen.  The shadow of a late-afternoon beard along his jaw gave him a slightly dangerous appearance that only made him more attractive. 
She managed to drag her gaze away from those arresting blue eyes and found her voice.  “Thanks to you, I’m fine.  Are you a policeman or something?”
“Used to be.  Nick Brodie.  Glad I could help.”
She smiled.  “I’m Samantha Hollis.  You came just in time.  I really appreciate what you did.  Most people would have just kept walking.”
“Not where I come from.”
“Really?  Where’s that?”
Alaska.  Up there, people help each other.  Sometimes it’s a matter of life and death.”  He looked her up and down.  “You aren’t very big.  That bastard was twice your size.”
“As I said, he was mostly just drunk.”
“I guess.”
Trying to ignore the nerves she was beginning to feel, she grabbed the purse slung over her shoulder and started searching again for her key.  She could feel those amazing eyes regarding her with interest.   
“I hope I don’t sound like the guy who just left, but is there any chance you might like to join me for a drink?”
Surprise had her eyes flashing back to him.  “Seriously?  You’re here by yourself?”  Impossible, she thought, for a man who looked as good as he did.
He shrugged a set of impressive shoulders.  He was wearing jeans and a crisp white shirt, his hair curling slightly over the collar.
“I needed a break,” he said.  “Besides, my brother bought me a plane ticket.  I didn’t have much choice.  How about that drink?”
She should probably say no.  She wasn’t going to give him what he most likely wanted.  On the other hand, a guy who looked the way he did wouldn’t have much trouble getting laid. 
And she did owe him for coming to her rescue.
Samantha looked up at Nick Brodie and smiled.  “You know, after my wrestling match with King Kong a drink really does sound good.”
Nick smiled broadly, all white teeth and sex appeal.  The bottom dropped out of stomach.  Oh, my.  Maybe she was making a mistake.
“What are we waiting for?” Nick said.  “Let’s go.” 

Nick wasn’t sure why he’d asked her to join him.  He wasn’t really looking for female companionship.  Or maybe he was, but hadn’t found anyone worth the effort.  He’d come to Vegas to get away, see the city that had always intrigued him, relax, maybe gamble a little--not too much.
Samantha winced as she shoved her feet back into her high heel shoes, and he remembered seeing them in the hall in front of her door where she had taken them off and dropped them.
He was afraid he’d scare her if he suggested she open the door, go in and get a different pair, but he wanted her to be comfortable. 
“I got a hunch those shoes are hurting like hell.  Why don’t I wait for you by the elevator?  Give you time to go in and change?”
The smile she gave him was so full of gratitude he figured he’d scored another point--besides the one he’d gotten for pulling that big bastard off her.  
She opened her purse, found the key she’d been searching for, flashed it in front the lock and opened the door.   “Thanks, Nick.  I’ll be right there.” 
He frowned.  The lady was way too trusting.  He could have pushed her inside and done any damn thing he wanted.  He thought she would have learned her lesson with the bruiser who’d been manhandling her. 
His frown slowly faded, replaced by another smile.  In an odd way, he found her naiveté refreshing.  Still, if he got a chance, he’d talk to her, make her understand the need to be careful with strangers.  Clearly, his cop instincts hadn’t faded, probably never would. 
Time ticked past.  Standing next to the elevator, he checked his watch.  She’d been gone fifteen minutes when he spotted her coming down the hall.  She’d changed out of her pale peach linen suit into a short black skirt, pink and black top, and another pair of heels, just as tall but open-toed and apparently more comfortable.
“Thanks for waiting,” she said.  “I’ve been working all day.  It feels good to get into something that isn’t wrinkled.”  
His eyes ran over her.  “You look fantastic.”  Damned if she didn’t.  With her heart-shaped face and warm brown eyes, he’d thought she was attractive.  Now he could see she was way more than pretty, with a great figure, curves in all the right places, just a hint of cleavage above the neckline of her blouse.  She had taken the clips out of her hair, letting the springy light brown curls that hung down her back tumble softly around her face.  He wanted to grab a fistful, to see if it felt as silky as it looked.





34 comments:

  1. I can't wait to read Against The Sky.I've never been to Alaska but on my buckeet list is Scotland.Thanks for the chance.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Scotland is on my bucket list as well, Carol. Hope you enjoy Against the Sky as much as I did!

      Delete
    2. Hi, Carol-- Been to Scotland and it is terrific! One of my favorite places. PJ. so glad you enjoyed the book! kat

      Delete
  2. Anxiously waiting for Against the Sky.. I have never been to Alaska either but my old next door neighbor went on a cruise there and told me a lot about it. My hubby's cousin was there with his wife 2 years ago and wants to go back this summer and is talking about moving there...don't think I could do the darkness all the time. the places I want to go someday is Ireland England and Scotland... would like a print copy if I win....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't been to Alaska yet either. I have many friends who have taken the Alaska cruise and each time I see their photos I want to go more!

