Interview with Kristan Higgins

~ Interview by Elle Filz

We’re thrilled to have two-time RITA award-winner (Too Good to be True 2010 and Catch of the Day 2008) Kristan Higgins joins the blog today to discuss her new book, Until There Was You, out October 25!

Your new book, Until There Was You, comes out on October 25.  What would you like to tell us about that and your newest heroine, Posey?

Posey’s very unconventional in a lot of ways—she’s a complete tomboy who owns an architectural salvage company, so she spends her days taking down old barns and houses, hefting statues and iron lampposts and stuff like that. She’s more comfortable in Carhartt and flannel than a dress. But just because she’s a toughie, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t want a hubby and a couple of kids, too. She’s got a huge heart, is very devoted to her family, friends and dog, and is doing her best to shore up the defenses when Liam Murphy comes back into town. Because you know how it is…Liam’s the one guy who ever broke her heart, even if he’s completely unaware of it. This is definitely a book in which opposites attract, and it’s also a book about second chances, and I love it like crazy and hope you guys will, too!

In each of your books, the dogs (and Fat Mikey from The Next Best Thing) are their own unique character with, if not goals, definite wants and needs.  How do you develop them all as characters?

Thank you! I choose the pets carefully; each one reflects something about its owner’s personality. Posey picks a dog who’s virtually unadoptable, which makes perfect sense for her…the dog loves her unconditionally, which is a nice reflection on Posey, who is also very generous to those she loves. And size is an issue for both of them; Posey’s very small and scrawny, and Shilo is flippin’ huge.

Speaking of Fat Mikey, what made you decide on a cat that time around?  Was it because “cats have staff,” and Lucy wasn’t exactly looking for emotional attachment, or were you just looking to try something new?

My own cat was making some disturbing threats, so I threw him a bone, as it were, and put a cat in the book. But you’re right; I just couldn’t see Lucy with a dog. Fat Mikey is quite independent and forgiving of her schedule, but when she needs a cuddle, he comes through. Sometimes. When he’s in the mood.

Until There Was You also features a few cats, I’m happy to say. Posey inherits three, and they help keep Shilo in line.

Your books read like a travelogue of New England.  Which one of your imagined locales do you most wish was a real place?

Thank you again! Well, a few of the settings are real…Martha’s Vineyard and Eastham, Massachusetts. But I do like to take liberties, so the others are all made up, though based on real places. I think I’d probably move to Gideon’s Cove if I could (the setting of Catch of the Day and my upcoming novel, Somebody to Love). The sea, the rocky shore, the desserts that Maggie makes at Joe’s Diner…heaven!

What’s your typical writing day like?  And what are your “must haves” to be productive?

Generally, I start writing the instant my kiddies are in school and write until it’s time to pick them up. I do stuff like blogs and interviews in the afternoons when they’re doing homework. 

I always have a dish of Hershey Nuggets next to my chair, as well as a song that embodies the mood of the book. I put the song on “repeat” and listen to it over and over and over. For my Until There Was you, I listened to Adele’s version of “Make You Feel My Love” 706 times. I may have OCD.

Lastly, with the Yankees and the Red Sox not in the series this year (apologies from Baltimore about that, by the way), are you planning some well-deserved time off, or are you already working on something you’d like to tell us about?

Oh, hey, I’m a Yankees fan, and the fact that Baltimore kept the Red Sox out of the post-season…Go, Orioles! That being said, yes, my boys collapsed shortly thereafter. Time off has been elusive this year—can’t complain about being wanted, though! I’m currently revising Somebody To Love, which features some familiar faces (those of you who beong to the Cult of Maloner the Loner…keep an eye out for this one!). After that, I’m starting a series based around a family vineyard in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Thank you so much for having me today! Always a pleasure to be with other contemp authors.

Thank you for joining us, Kristan!  All the best for continued success! 

Kristan Higgins is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author and the two-time winner of the Romance Writers of America RITA Award. Her hobbies include baking, reading and stalking Derek Jeter. Visit her website at www.kristanhiggins.com.