Welcome to my stop on Kristy McCaffrey’s Deep Blue blog blitz with Love Books Tours!

Many thanks to Kelly @ Love Books Group for arranging the following interview with Kristy McCaffrey…..

For those who don’t know you already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

Thanks so much for having me today! My name is Kristy McCaffrey and I write contemporary adventure romance as well as historical western romance novels. I’m an Arizona native, and live with my husband in the desert north of Phoenix with our two dogs and youngest child. My three older kids are grown and gone. My education is in engineering, but I’ve been a passionate writer since I was seven years old.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Book ideas come from everywhere: the news, magazines, the internet, tv, films, and my own curiosity.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

Sometimes I use real people as inspiration, but ultimately I develop the character that I need for my story. Character and plot go hand-in-hand for me.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

I often use a baby book to get started, but sometimes I’ll change a name well into writing the story if the current one doesn’t seem to fit. I also love to watch the end credits of movies. Lots of great names to choose from.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

I mostly write in the afternoons. I tend to plot a little, then write, then get stuck so I’ll plot a little more again. Rinse and repeat.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Jane Austen, Katherine Neville, Anne McCaffrey (no relation), Marion Zimmer Bradley, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes.

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

Katherine Neville, author of THE EIGHT, an ambitious and complicated novel that I love so much. I’d simply want to talk craft with her.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes. Nancy Drew books and Charlotte’s Web were favorites.

When did you start to write?

I’ve been writing compulsively and for fun since I was a child, but I didn’t write my first novel until I was 32 years old and had four children under the age of five underfoot.

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

If you mean one of my own books, I wouldn’t. I’m pretty happy with how each of them ended. As for other books, I’m going to extend the criteria a bit to include the season finale of ‘Game of Thrones.’ I hope I’m not spoiling it for anyone since plot points have been plastered all over the internet, but I would change Dany’s character arc. She wouldn’t die, and she’d be on the throne.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Yes, THE EIGHT by Katherine Neville.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

The Art of Sleeping-In

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

This was harder than I thought it would be. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to choose film characters. I’m a sucker for a strong female lead in a movie. Here’s a few of my favorites: Bess Armstrong from Jaws 3-D; Kate Bosworth from Blue Crush; Sandra Bullock from Practical Magic; Reese Witherspoon from Legally Blonde; Brie Larson from Captain Marvel. Where would we go? A girl’s weekend at a nice resort—hit the spa, eat out, and have a great time chatting about life.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on Book 3 in my Pathway Series, ANCIENT WINDS. This will feature Brynn Galloway and Dr. Tristan Magee as they search for an ancient artefact. It will be a mix of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘The X-Files.’

Tell us about your last release?

DEEP BLUE (The Pathway Series Book 1), is the first book in a new contemporary adventure series I launched last year. Dr. Grace Mann travels to Guadalupe Island, near Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, to freedive with the great white sharks who arrive each fall to mate and feed. Filmmaker Alec Galloway is hired to film a documentary about her, but can he do his job when Grace’s passionate focus on the sharks might endanger her life? I’ve long loved the ocean and in college I dreamed of studying marine biology (instead I got two engineering degrees). I’ve always wanted to write a book featuring sharks, and this story combines my love of daring exploration, environmental awareness, and animal conservation. The sharks aren’t the villains in my novel. That was very important to me as I developed the plot. In future books, I’ll be tackling topics such as: deciphering the language of sperm whales and efforts to stop elephant poaching in Africa.

Do you have a new release due?

COLD HORIZON (The Pathway Series Book 2) released this past June, and features Alec Galloway’s brother, Tyler. Here’s the blurb: Two years ago, Lindsey Coulson lost her sister on K2, the second highest mountain on earth. Searching for answers, she sets out to climb the Savage Mountain. Mountaineer and freelance writer Ty Galloway has assembled a small team to conquer K2 and welcomes the esteemed climber. But K2 is a force unto itself, as is Lindsey. Both will test his limits. Both will test his heart.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

My husband takes me to lunch.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Website: https://kmccaffrey.com/
Newsletter: https://kmccaffrey.com/PathwayNewsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristyMcCaffrey
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/McCaffreyKristy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristymccaffrey/

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

If you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll receive a download link for a free exclusive follow up novella to DEEP BLUE called DEEP BLUE: AUSTRALIA. It’s a fun and extra story about Alec and Grace.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Kristy 🙂

😊

Deep Blue

Blurb

Don’t miss this first book in a suspenseful new series!!

In the deep blue ocean lives an ancient predator…

Dr. Grace Mann knows great white sharks. As the daughter of an obsessed shark researcher based at the Farallon Islands, Grace spent her childhood in the company of these elegant and massive creatures. When a photo of her freediving with a great white goes viral, the institute where she works seeks to capitalize on her new-found fame by producing a documentary about her work.

Underwater filmmaker Alec Galloway admires Dr. Mann and jumps at the opportunity to create a film showcasing the pretty biologist. As he heads to Guadalupe Island in Baja California Sur for a three-week expedition, it’s clear that his fan-boy crush on Grace is turning into something more serious. But even more pressing—Grace’s passionate focus on the sharks just might get her killed.

Author Bio

Kristy McCaffrey has been writing since she was very young, but it wasn’t until she was a stay-at-home mom that she considered becoming published. A fascination with science led her to earn two mechanical engineering degrees—she did her undergraduate work at Arizona State University and her graduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh—but storytelling has always been her passion. She writes both contemporary tales and award-winning historical western romances.

With the release of Deep Blue, Kristy is launching The Pathway Series, a project she’s been developing for years. Each book will combine her love of animal conservation and environmental awareness, while also shining a light on unique and diverse locations around the world. Come along for high adventure with honorable heroes, determined heroines, and Kristy’s trademark mysticism.

An Arizona native, Kristy and her husband reside in the desert where they frequently remove (rescue) rattlesnakes from their property, go for runs among the cactus, and plan trips to far-off places like the Orkney Islands or Machu Picchu. But mostly, she works 12-hour days and enjoys at-home date nights with her sweetheart, which usually include Will Ferrell movies and sci-fi flicks. Her four children have nearly all flown the nest, and the family recently lost their cherished chocolate Labrador, Ranger, so these days a great deal of attention is lavished on Ranger’s sister, Lily, and the newest addition to the household—Marley, an older yellow Labrador they rescued in early 2018. Both dogs are frequently featured on Kristy’sInstagram account, so pop over to meet her canine family.

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” – John Muir