Kat Bellemore - Small Coastal Towns, Sweet Kisses, and Second Chances

Kat Bellemore is a small-town romance and cozy mystery author. Deciding to have New Mexico as the setting for two of her series was an easy choice, considering its amazing sunsets, blue skies, and tasty green chile. That, and she currently lives there with her husband and two cute kids. They hope to one day add a dog to the family, but for now, the native animals of the desert will have to do. Though, Kat wouldn't mind ridding the world of scorpions and centipedes. They're just mean. As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, Resisting Love.

Please give us a short introduction to what Resisting Love is about.

Resisting Love follows Isaac Larson and Leanne Warner. They’ve been together since they were children, and it was only natural they’d get married after high school. But then Leanne leaves for a summer fellowship to work with a famous Hollywood screenwriter, and she doesn’t return. Two years later she shows back up in their small town of Starlight Ridge. The town expects Isaac and Leanne to pick back up where they’d left off, but Isaac isn’t the same, and neither is Leanne. There has been too much hurt—too many secrets. And it will take a lot of forgiveness, and small-town intervention, for them to be able to trust each other enough to heal their relationship.

What inspired you to write this story? Was there anything that made you want to tackle this?

This was a really interesting story for me, and one that is close to my heart, because an underlying theme is depression and mental illness and how it can affect relationships. I have many people close to me who suffer from mental illness, and it is an invisible battle they are waging every day. Acquaintances may not recognize that war, but it does affect close relationships. It’s important this becomes an open dialogue in society so those who are suffering don’t feel like they have to hide it.

Tell us more about Isaac Larson. What makes him tick?

Isaac Larson looks like the most carefree guy in the world from the outside. He’s a surfer who always has a ready smile and an easy laugh. But it’s a coverup. He’s hurting. Isaac has always struggled with depression but never been open about it because of watching his own father struggle with mental illness, and he has used his high school girlfriend as his antidepressant—someone who was always been able to keep him grounded.

But he never told her that—never opened up to her about his challenges. So when she makes a choice to leave for Hollywood for a coveted summer fellowship, he remains quiet. And he spirals. Online gaming becomes an addiction as he attempts to mask his pain.

That’s what a lot of the book covers—redemption, forgiveness, and overcoming personal demons. That sounds really heavy, I know, but I’m able to infuse enough light-hearted moments, that it won’t drag you down.

What makes Leanne Warner such a great protagonist?

I feel like in the beginning, it could be easy to dislike Leanne. She left her long-time boyfriend—someone she had plans to marry—for a summer fellowship in Hollywood with a famous screenwriter. But she gets caught up in the Hollywood scene and one summer turns into two years. That’s where we enter the story, and we see her realization that this is not who she wants to be. That she’s still the small-town girl from Starlight Ridge.

Leanne is terrified to return home, though. She doesn’t know what she’s going to find. She’s terrified to see Isaac again—they’d lost touch over the years. She’s afraid of judgment, mostly because she feels a lot of shame and guilt for leaving as she’d done. Leanne has her own personal demons that she needs to overcome, and they look different than Isaac’s, but they require just as much care and attention.

I love Leanne because she did chase after her dreams, and even though they didn’t turn out quite as she had expected, she became a better version of herself. And I believe that it led to a better foundation for hers and Isaac’s relationship—a foundation that finally allowed him to be his true self with her, and vice versa.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?”

The term, ‘Jack of all trades, master of nothing’ comes to mind. I like to try a lot of things but tend to move on to something else quickly. I have a four-year degree in Psychology but attended four different schools to get that degree. (One time I switched schools because I saw the new school had fencing, and that looked like fun.) I currently enjoy attending Parkour classes, but am terrified of heights, so mostly go for the social connections. I am getting better, though!

I will always love hiking, racquetball, and video gaming. (I’m a Nintendo girl.) I also enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles, then gluing and framing them. (If I go to that much work to complete it, there’s no way I’m doing that again, haha.)

Why did you pick a small coastal town as the backdrop for your story?

I’ve always been drawn to fictional stories that take place in small towns. (Gilmore Girls!) I love the interactions between the characters and the intimacy that evolves within those relationships.

My first romance series, Borrowing Amor, takes place in a small New Mexican town. In the third book of the series, one of the characters has a sister who leaves her fiancé and moves to Starlight Ridge. The first book in the Starlight Ridge series is her story.

One of the reasons I chose a coastal town is because I was looking for the opposite of the New Mexican desert, and I love water. I love how calming it is. I could just sit on the beach and stare at the ocean for hours.

This is a second-chance romance. Why, would you say, is this such a powerful theme?

Second chance romances are always my favorite books to write. Instead of attraction being the initial setting for the couple, it is hesitation and distrust. It allows us to really get to know these people better, go deeper, and see if they can overcome whatever it was that the past had thrown at them. Maybe it’s my degree in psychology coming into play, but I love this deeper connection. And we all make mistakes right? There’s always something in our pasts that we wish we could change, but sometimes we’ve hurt others to the point that those relationships seem to be beyond repair.

Second chance romances are about challenging that supposition and helping people heal the unhealable.

Do any of your characters ever take off on their own tangent, refusing to do what you had planned for them?

All the time. That is why I rarely create more than a basic outline because as soon as I tell my characters what to do, they decide to do the opposite. Even in my murder mysteries. There are times when the murderer says, “I didn’t do it.” And I believe them. So then I have to find someone else.

What did you have the most fun with while Resisting Love?

Writing the surfing scenes was a lot of fun. I’m scared of water, so it’s not something I could ever do myself. Researching it and writing those experiences were the next best thing.

Resisting Love is the second book in the Starlight Ridge series. Can it be read as a standalone? How do the other books in the series tie in with this one?

Yes, Resisting Love can be read as a standalone romance. You first meet Isaac in the first book of the series, Diving into Love. He’s the carefree lifeguard/surfer. In the epilogue we see Leanne return to Starlight Ridge, which leads you into Resisting Love. Each book ties into the next, but does not have to be read in a specific order to still enjoy them.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I homeschool my daughter so if I want to get writing done, it has to be first thing in the morning. Ideally, I get up at 5 am and try to get at least a couple of hours done before getting my son up for school. I also write in doctors’ offices and in the car when my kids have different classes and appointments. As crazy as it is, when my kids are older, I’ll miss these days.

What are you working on right now?

I have started a cozy mystery series that takes place in the same town as my New Mexican romance series, Borrowing Amor. Dead Before Dinner releases July 31st, and I’m so excited for this new adventure. The main characters from my romance series become the side characters in the mysteries. Eventually, I will also have a mystery series that takes place in Starlight Ridge.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

You can visit me at www.kat-bellemore.com. I’m working on updating my website to also reflect the mystery side of my writing, but you can currently access all of my romances from there. You can also receive free books on my website and sign up for my newsletter. My newsletter is the best place to interact with me because social media is quite unreliable and I love having a direct connection with my readers. My newsletter is the first place I announce new releases, sales, giveaways, and insight into my writing life. I’d love to see you there! If you visit www.kat-bellemore.com/free-book you’ll be able to download the prequel to the Starlight Ridge series, Arrested by Love.  Resisting Love is available on all major retailers in ebook, paperback, and audio. They can get it at http://books2read.com/resistinglove