Friday, April 20, 2012

Fabulous Author Friday ~ KT Bryan


I just want to say how excited I am to have KT Bryan as a guest today!  Everyone give her a round of applause.

Without further ado.......


Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm an action, adventure, suspense (with a hint of romance) writer who enjoys good wine, great art, Tuscany, and a touch of mayhem. (You never know what you might see when you wake up suddenly in the dark.) I’m the author of TEAM EDGE.

I currently live in Georgia with my family, one overweight German shepherd and three very spoiled cats. I have a varied background in the military, the airlines, antiques, and medicine. My favorite career is writing and sharing stories with readers and fellow writers.  Lying for a living is a lot of fun. 

Now, now, now.... writers aren't liars.  We are creators of fantasy truths.  *giggle*

Tell us a little about your book.
Book One is The EDGE Of Trust and pits Dillon and Sara against the most ruthless drug lord since Pablo Escobar.  With the border wars going on, this is a story I really enjoyed telling.  I think it’s a lot about human connections and how trust can go all kinds of wrong.

Based in Coronado, CA, Admiral Edge’s Tactical Security Team (TST) consists of military offensive and defensive operations, as well as private personal security. Sanctioned by the president, these former SEALs operate under the radar, off the grid, and as covert tacticians they strike with a kind of cunning that can knock the CIA on its ass. They are a clandestine unit of special forces operators nobody at the pentagon or the DOD would ever admit existed.  

Exciting!

When did you start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I started writing seriously in 2001.  I wrote my first book (400 pages) in two weeks.  Then I regained my sanity and joined several writers’ groups and found out just how much I didn’t know.  Then I started editing professionally and that old adage about the more you teach, the more you learn really rings true.  Now I average about nine months per book.

Where do you get your inspiration?
I was a military wife for 20 years, so my heroes come from that walk of life.  My dad served at Guadalcanal during WWII and he’s always been my biggest hero, so my heart lies with those defending our county.  Plus my husband sets a great example…although he’ll tell you he does sleep with one eye open.  (I think he’s afraid I’ll give the dog opposable thumbs...his)

That's so great.  I have a huge respect for anyone who has served in the military or has family in the military.  I have two brother-in-laws in the military.  My father-in-law, my dad, and my grandfather both served as well.

Do you plot and outline or do you just write?  Plotter or Pantser?
Absolutely both.  I started out as a pantser, but found out that without a roadmap of some sort I got too sidetracked.  I still let the characters tell me their story, but now I make sure they don’t wander too far off the page.  Yep, I have the same problem with mine.

Can you tell us a little about the process of getting your first book published?
My agent helped immensely.  She really knows what works and what doesn’t.  We tried going the NY Big Six route, but they’re not ‘buying’ much romantic suspense these days.  A lot of my friends told me to try going Indie, so I did and I am loving every minute of it.  I’m still keeping my eye on NY though, and hoping they’re keeping their eye on me.  I’m waiting to hear from my agent about the rest of this series.

*crossing fingers* I hope it happens for you!

What book have you most recently released?
The EDGE Of Trust.  Book one of the TEAM EDGE series.  It’s available in digital and paper formats.

THE EDGE OF TRUST

The stakes are incredible. Failure is unimaginable. The malice unthinkable.

Living a nightmare…
When EDGE operative Dillon Caldwell follows a direct order to bring down the Sanchez Brothers drug cartel, he never imagines that his wife, Sara, would be next on the cartel’s hit list.
Dillon thought nothing could match the pain of losing his wife, but when Sara mysteriously turns up twelve months later, beaten yet alive, he realizes he was wrong. She has secrets she’s unwilling to share, secrets that could cost them their lives.

Hunted by a relentless killer...
Rafael Sanchez has turned a vendetta into a war with no rules. He has taken retribution to an extreme and wants to shatter more than just Dillon’s life. He wants to destroy every reason Dillon has left for living. 

One way in, and no way out...
Trapped in a hostile jungle, Dillon and Sara have nowhere to turn, nowhere to hide, and they find themselves shifting from the shadows of vengeance into the sunlight of justice. In order to survive, they can trust no one, will betray anyone, and are determined to win at whatever the cost. 
Even if it means going over the edge.

Great Blurb! 

