Q: How has your life experiences influenced your writing?
A: Before I got this cool writing gig I did time in the corporate and academic worlds so I often use elements from those experiences in my plots. I’m convinced that 
every writer has a core story. We spend our careers exploring it. My core story is romantic suspense—a murder mystery entwined with a passionate relationship. I love that combination. The love story raises the stakes in the suspense and the danger raises the stakes in the romance. When I plot I try to make sure that every twist in the suspense affects the relationship and vice versa. This is true across the three time zones in which I set my stories: historicals, contemporaries and futuristics.
When I was growing up my formative books included Nancy Drew and Andre Norton. But it wasn’t until I graduated from college that I came across the book that changed my life: Anne McCaffrey’s RESTOREE. Looking back, I think it’s clear that she pretty much invented the futuristic romantic suspense novel with that one book.
Q: Have you or do you want to write in another genre?
A: There has always been plenty of room for my stories in the romance genre. In my opinion it is the least confining of all the genres. The others all seem to have rather 
strict conventions and expectations—writers violate them at their peril. But there is plenty of scope for storytelling within romance. The settings can be historical, contemporary, futuristic or paranormal. The sexuality can be sweet or intense. The suspense can be anything from a serial killer thriller to a cozy plot. Romance writers are free to deal with almost any social issue. No limits, really. All that is expected is a romantic relationship and the HEA. Works for me.
Q. What’s your down time look like?
JAK. I was recently introduced to boxing as a workout and fell in love with it. Which is a good thing because I love to cook AND eat and, therefore, I need the workout!
Q. Do you think we will see, in our lifetime, the total demise of paper books?
JAK. Nope. As has been noted, the paper book is still the simplest and best way to preserve information and stories because it can survive hundreds of years. Our technology, on the other hand, evolves so fast that anything preserved in that format will probably be impossible to read even a hundred years from now.
Q. What makes a writer great?
JAK. Voice. It’s impossible to define but in the end it is the only thing that really matters. If the writer’s voice is not compelling readers will not finish the book. But here’s the sticky part — no two readers respond to a book in the exact same way. Everyone brings something different to a book and everyone takes something different away. Readers will fall in love with a lot of different voices over the years.
Q. and the all-important: What does the process of going from “no book” to “finished book” look like for you? 
A. One scene at a time.
Note to Self: (a life lesson you’ve learned.)
A: Figure out your core story early on. Every writer in every genre has one. It has nothing to do with a particular fictional landscape. It is all about the emotions and themes and values that compel you as a writer. Once you truly understand your core story you will realize that you can take it into any genre.
Did you miss Part I of this wonderful Interview? Click here
Untouchable will be on sale January 8, 2019
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MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! October: Alretha Thomas. November: Joe English. December: Jayne Ann Krentz (Amanda Quick) January: Molly Gloss and February: Patrick Canning.
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