      Delete
    2. I've been to Alaska 2 times, each for a month, staying in a camper. A rugged grueling trip. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

      Delete
  3. I've never been to Alaska. However, both of my neighbors and my daughter have traveled to Alaska. They shared their pictures of fishing from a day trip that departed from Homer, camping and hiking in Denali National Park, with pictures of grizzly bears and moose, the pristine beauty of the glacier, the city of Anchorage and some of it's menus featuring caribou meat.

    My bucket list of places to visit: the Amalfi coast of Italy, Austria and Switzerland, New Zealand, Scotland and Hawaii.

    I've enjoyed several of Kat's books over the years. I would love to read Samantha & Nick's story.

    I would need a print version if I was chosen to win her book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a wonderful bucket list, Laurie! I was able to cross Hawaii off my list a couple years ago. So worth the 11-hour plane ride!

      Delete
    2. Great list, Laurie! I been to all, but in Italy, didn't make it to Amalfi. I've never been to New Zealand or Australia. love to see the placed Down Under.

      Delete
  4. I doubt that I will visit Alaska .... it's a long way from the UK!

    As consolation I hope to visit Iceland and view the Northern Lights, choosing a time when the sun is particularly active.

    I read 'The Gypsy Lord' a while back and loved the writing style .... I'm now tempted by that 'Hunky' Brodie fellow, saving ladies in distress. LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My late husband was stationed in Iceland for a year while in the Air Force. He described the Northern Lights as "magical" and "otherworldly." I hope you'll be able to visit and see them!

      Delete
    2. Gypsy Lord is one of my personal favorites. Writing Contemp is much different. I'm really enjoying writing the hunks!

      Delete
  5. This looks like an exciting story. I have never been to Alaska but would love to visit there someday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maureen, it's definitely exciting. Kept me on the edge of my seat!

      Delete
  6. Love the Brodies! My friend worked for many years in St. Petersburg, Alaska and I always wanted to visit.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I haven't been to Alaska, my parents went many years ago on a cruise and loved it. I have many places on my Bucket list but not necessarily Alaska....I would love to win, I love Kat's books!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have not but a lot of people who I know loved it; my neice and nephew are going this year.
    Patoct

    ReplyDelete
  9. never been there. Hawaii would be my choice.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I would love to visit Alaska - I hear the cruises are wonderful. I would also like to visit Sicily because all my ancestors came from a little town, Cefalo, outside of Palermo.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I haven't visited Alaska--yet. I'd love to take a cruise there.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have never visited Alaska but I am averse to being cold. LOL! My bucket list trip is a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway from CA to WA.

    ReplyDelete
  13. never been to alaska. would love to go to hawai'i again.
    Denise

    ReplyDelete
  14. No, I've never been to Alaska, but it is on my bucket list. I believe it is the last frontier in the U.S. and that interests me a great deal. Now that's for a modern destination. My other bucket list destination is The Highlands of Scotland. I've visited the lowlands and Edinburgh, but the Highlands is where my paternal ancestors are from and I would love to see it up close and personal. BTW, I love the action and romance and locations in your Against series, Kat! Haven't gotten this latest one yet, but I intend to... Thanks for the post and interview. jdh2690@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have always wanted to see Alaska although the older I get the more I hate the cold. I do enjoy reading books with an Alaskan setting, however.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ireland, Alaska and Australia are all places I'd love to visit!! Maybe one day.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Really enjoying the great comments! I think everyone is a little fascinated with America's last wilderness. Lots of us would like to go to Australia. So darned far away! Still...a definitely bucket list place for me.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Not yet, but taking a cruise to Alaska has been on my bucket list for years! It seems so different from other places I've visited, and the scenery looks fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the scenery is fabulous...its so rugged and totally remote.

      Delete
  19. Alaska is on our bucket list. We had wanted to go this year, but decided to wait until my husband retires. We will go either next year or the year after. Scotland and Ireland are on our bucket list and that trip may come first. We enjoy traveling and want to take the time to enjoy seeing all we can. We travel on a pretty basic level. Things don't have to be fancy. You see more of the country and the culture that way, and can travel longer. I figure we will get one opportunity to make the big trips, so we better make them count.

    Best wishes for a successful release of AGAINST THE SKY.

    ReplyDelete
  20. thanks, Pat. I made a mistake when we traveled to Ireland and had it too well planned. Friends warned. Said to stay at local B&Bs. Would have had more fun. though our visit to Ashford Castle was spectacular.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I wouldn't mind visiting Alaska someday but my big, bucket list trip would be to New Zealand and Australia :) Congrats to Kat on the new release! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete