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Interview with Kristen Ashley
Episode 90 • 21st June 2024 • Reading Under the Covers: A Romance Novel Podcast • Under the Covers Book Blog
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In today's episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, we have author Kristen Ashley joining us to chat about her latest romantic thriller release THE WOMAN BY THE LAKE. Of course, we asked about all her sexy alpha males and even got a tidbit on her current work in progress and who are some of her current must-buy authors. You won't want to miss it.

If you're ready to start your Kristen Ashley reading journey, then visit the blog. We have a complete guide on reading Kristen Ashley here: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/kristen-ashley-reading-guide

You may also like:

Pick up your copy of The Woman by the Lake on Amazon: https://rstyle.me/+5SupUEh0i-B1izMPj_-hyQ

And if you want to see more romance authors that write thrillers, check out this podcast episode: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/thrillers-by-romance-authors/

These notes contain affiliate links. That means we receive a small commission at no cost to you from any purchases you make through these links.


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Transcripts

Speaker:

Francesca : Welcome to Reading Under

the Covers, a romance novel podcast.

2

:

I'm Francesca,

3

:

Suzanne: And I am Suzanne.

4

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Francesca : and today we have

a special episode for you guys.

5

:

We are interviewing an author

that has been a favorite here at

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Under the Covers for many years.

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:

I think Suzanne actually discovered

her when she was just a few books out.

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:

Right, Suzanne?

9

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Suzanne: Yeah, it was, oh my gosh,

it was years and years ago now.

10

:

So I think she, she hadn't

finished her Colorado series.

11

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I think she might have finished

her Rock Chick series or the last

12

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book might have been coming out.

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or the last few books.

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Yeah, so I have read nearly all

of her backlist as it's come

15

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out, which makes me feel so old.

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But yeah, Kristen Ashley is very much

part of my book reading history and

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has made up a lot of my love for,

certain things like the super alpha,

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I'm super excited to, to chat to her.

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Francesca : And I actually may sneak

in a question in there that I haven't

20

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told you about, and we're gonna see

if Kristen answers it, but for sure

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I'm gonna get you to answer it.

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So kind of like think back of

your heroes, just forewarning you.

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Suzanne: I already know my favorite

hero of, well, I've got two

24

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favorites actually, but that's fine.

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Don't make me pick.

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Francesca : We're excited to,

get to chat with her and we

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hope that you guys enjoy it.

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And that if you haven't read

Kristen Ashley before you pick

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up one of her books, obviously

you're missing out on a lot of

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Suzanne: Yeah, they are so much fun.

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So hello everyone, Kristen has joined us.

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And we're really excited to see you.

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I am a huge fan.

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I've been reading your books for so long.

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So yeah, it's really, it's really lovely

to see you and we can interrogate and

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slash talk to you about yeah, about

your book, so I'm super excited.

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But for the crazy people who might not

have seen your book can you let people

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know what wonderfulness they need to

expect from a Kristen Ashley read?

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Kristen Ashley: Well, okay.

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I have I, I actually have lost track

of how many books I've published.

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I think it's over 90.

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And I jump genres.

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I write practically

everything except historical.

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So I write fantasy, I write romantic

suspense, I write contemporary, I

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write mature I do some, I just released

a, what I call a romantic thriller.

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I tore myself away because I I started

this weird urban fantasy that I

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Francesca: Ooh.

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Kristen Ashley: to write and I was just

fiddling with an idea and of course it's

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drawn me in so I'm now writing that and

it's not your normal urban fantasy, it's

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very weird, but anyway, I will write

anything but mostly you can expect

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that there's going to be an alpha male.

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Very alpha, alpha male and

mostly I like to it, it's really

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important to me to explore found

family, especially the sisterhood.

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So practically in all my books, there

is a very close at least one close, if

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not entire posse of female friends that

help the heroine or Stand on her side or

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at her back or wherever she needs them

to be and Hopefully humor and maybe

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make you cry every once in a while.

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I have a very weird I have a very,

very weird stream consciousness writing

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style that some really love and some

really can't get into and and yeah,

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that's, those are Kristen Ashley books.

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Francesca: Absolutely.

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Actually, so you said that you

write in different genres.

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Which one is your, like, where do

you feel most at home writing it?

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Which genre do you think?

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, Kristen Ashley: I love them all, I know

that seems like a cop out answer, but I

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think that the key to it and the reason

why I do it is because love writing.

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If I, if I could conceivably sit

here and write every single second

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of the day, I probably would do it.

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I think the reason why I got into

this urban fantasy that I was just

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playing with is because I haven't done

any kind of fantasy book in a while.

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So I'm really loving this right

now because it's a kind of a palate

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cleanser to being in the thrillers

or the suspense or the contemporary

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stuff that I've been doing.

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doing.

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I haven't published a

fantasy book in years now.

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So, so it's fantastic to kind of be

really world building from the bottom up.

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But once I'm into that, I will, I will

be really grateful to be out of it.

78

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I'll be Misted Pines or be back in Phoenix

doing an Avenging Angel or, you know,

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Back in my River Reign group or something.

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So, yeah, you love the one you're with

because you're ready for that change.

81

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Francesca: Yeah, we're both really big

fans of urban fantasy, so we can't let

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that just swing by and not try to dig.

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You can tell us a little bit.

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What is it about?

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Kristen Ashley: I'm a hybrid

writer, so I publish independently

86

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as well as traditionally.

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And right now I don't have a traditional

contract, so I've been shopping some

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ideas around to some publishers.

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And I'm always coming up with

ideas for books constantly.

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And so this book hit me.

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It's not in our world.

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It's in a different world.

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, it's not Karen Marie Moaning, in Ireland,

it's an entirely different world, but

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it's a world we totally understand.

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It's , in a city that we understand.

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And yet it's set a

little bit in the future.

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Francesca: Nice.

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Kristen Ashley: You're in this urban

city, , where there's, nightclubs and

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she's a costume designer , for films.

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And, , her friend , is a,

manager of an art gallery.

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So we're really, we'll really be

seated in things that we understand,

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but there's going to be a lot of

fantasy developed , around that.

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The hero is, The prince, the

soon to be king of the realm.

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But we're not navigating that

in the fact that he's a ruler.

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We're navigating in the fact that

he's, a very handsome, media star.

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Kind of like William, except hotter.

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And maybe he can shift.

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Suzanne: I'm getting like cyberpunk vibes.

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From what you've said,

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as

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Kristen Ashley: it's very, it's, I

don't know, It's very dark and not dark

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in the sense of it's a dark romance,

but in the sense of that kind of idea

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of, I don't know how to describe it.

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I sent it to a friend who's also a

publisher and she like immediately

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texted me and said, what is this?

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I've never read anything like this.

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And I said, I don't know what it is.

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And usually, I can write a book

in two, two to three weeks.

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I mean, it just pours of me, but the

first three chapters Which was probably

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about, I don't know, 6, 000 words.

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I pored over those

chapters for three days.

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Because I'm like, what

is, what's happening here?

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I just couldn't, I

couldn't, it didn't flow.

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Now it's flowing, of course.

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But it's not flowing as

much as it normally would.

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Because if I'm doing a fantasy, I'll

take, I'll make a lot of notes beforehand.

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So I'll be able to establish myself

in the world and kind of get it.

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And there are a lot of notes

that readers will never see.

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Like when I wrote The Rising,

I mean, I even know what they

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imported and exported, what all

the different countries crops were.

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Stuff like that, that you'll never see

but as a reader, but I needed to know it

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so I could be established in that one.

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I didn't do that with this.

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It's all just kind of coming out.

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So I have fiddle with all of

that stuff while I'm writing it.

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And it's fun.

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It's been really fun so far.

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Francesca: That sounds fun.

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I wonder if also you're able to mix

in a little bit of your love for

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fashion because is a costume designer.

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Kristen Ashley: definitely.

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And it, and the reason why she's a

costume designer is that I watched Marie

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Antoinette, the Kirsten Dunst movie

last weekend, and I, and I was just.

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Utterly, I was just enthralled

with the costumes in that movie.

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They were just amazing And I

thought, how fun would this be to

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actually be a costume designer?

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In the book, she does everything

from the period pieces.

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But of course they're not our periods.

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She's doing the troll invasion right now.

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She's doing, I'm thinking about

the troll invasion right now.

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But we'll get it.

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, we'll get that, that's kind

of the costume that she's making.

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But she also.

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did a TV show much like Sex and the City.

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So she was curating designers clothes too.

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So it's definitely very fun for me to,

to, and also to futuristically dress

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her and her friends as well, because I

want you to know what they're wearing,

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but I want it to seem a little bit,

you know, not what we normally See,

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Francesca: yeah.