What was your favorite part of the book?
I love the camaraderie between Dillon and Jake, but I have to admit I really liked writing about Sanchez.  I did a lot of research on drug cartels and Pablo Escobar, and Sanchez isn’t too far off the mark.  I also really enjoyed writing the journal entries.  Being alone and undercover for three years would have to be extremely difficult for anyone, but especially for someone who can’t see his family. 

I agree.  I can't imagine not being able to see my family for three years.

Do you have another book in the works?
Yes, I do!  The EDGE Of Honor (Jake’s story) should be out in June.

What advice would you give new authors?
Read, read, read, then write, write, write.  Get critiques but don’t adjust your voice and story to what everyone else says.  Go with your gut.  It is, after all, your story.  And don’t argue too hard with editors, they almost always have great suggestions.

Great advice!  They are there to help, not hinder.  *grin*

Boxers or Briefs?
Boxers all the way!

Thank you so much for coming over and sharing with us today, KT Bryan.  It was such a pleasure to get to know you better. 

Visitors, good news!  KT Bryan has promised an e-copy of her new book THE EDGE OF TRUST to one lucky commenter.


Thanks for dropping by today.
Be sure to also visit KT Bryan @

Website:  www.ktbryan.net
Twitter:  KTBryan1



15 comments:

  1. Great interview, Krystal and interesting changes on your blog.
    KT, sounds like you have a compelling set of characters in your EDGE series. I'll have to check it out.
    Thanks for stopping in to say hello.

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    1. Thanks Qwillia! So glad you made time to stop over.

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  2. 400 pages in 2 weeks!! Wow! I love your books, KT! Love the covers too! Series is going to be awesome! Thanks for sharing :)

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  3. Good morning,ladies! It's wet and rainy here today and Harley (my 110 pound German shepherd)decided he wanted to go out for a walk (which means he walked me)and we both got soaked and covered in red Georgia clay. Washing off a dog who is bigger than I am is a trial in frustration and comedy especially when all he really wants is a cookie for every paw that I clean off. He's on a diet and very vocal about it so you can imagine how my morning started. Auugh!

    Krystal, thank you for having me! I love the way you've redone your blog, it's awesome!

    Hi Qwilla, I hope you do have a chance to read my book, it was a lot of fun creating this team. I love alpha males with a warm heart : )

    Hey Jennifer, happy Friday! Mutual admiration here, I love your books too : )

    Thank you all for the warm welcome!

    I hope there's more Q and A later, I love talking about my characters, (and dog, cats, kids, etc.) lol, typical writer/mom/dog/cat owner here. : )

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  4. Great interview, and even greater book! Love the blurb, just want to say your line "One way in, and no way out..." is perfect - absolutely fitting while its what caught me eye. Thank KT & Krystal.

    KT, I look forward to more of your books, and sincerely hope there is a sequel to The Edge of Trust.

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    1. Thanks Merlina! So glad you made it over to say hi today.

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  5. THE EDGE OF TRUST is great and so is the author. Can't wait for THE EDGE OF HONOR.

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  6. Hi Merlina, Hi Ginger! Thank you both for stopping in and for the kind words : ) There is definitely a sequel... The EDGE Of Honor should be out in June, followed by The EDGE Of Silence and then The EDGE Of Justice. Each team member get his own story and I have to say making them suffer is what I live for, lol.

    I just got an email that I thought I'd share...whether you're a reader or a writer, this one's funny, and it shows just how important punctuation can be (the editor in me is showing )

    OK, here it is:

    A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and proceeds to fire it at the other patrons.

    'Why?' asks the confused, surviving waiter amidst the carnage, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

    'Well, I'm a panda,' he says, at the door. 'Look it up.'

    The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation. 'Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.'

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  7. I enjoyed this in depth interview with KT Bryan about her book, The Edge of Trust. This novel is a wonderful read. A powerful story that would make a blockbuster movie.

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    1. Thanks for making the time to stop by today! I'm so glad you enjoyed the interview.

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  8. Thank you Phil for stopping by and for the kind words! My agent really wants to see this series as an HBO series, so if that ever happens, the whole world's gonna know...after I peel myself off the ceiling, of course, lol.

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  9. Whoever would like my book FREE, please let me know what format you'd like it in and I'll send it to you. I have .pdf, .mobi, and .epub. Email me at katie-bryan@att.net. (Please mention Krystal's blog in the topic or somewhere) And thank you all for such wonderful support, and thank you Krystal for having me! I'll stop by later too, and see if anyone else has come by. : ) Fun day!!

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