Kahlen Aymes Interview Published on: 08, Jan 2019

Which book won you the title of USA Today Bestselling Author? How do you feel about the many feathers that have added to the cap over time?

I made USA today in an anthology with several other authors.

Where did you go to college and what did you study? How did you get inspired to take to writing?

I went to Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. My major was Business Administration and Marketing, but I'd been a ferocious reader all of my life and always thought I might write a book one day. I started a business and needed to network with my target market which was women, and so I started writing Twilight Fan-fiction, similar to EL James and in the same time frame. After much reader encouragement and winning several awards in the fan-fiction community, I decided to try my hand at publishing. Plus, I loved it much more than my other marketing career.

Where did you grow up? What is your fondest childhood memory?

My parents inherited an acreage west of Omaha when I was ten years old and I grew up there. My father built the house with his own two hands and he worked full-time, plus farmed 80 acres and took care of all of the cars and anything else that would break down. My grandfather lived with us because my grandmother passed away just before we moved to Nebraska. I used to cook and take treats and cold drinks to the two of them when they were working in the fields, and I used to ride on the tractor with my father and pull the wagons with my granddad.

As a child, what did you want to become when you grow up?

LOL. A lawyer.

Which is your favorite song to sing at a karaoke?

I have a lot of them, but I'd say the key to sounding good in karaoke is finding songs "in your range."

How would you describe your relationship with your daughter?

It's close. We are a lot alike.

Do you have any pets? Tell us a funny story about him/her/them?

I have three dogs. Two golden retrievers and one black lab. They get toys and treats for Christmas. They each have a stocking full of gifts on Christmas morning... they act like kids. They bark and cry until we all get up so they can have their gifts. :-)

How do you like to construct your male characters? Who is your favorite from all your male heroes?

Hmmm.... I love them all for different reasons, but I have to say my favorite (If I have to choose) would be Ryan from The Remembrance Trilogy. This was my first published work and readers fell in love with Ryan. I construct them to be what I believe women want in men: Strong, sensitive, and almost perfect, but not quite. Their flaws keep them real.

What inspired the plot of ‘Trading Yesterday’?

I was writing it as a short story, but the plot kind of exploded. I started with the airport scene where Chase comes back after Teagan texts him, but after Chase met Remi, I felt I had to continue. Whenever I start a new story, I have scenes that "scream" to be written and those are usually what I build the stories around.

As a reader, what would be your favorite thing about The Famous Novels?

It's inspired by a real-life couple.

Which of The After Dark Series was the most challenging to write and what made it so?

The first series was written in first-person past tense, but my agent who worked with traditional publishing said that many books were written in third-person omnipresent and to expand my skill as a writer, I had to learn to write in that tense. It was a struggle at first. Also, there are many billionaire alpha males books and series. My challenge was to make Alexander Avery just as hot as the others, but also with his own unique qualities. Also, Angel is a strong heroine, but I had to balance her inner strength, yet give her the arc of having one weakness: Alex.

‘Angel After Dark’ is a romance that starts out from a radio show conversation. Do you personally enjoy listening to the radio and similar shows? Did you take inspiration for the story from a real-life anecdote?

Yes. Music is a big part of my life and huge inspiration when I'm writing. I used to sell radio advertising and one of the DJs asked me to help him with an early morning skit once weekly called "Sound effects theater." It was a new little script every week. It was fun... despite having to get up at 5 AM.

What is the one advice you wish to give your daughter and children of her age?

The advice I'd give any young woman is to be self-sufficient; don't rely on a man to take care of you. The reason to need people is for love, comfort, and to be supportive of your dreams... not for "stuff". Being able to take care of yourself is power, and you should never give away your power. (Sounds like Dr. Angeling Hemming from the After Dark Series, doesn't it?)

Which is the next book that will hit the racks?

Tell us more about it. I'm writing Finding Tomorrow which is the follow-up to Trading Yesterday. Without giving away too much of a spoiler, it's Jensen's love story. He is a good guy and deserves his own happy ending. Trading Yesterday and Finding Tomorrow are stand-alone novels that can be read just one or the other, but the reading experience of the FT will be richer if you've read TY, first. Who knows? There might even be one or two other stories in this series of stand-alone romances.

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