Hi folks, we have a special Review & Interview this week with my friend, Katie Kenyhercz, author of On the Fly. And isn't it just such a beautiful cover?
Welcome, Katie.
First, can you tell
us all a bit about yourself?
Sure! I’ve loved writing since I was twelve and knew I
wanted to do something with it but wasn’t sure what, so I became a professional
student. From BA to MA and now MFA. When I tell my family, “This is it! I’ll be
done with school in June,” they smile and say, “Sure, okay.” I’m not locking
the door on Ph.D, but I’m putting it in the attic for now. I’m happy writing
hockey romance and will continue, but I also want to teach creative writing at
the college level. That’s up next!
And your recent
release?
On the Fly has
been a labor of love. I started writing scenes for it ten years ago, but I
couldn’t get the plot where I wanted it for a full-length novel. It took my MFA
program to get me on track and make everything gel. Jacey inherits her father’s
NHL team unexpectedly. She’s well versed in business but not so much in hockey
and stumbles a bit as she figures it out. To complicate things, she falls for
the team captain, Carter Phlynn. As things heat up off-ice, the press latches
on. Jacey has to choose between being with the man she loves and saving the
team her father loved and trusted her with.
So… I know this is a
very personal question… but are you a plotter or a pantser (for those of you
readers out there who aren’t sure what this means, it’s a question about her
writing style – does she plot out each detail of a book before she sits down to
write it, or does she just write it by the seat of her pants)
It’s funny you ask, because I’ve recently had a revelation
about this. I always thought I was a
plotter. I totally believe in the logic behind it. How can you write a story if
you don’t know where it’s going? At the same time, I knew plotting was the one
element of fiction that gave me trouble. Just in the past few months, I’ve
discovered I’m a weird hybrid. I know how I want my book to end, and I know how
it starts. It’s the in between stuff that gets messy, so I’ll plot a few middle
chapters at a time. Nothing involved, just scene ideas. That way, when I sit
down to write them, there’s still an element of pantsing, letting the scenes
unfold as they will, just knowing each one has a specific purpose. I guess the
short answer is: I’m a pantser who desperately wants to plot and try to as much
as I can.
What do you love most
about Carter Phlynn, the hero of On the
Fly?
A recent reviewer best summed up how I feel about Carter: “Carter
is a breath of fresh air in the hero department. He doesn’t brood. He doesn’t
have scars beyond the physical ones he’s earned on-ice. He’s not afraid of his
emotions. He’s just a guy lambasted by a connection to this girl.”
I love a wounded puppy hero as much as the next girl,
but I wanted Carter to be different. It’s pretty common for a guy to be the
uncertain one, the hesitant one in a relationship. I wanted to turn that
around. Serious relationships are new territory for Carter, but once he admits
to himself how he feels about Jacey, it doesn’t scare him. He knows what he
wants and goes for it.
What do you love most
about Jacey Vaughn, your heroine?
Similarly, Jacey is a fun contradiction. She’s smart,
strong, and dedicated, but when it comes to love, she’s gun shy. Her feelings
scare her because being vulnerable means giving up control. She’s logical to a
fault and makes the tough decisions even when it hurts. Carter opens her up and
shows her that trust is what takes true strength, and if she takes a leap of
faith, he’ll be there to catch her. For the first time in her life, she’s not
the caregiver, and that’s scary but thrilling.
What are you working
on now?
I’m writing the next Las Vegas Sinners novel, Full Strength. This is the goalie’s
book. Shane Reese is injured near the end of a less-than-stellar season and
taken out of play. He’s never been seriously injured before, and he doesn’t
handle it well. He’s especially frustrated because he knows his play wasn’t up
to snuff before the high ankle sprain, and there are rumors he might be traded
in the off season. Enter Alexandra (Allie) Kallen, the new team sports
psychologist. She’s out to prove her ability as a therapist after returning her
last client to play too early, leading to his re-injury. A former soccer
goalie, Allie understands Reese in a way not many can. An injury ended her playing
days, so she gets his frustration and fears. They fall for each other, but as
long as he’s her patient, a relationship is off limits.
Where can readers
find you? (Facebook, twitter, website, blog, etc.)
And where can they
find your books?
Pretty much any e-book retailer!
Thanks so much for
coming by, Katie. It was a blast.
Thank you for having me!
Do you have a giveaway or any other information to share with our readers today?
I'm picking five lucky readers to win a pair of Sinners glow horns like those mentioned in On the Fly. To score a pair of these babies...
Drop me an email at ken9002@setonhill.edu with your favorite scene from the book by April 8th. I'll get in touch with the winners by the next day. Good luck, and thanks for reading!
And now for the review:
First let me say that I was lucky enough to see On the Fly in its draft stages while Katie and I were in the MFA program together, and it's been wonderful to see how it's changed. I was very happy to revisit Carter and Jacey.
Jacey Vaughn has a newly minted MBA when her father dies unexpectedly and leaves her his NHL team. Well-versed in business but not so much in hockey, Jacey navigates this new world with a few stumbles. She definitely doesn’t plan on falling for the team captain. At the first hint of scandal, a local Las Vegas reporter latches on, and Jacey finds herself in the newspaper with headlines that hurt instead of help. Jacey’s determined to keep her father’s legacy alive and make the team successful, but while she has no problem denying her feelings to the media, she can’t lie to herself.
Carter Phlynn has known nothing but hockey his entire life. Drafted into the NHL at age eighteen, winning the Stanley Cup is all he’s ever wanted. Nothing has ever disrupted his focus. Not until he meets his new boss. Jacey gets under his skin like no one else, and while dating the team owner would be a disaster for his career and reputation, he can’t get her out of his head. Carter has never had a relationship last more than a month, but the more he’s around Jacey, the more he can’t picture his future without her.
Five out of Five Divas!
What can I say about this book that would be good enough? On the Fly was a sweet, sexy, funny romance. The humor comes through in almost all of the scenes. There are smart, witty allusions, unexpected turns of phrases, and a love of hockey that shines through the page. There were actually parts in the book where I thought I was REALLY at a hockey game. Carter and Jacey are adorable and made for each other. She's convinced she can't have it all - the team, the Stanley Cup, and the Captain. But Carter is determined to throw caution to the wind and sweep her off her feet, teaching her how to trust, how to love, and how to fight for it all.
