Kay Thomas puts a piece of herself into each story
Kay Thomas, author of the new Easy Target, book three in her Elite Ops series, plants a little something (the same something) in each of her books. Do you know what it is?
Kay: I'm often asked where I get my ideas — do I base my characters on people I know or put myself into the stories?
The idea for the first book in my Elite Ops series came after two distinct events: reading a magazine article about children kidnapped by non-custodial parents into other countries and meeting a former DEA agent who was working with special needs children. A critique partner had sent me the magazine article and said, "You need to write about this." And the former narcotics agent I met was a romance writer's dream — a gorgeous man who could bust down doors but also teach a kid how to talk about his feelings. Those two things happening back-to-back — the "reading" and the "meeting" — fired my imagination, and a series was born.
That said, the character I wrote in the first book was nothing like the man I knew in real life. So while my writing is definitely informed by who I am and my personal life experiences, I work hard to make my characters their own unique people with fictionalized backstories and personalities, even if the original germ of the idea comes from people I've met. And I make it a point not to write about myself.
However, there is one place I blatantly put myself into my stories. I've never told anyone about it until now. Initially, it just started out as fun, but then it got to be something I found myself wanting to do in every book.
Before I was published, my husband was working in a traditional office setting, and I wrote at his desk in our house. But then his job changed; he started officing from home; we were sharing that same desk, and our system just didn't work. I needed my own space, so I bought a new desk as an investment in my career.
Buying that desk was a big deal for me. I was making a promise to myself and a commitment to writing. In the book I was undertaking at the time, my villain was seated at a desk in a particular scene, and I used my new purchase as the model. In my next book, there was another desk, and I used a description of my actual workspace, strewn with paper.
Since then, my desk has been written into all seven of my books. The desk is never highlighted. In most cases it's just a passing mention as a piece of furniture; occasionally, there's a short descriptive phrase. But I know it's there. Cherry wood with ornate ball and claw feet, a captain's desk — thusly named because it has scrolled sides so things can't roll off the end when a boat is moving across the waves, or in my case when papers are piled so high, I can't see over them.
Yes, this is a quirk in my writing, but it's also the one place I can put myself directly into the story without feeling like I'm interfering with the reader's experience. I'll never jump out of an airplane (unless I'm pushed), be kidnapped in Mexico or traverse the Sahara desert. But with my desk there in those stories of high adventure, risk and romance … by extension, I am there, too. As a writer, it's how I put myself in the stories.
And isn't that what we're all seeking when we read? For the experience of reading the words on the page to make us feel as if we're there with the characters themselves. It's my hope that you'll feel you're right there getting all the adventure and romance you need with my characters in Easy Target and the other Elite Ops stories.
About Easy Target (courtesy of Avon Impulse):
AEGIS: an elite team of ex-military men who will do anything for their country...and their women
Fighting to clear her brother of murder, freelance reporter Sassy Smith is suddenly kidnapped and thrown into a truck with other women who are about to be sold...or worse. When she sees an opportunity for escape Sassy takes it, but she may have just jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
Former Marine Bryan Fisher (aka Hollywood) is no stranger to dangerous situations, or to his best friend's little sister. When he rescues Sassy, Bryan is determined to keep her safe...if he can keep his hands off of her. Because Sassy is all grown up and not at all like the girl he used to know. But he's got bigger problems. And with enemies coming at them from every corner, Bryan and Sassy will need to work together if they're going to survive.
Books in series:
#1 Hard Target: Elite Ops-Book 1
#2 Personal Target: An Elite Ops Novel
#3 Easy Target: An Elite Ops Novel
Find out more about Kay and her books at www.kaythomas.net.