Interview: Kristen Heitzmann, 'The Breath of Dawn'

I discovered Kristen Heitzmann years ago with her novel Freefall and again when I found the Michelli Family series at my local library (a series that I reread several times before finally purchasing it for my keeper shelf!). Since then, my keeper shelf has expanded to hold so much of her backlist that I've lost track and, when a new release is announced I just can't help but do a little happy dance. So it shouldn't be a surprise that I experienced a breathless moment of fan-love when Kristen Heitzmann agreed to do an interview with me. *squee!*

This month Kristen released The Breath of Dawn, a moving love story that is tender, touching, funny, scary and, like all Kristen's books, so much more. Featuring newcomer Quinn Riley, a young woman hiding from a looming threat, and Morgan Spencer, whose passionate personality is familiar to Heitzmann readers from the two other novels he's been kind enough to grace with his presence, The Breath of Dawn is a must read for fans of romantic suspense.

Serena: Welcome to HEA, Kristen! Morgan Spencer is such a passionate hero; he's an extremely intelligent "success guru" whose seemingly impetuous decisions are infused with a methodical sort of awesomeness. This is your third time visiting this particular romantic hero. Is he as fascinating to write as he is to read?

Kristen: Morgan got hold of me in A Rush of Wings. It really came down to the wire which brother would end up with Noelle. He demanded his own story, and when I gave him The Still of Night, he went so deep I had to recover. I actually told the publisher I was through writing. So yes, he is amazing to write. I really can't get enough of his wit, his charm, his orneriness — and drop-dead desirability.

Serena: Me neither. *enthusiastically nods head and drools a bit*

Kristen: Even his grief shines. Put a toddler daughter in his arms — watch out, world.

Serena: You got that right! So … you opened The Breath of Dawn with the gutsy move of killing off Jill Runyan Spencer, Morgan's wife and the beloved heroine from The Still of Night. Were you at all scared about reader reaction to that move?

Kristen: Absolutely. I've been contacted by people who've told me they can't read the book because they are too attached to Jill. The ones I've convinced to trust me have been so glad they did. They've written back to say how much they appreciate the insights they gained into the genuine, mature relationship that develops for Morgan and Quinn. She matches him point for point and brings out all his best.

Serena: I have to agree. I loved Jill, but Quinn is a perfect match for Morgan with entirely different (yet strangely more complementary) baggage. But the same time, I understand the initial reader response, having gasped a bit myself. So what happened that brought this idea of breaking Morgan — again — to life?

Kristen: I went hiking with the old playlist of songs I'd incorporated into The Still of Night, and suddenly Morgan was back in my head. The funeral scene played out with stunning clarity and such an emotional grip that I had to go home and write it. Then I spent much of the book realizing I would have to compensate for the pain I caused at the start. It prompted a very thoughtful treatment of all the grief and relationship elements.

Serena: What in particular about that story pulled on your heart, begging for a bit more tragedy?

Kristen: Morgan suffers so spectacularly.

Serena: Oh yes, he does! I want to hug him … perhaps a bit longer than might be considered appropriate, truth be told. Have you suffered any backlash for the decision to make him suffer like this?

Kristen: Not once people get into the story. It really is joyous. Yes, heart-rending, but also funny, scary and rich with relationship and intrigue.

Serena: Many of your suspense novels feature a dark supernatural force that's even more frightening than the human villains in play. The Breath of Dawn melds that idea with horrific rumors of hauntings and a mental hospital's tragic and mysterious past. When you are writing these sorts of plot threads, do you ever get the chills?

Kristen: I do get the chills, but more in the researching than the writing. I think the creep element is great for suspense and I know there's evil in the world, so when it rears up I don't try to whitewash it.

Serena: Quinn makes her living as a professional eBay trader, acquiring estates and parceling them out in online auctions. Do you like the "auction" environment? And if so, do you prefer the anonymity of online auctions like eBay, or do you like to personally attend estate auctions and know who you're bidding against?

Kristen: I mainly learned about eBay for the story. Seemed like a great way for Quinn to support herself in secret. I practiced by getting some things online, but I'd be too stressed to do real auctions!

Serena: Morgan and Quinn are quite mobile through this book. North Dakota, Colorado, California, and … *sighs* Paris, huh? Did you get to do any location research before writing this novel?

Kristen: I spent some time in Santa Barbara to renew my sense of Morgan in his home place. Paris, I wish. And Colorado is home.

Serena: There were two specific moments in The Breath of Dawn that (happily!) caught me off guard. First, Morgan's "proposal" and second? Paris. *sighs* Neither time could I have predicted how that scene would play out, but the way they did made me almost giddy. *grins and maybe swoons a bit* Did those scenes progress in the same ways in your earlier drafts of the novel?

Kristen: Both of those elements came straight out of the scene as I put it on the page. There are a million ways to tell a tale, but sometimes the tale tells itself.

Serena: Sweet! And speaking of fascinating tales … since I've read nearly all of your awesome books I don't need to ask how you managed to land the legendary Donald Maass as your agent; but what can you tell the drooling authors reading this interview about how that partnership came to be?

Kristen: Oh my gosh, it was so much fun. I attended a workshop he was giving in St. Louis and was introduced by an author friend. I briefly told him my aspirations to grow and stretch as a writer and gave him a copy of Indivisible to see what I was like already. We decided to meet for dinner and chat. We'd planned to just walk around the corner to a Friday's or something, so I figured a low-key affair. Well, after he was done teaching, he spent an hour or so reading the book and when I came down, he said we were getting a cab. He'd picked out this awesome gourmet place, and we spent three hours talking everything under the sun. We agreed to touch base again in a few weeks, but he finished Indivisible on the airplane home and we were discussing terms a couple days later. Guess you'd say we're a great fit.

Serena: What a great story! And speaking of "story," while creating one are you a fastidious outliner, a pantser, or a combination of the two?

Kristen: Pants? What pants? If I can't be surprised by what's coming, what fun is that?

Serena: HA! Even pants should be optional to a pantser, LOL. And since your stories always find a way to surprise a reader, I certainly won't question your methods (or your wardrobe, LOL. Actually, unless yoga pants that have never been to yoga count as "pants" in the real world, I'm right there with you!). So, what are you working on next?

Kristen: After the Waldo Canyon Fire almost took out my neighborhood, I figured I'd let life feed my art this time. I'm setting a wildland fire novel in my fictional town Redford, Colo., from my novels Indivisible and Indelible. I have a community cast already in place and added new leads — a Type 1 interagency incident commander and, yeah, the girl's a Hotshot.

Serena: I can't wait to read it! Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

Kristen: Only that sharing my stories with all of you is a joy I never take for granted, and I so appreciate the people who support my work and spread the word. I also love hearing what you think!

Readers can connect with Kristen by visiting her website, KristenHeitzmann.com, or via Facebook or Twitter (@KFHeitzmann).

A writer, performer and accomplished partaker of dark chocolate, Serena Chase lives in Iowa with her husband and two daughters. Her reviews can also be found at the blog Edgy Inspirational Romance.