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Kristen Ashley: but still sexy and fun.

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Suzanne: about like fashion of the future.

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Like I just keep seeing stuff

that I was wearing in the

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nineties as coming up in fashion.

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I'm like, Oh my gosh, this didn't

look good in the nineties either.

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Like, why is it coming back, get

those acid water jeans away from me.

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But yeah,

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Kristen Ashley: It's funny you

say that because I am definitely

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going to be Relying on the fact

that fashion does circle back on

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Francesca: Mm hmm.

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Kristen Ashley: you know And like

she is she's got an apparatus.

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She's got what she calls a Cosmo mask that

she puts on that does her makeup for her.

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But because she's a costume designer,

she also paints her own face.

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And that's not the dumb thing, but

people are kind of getting into it

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again because it's something that

fascinates them from the past.

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And , so yeah, it's really fun.

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It's, I've never done anything like this

and I've never read anything like this.

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And it's really, so

we'll see how it goes.

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It'll get out there one way or another.

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Francesca: We'll be looking out for it.

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Suzanne: Yeah, we'll

be looking out for it.

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It sounds really So we should

talk about your newest release,

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so The Woman by the Lake.

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It's the third book in the Misted

Pines series of, like you said

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earlier, it's a romantic thriller.

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So it's all murdery, which I love.

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Francesca: I'd love to.

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Suzanne: I don't know why.

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So yeah, tell us about it.

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So it's the third book in the series.

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Is it something that you could

just dive into, or do we need

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to go back to number one?

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Tell us about it.

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Mm

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Kristen Ashley: books in the Misted

Pine series are their own stories.

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So they the hero and heroine

are different in each book.

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There's an H.

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E.

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A.

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at the end of the book.

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The bow will be tied on the mystery

so there's not like this ongoing arc.

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That you have to wait with bated

breath for the next episode.

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It's done with each book.

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For this one, though, I started

to think that people would, they

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would be kind of a Jessica Fletcher,

Murder, She Wrote type situation.

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If this little town in

the Pacific Northwest had

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serial killers are visiting

it , every six months.

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So I was like, where am I,

where can I go with this?

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Cause I mean, even a murder or a death

is not normal in like a rural small town.

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You don't have it happen all the time.

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So for this one it came to me that maybe

we should move backward in time and deal

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with something that happened before.

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And making it spooky is the haunted

cabin that our heroine, Nadia rents.

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And the fact that the murders

that happened 15 years earlier

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happened just outside her cabin.

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So she has only one neighbor

on the lake that she lives on.

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Riggs and they have to get

together and figure out what's

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going on with these hauntings.

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And she has a very, very, very sad

backstory that has driven her to

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the Misted Pines to get some peace

and quiet and get her head straight.

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And Riggs is, once he finds out what

happened to her, he's very protective and

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it just kind of springboards , from there.

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I was really into this book.

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I don't think I've been this into a book.

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ever I couldn't let them

go when it was done.

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I kept, my mind just kept building

this epilogue that was like 700

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pages long, because I just really

fell in love with these two.

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I fell in love with Ledger

Riggs's young son I just, I

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really just like them very much.

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So, yeah,

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Francesca: we'll get like a

deleted scene or something.

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If you ever feel like

putting all that out.

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Kristen Ashley: I wish I'd written

it down, but I had to walk away,

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and eventually I had to just And

what happened was, is I started

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to tell Harry's story in my head.

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So I have this, I don't know, 25 page

document that is essentially the first

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half of the next Misted Pines book.

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Once I finish this urban fantasy,

I'm going to jump into writing that.

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So Harry will finally get his story.

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Because poor Harry needs some love.

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Some healing and he needs some love.

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Francesca: Yeah.

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So that's how it works with switching

off from one character or one couple

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or one book and you just have to

go immediately into another one

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and, or you do a break a little bit

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Kristen Ashley: well, normally because

the way I write so obsessively,

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I, I have to do my dishes.

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I have to do my dishes and go

down and get my mail and actually

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come back into the world.

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Francesca: Real life.

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Kristen Ashley: I'm eating Cheez Its and

because there's no more food in my house

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so I have to go to the grocery store.

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So usually I try to take a break and

answer emails and get back to life.

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But fortunately, I'm in a zone where I

have, I really have gotten everything.

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sorted So, I do have to get my

mail, and I do have to continue

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to go ahead and get my groceries.

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But I'm hoping to really just write

back to back books this summer.

