Authors On The Rise is happy to bring you an interview with K.L Brady. Enjoy! Please show support by grabbing a copy of K.L's book.
AOTR: Tell us about you and your book.
K.L: My debut novel, THE BUM MAGNET, is about a woman, Charisse Tyson, who is approaching a major life milestone--her fortieth birthday. She has just broken up with boyfriend number too many and reads an article that makes her realize it's time to take stock of her life and assess why she keeps selecting the same kind of men (players) over and over again. No sooner than she decides to give up men until she works through her issues, they start coming out of the woodwork, especially a sexy irresistible businessman named Dwayne Gibson. She goes against her better instinct and puts herself in a position where she has to navigate a minefield of men while trying to work on herself at the same time--with often hilarious results.
AOTR: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
K.L: I've been writing since I was very young. I've always kept diaries and journals throughout my life, so I always knew I wanted to be a writer. Unfortunately, I didn't decide to become a published author until I turned forty. Turning forty will certainly make you look back at your life and wonder whether you've fulfilled your life's purpose or whether you've got work to do. I had lots of work to do.
AOTR: What inspired you to write your first book?
K.L: I had an Oprah "Aha" moment one day during the summer of 2008. I was coming up on my fortieth birthday, feeling like I'd reached some level of success in my life but my work didn't fulfill me. I was watching an episode of Oprah when she had Eckhart Tolle on discussing his book AWAKENING YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE when it hit me that I wasn't living my best life or fulfilling my life's purpose. What good was putting everything in my heart in journals and diaries where no one could see them? I also got hung up on the fact that I didn't have a degree in English so I couldn't be a writer, right? Wrong. I got over myself, pushed the negative thoughts aside, and just wrote from my heart. The result is a book that has really resonated with women of all races, ethnicities, and social backgrounds. The character is very relatable.
AOTR: Was it difficult to write or easy?
K.L: Writing is pretty easy for me. It's the editing that's a killer. I don't want to edit. I hate editing. But I have to edit and revise. There's no shortcut around that if you want to publish quality products.
AOTR: How did you go about creating your characters?
K.L: My characters are based on me or people I've known throughout my life. Each one is kind of a mish mash of several people so no one can sue me for slander.
AOTR: Did you struggle with any of your characters or did they just speak to you?
K.L: My characters speak to me, usually around three o'clock in the morning. It's unreal. I often feel like I'm just taking dictation. I like writing this way because I believe that's why people say the characters in my book seem so authentic. They are coming from a very real place.
AOTR: What was your writing process like? Did you outline or just write naturally?
K.L: I have tried to be a good author and outline and I can't do it. I tend to just let the words flow how and whenever they decide to come to me. I've tried to plot and I find that it actually stifles my creativity. I also find that when I let my characters drive the story, the story is usually way more interesting than anything I could come up with myself.
AOTR: What important lessons did you convey in your book?
K.L: I don't think I really write to convey lessons. I try to entertain first and if a message comes from that...great. We get a two for one. With that said, I do think a few key themes stick out. First and foremost is that when we find ourselves repeating the same bad behaviors over and over and over again, at some point we have to stop playing the blame game and take a look in the mirror at who we are and how we're contributing to the problem. Another theme is that when traumatic events happen in your life, childhood or otherwise, you can't just sweep those incidents under the rug to make them go away. If you don't deal with them in a real way, they will only manifest themselves in your behaviors and your relationships.
AOTR: With so many books on the market, what sets your book apart?
K.L: I think I read some place that there are no more original stories to be told. They've all been done. The originality is in HOW you tell the story. I think what sets my novel apart is that the characters' voices are very authentic, real, and often downright hilarious...and every woman knows at least one Charisse so you can relate to her plight, her lows, and her triumphs.
AOTR: In a few words tell an interested reader why they should read your book next.
K.L: If you want a laugh out loud funny book with relatable flawed characters, this is the right one for you. This is a book my readers buy multiple copies of so they can give them to their girlfriends.
AOTR: What are you working on now?
K.L: I've just finished writing the sequel to THE BUM MAGNET, which I've tentatively titled GOT A RIGHT TO BE WRONG. That may change. I left a few loose ends dangling at the end of first book so I tie them up nicely in the second.
I wrote my first young adult novel romantic comedy "MIZZ UNDERSTANDINGZ" which is a YA-Urban variation on Pride and Prejudice, the English literary classic. It puts a twist on the story in a way that I personally haven't seen before...and I'm a huge Jane Austen fan. She is, to me, the original chick lit author.
I'm currently working on my second YA novel, a little more dramatic, called SOUL OF THE BAND. It's about a music-loving inner city teen is sent to Smalltown, Ohio, to live with her aunt until her mother recovers from a mental breakdown that leaves them homeless. There, she becomes the only African American member of an all white marching band as she struggles to maintain her identity and build a new life--with her checkered past and racial tensions simmering just beneath a tenuous social scene.
AOTR: What do you hope to accomplish in the literary world?
K.L: I started out as a self published author, so getting picked up by Simon & Schuster this year was a major accomplishment, one of those blessings I wasn't even looking for.
Aside from that, I want to write books that make people laugh out loud, cry, and everything in between. Getting emails and notes from readers saying how much they loved the characters has been one of the biggest highlights of my life and I hope to keep them coming. However, if I also happen to write books that Hollywood producers feel are well-suited to movies...I'm good with that too. :)
AOTR: When you are not crafting novels what do you like to do?
K.L: I spend time with my ten-year-old son most of the time. I also love to read, dance, listen to music, watch football, and hang out with my friends when we're not all flying by the seats of our pants.
AOTR: How can readers contact you?
K.L: My website is: www.authorklbrady.com
My email is: karla@klbradywrites.com
Facebook Fan Page: K.L. Brady
You can pre-order the Simon & Schuster version of The Bum Magnet for the low low price of $7.99 at:
http://www.amazon.com/Bum-Magnet-K-L-Brady/dp/1451613709/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top (Mass Market Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Bum-Magnet-The-ebook/dp/B0043RSJT0/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2 (Kindle Version)
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Bum-Magnet/K-L-Brady/e/9781451613704/?itm=1
www.borders.com
OR
You can still get autographed copies of the original self-published version (limited quantities available) at:
http://www.amazon.com/Bum-Magnet-K-L-Brady/dp/0615307043/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1288802483&sr=8-2
AOTR: Thank you for chatting with us! We wish you much success!
K.L's ten favorite things:
Chips - Utz
Season - Summer
Holiday - Thanksgiving
Television show - Tie between Run's House and The T.O. Show
Song - Right now - "Why Would You Stay" by Kem
Past time - NFL Football
Social networking site - Facebook hands down
Author - Jane Austen and Terry McMillan are definitely among my all-time favorites.
City - Tie between NYC and Chicago
Time of day - After five on weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday :)
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