Kathy Holmes was born in Los Angeles but grew up in nearby Orange County halfway between Disneyland and the beach.

Tantalized by the tropics since Adam Troy set sail on the Kon Tiki in James A. Michener’s “Adventures in Paradise,” she’s traveled to tropical destinations such as Hawaii, Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Asia Pacific. Eventually, she moved to Florida where she wrote and secured representation for her first published novel, REAL WOMEN WEAR RED. She also wrote for Walt Disney World, fulfilling two dreams at once.

Her second novel, THE TOM JONES CLUB, published by Bookstrand Mainstream Romance, begins its journey in Orlando and finds its way to Las Vegas. She credits her step dad for the inspiration because, like a character out of Mad Men trying to quit smoking, he drove the family to Las Vegas to keep his hands busy playing craps.  You can find out more at her web site – http://www.kathyholmes.net.

Q: It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a day job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?

A: Intrigued by how books were made since I was a kid, I toured my first print shop with my eighth grade journalism class. That led to an early print production career in San Francisco, leading to a technical writing career in Silicon Valley. I currently consult for various corporate clients as a technical writer and juggle this with my fiction writing.

Q: What compelled you to write your first book?

A: I attempted to write my first book when I was a kid, but got distracted with how books were made. I put this dream aside until much later. I picked it up again when I met my father for the first time in my 40s, and this theme of missing fathers, secret fathers, and step fathers makes its way into my fiction.

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

A: Becoming a writer seemed totally out of my reach when I was younger. I did toy with the idea that should something happen to me and I couldn’t work, I would sit home and write. This was way before computers, of course.

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

A: International wine director Lucky Stryker, the “Lucky Lady,” is lucky in the boardroom, but unlucky in love. But the last thing she expects is to land in the arms of a cowboy during the Tom Jones Club convention. A hot week with a cowboy in Las Vegas is one thing—eternity is another.

Fearing that any woman he gets involved with will leave him–the way his mother left his father–Eric Blake chooses women who are guaranteed to fulfill that prophecy. And Lucky Stryker is no exception.

When Lady Luck throws the red hot dice, Lucky and Eric cash in on a red hot sizzling romance. So when their pasts catch up to them, and neither is who they appear to be, they are forced to answer these questions, “Can their hearts keep the promises their bodies have been making?” and “Will they finally get lucky in love?”

Q: What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write? Do you need the noise or the silence?

A: I have eclectic tastes in music so it depends on what music fits the feeling of the story. I listen to music when I particularly need to get into the scene. But every time I tune into country music, I can see a romantic story unfold – country music is very inspiring that way, especially when it’s a male singer – it’s a great tool for getting a glimpse into the male point of view.

Q: If you could live in one of your books, which one would you live in? (If you’re promoting your first publication, feel free to talk about an unpublished piece.)

A: Because I already live in Las Vegas, I would probably say I’d like to live in REAL WOMEN WEAR RED because I’d like to live full-time on a ship.

Q: The main characters of your stories – do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

A: There’s usually a piece of me in my characters – and certainly a piece of the person I’d like to be – just for fun. One agent called Cyn from REAL WOMEN WEAR RED “fabulous” and I’d like to think that part is me, but I suspect it’s the part I’d like to be.

Q: Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?

A: I sometimes see a bit of my writing style in Laura Caldwell, Marcia Muller, Jennifer Crusie, and Barbara Samuel (O’Neal), but that may also be wishful thinking because I relate to their writing and love their style.

Q: When growing up, did you have a favorite author, book series, or book?

A: Of course I read Nancy Drew, but instead of thinking I wanted to grow up and write mystery books, I wanted to be Nancy Drew. By the time I was in junior high school, I was reading historical romances like GONE WITH THE WIND and DESIREE, leading to a curiosity and desire to travel the world and see the places where these books took place.

Q: Where you have lived and what you have experienced can influence your writing in many ways. Are there any specific locations or experiences that have popped up in your books?

A: Because I grew up in southern California and lived in the San Francisco area for over 20 years, and even spent a few years in the Pacific Northwest, there’s definitely a west coast/California flavor to my writing. But I lived in Ohio for a year and so you might find a supporting character from there. And I have a “fish out of water” manuscript set in Florida that I may craft into submission in the future.