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write this Urban Fantasy, then Misted

Pines, and the next Avenging Angel,

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and maybe the next Wild West book.

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I don't know.

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I don't know what's going to come to

me, but I do know that I have to write.

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Misted pines, River

Rain, and Avenging Angel.

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Suzanne: Busy summer.

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Busy summer ahead.

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Kristen Ashley: a good summer.

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Francesca: do you think there's a

little bit of a difference between,

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because you've always done some

suspense in your books, there's always

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a little bit of an element of suspense.

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So if somebody has read some of those

books, is it much different with this one

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that you're calling a romantic thriller?

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Mm

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Kristen Ashley: kind of, yes.

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I don't know how to describe it.

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It started out, I

thought, very thriller y.

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But with The Girl in the Mist, which

is the first book in the series.

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And I liked the idea of playing around

With the thriller aspect, where you're

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not in the hero of the situation's head.

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Instead, the heroine is the one

that's telling us of what's happening

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with this Thriller plot while she's

watching a hero investigate it.

279

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And so all of these things are

happening to him, to her, to the town,

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to, you know, victims and everything.

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And she's reacting to it based

on how the investigators are

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reacting to investigating it.

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And I found that really fascinating

to come at it from, and then

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she's drawn in, of course.

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Well, at the beginning, because

obviously you're good, because the

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first thing that happened was an eight

year old girl gets kidnapped and

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so anybody's gonna be drawn in for

that because it's just so horrifying.

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So, but then the second book.

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I'm following the, we're in the, we're

in the head of the investigator, which

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I didn't think was ever going to happen.

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I thought the whole thing was going to

be all in the heroine's point of view.

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And I think it's more, I think the second

book feels more like a suspense book.

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than a thriller , I think part of the

thriller is that , she's removed from it.

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, she doesn't know what's

happening with the investigation.

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, she is in an integral part of it.

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So I think it's more of a suspense

, to be in it and a straight up love

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story , as the hero and heroine

fall in love because we're deeply

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involved in the investigation.

299

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Suzanne: Did you have to do much

research into, , investigations and how

300

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they're conducted , for the second book?

301

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Kristen Ashley: Yeah, and how the

FBI is the hierarchy of the FBI,

302

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and hopefully I got it right.

303

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, you don't want to be calling

somebody a title that they aren't.

304

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The stuff doesn't happen that we see on

TV shows and stuff as fast as it happens.

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So trying to make it a little believable,

even though it's fiction And it's still

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a sense of, you know, that the hero knows

what he's doing because he's not, doesn't

307

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snap his fingers and the DNA tests are

back, you know, because normally DNA

308

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tests take months, if not years to happen.

309

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So kind of using, I don't want to use

the word tricks, but it is tricks to,

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cause I'm not an FBI agent, to make him

more believable by putting those, More

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realistic aspects of an investigation

in there, rather than him being like

312

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a super human and, , running around

and demanding these tests be done and

313

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remanding, you know, those results to be

done, it's just not, or, or, you know,

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I mean, it's for the first body it took.

315

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Days even for the autopsy to get that,

you know, and it's explained why so

316

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yeah, I couldn't say I delve too Deeply

into it, but but yeah Just enough to

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make him hopefully

318

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come on for you.

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Suzanne: Yeah.

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You don't want too much realism,

otherwise you're just like, oh, we're

321

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just waiting for the test results to come

back as I investigate this other crime.

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Kristen Ashley: I mean he even wouldn't

be investigating a single crime.

323

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I mean Actuality, the FBI

would probably not even let him

324

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investigate this crime because it

wasn't his crime to investigate.

325

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But anyway,

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Suzanne: Yeah.

327

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Kristen Ashley: talk about those parts.

328

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Suzanne: No,

329

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Francesca: Little realism,

but not, not a lot.

330

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Suzanne: too much.

331

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So it's not that I stalk you on social

media, but I do follow you and I

332

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have seen that you have been reading

lately the Eve & Roarke series, not,

333

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it's not the Eve & Roarke series,

that's just what it is in my head.

334

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The In Death series by

JD Robb, which I mean.

335

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Francesca and I are like super fans

of as well, so yeah, so when you were

336

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saying about your urban fantasy which

is set slightly in the future that

337

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also brought to mind like Not Eve and

Roarke, oh my gosh, the In Death series.

338

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Kristen Ashley: In Death series.

339

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Suzanne: I thought in my,

340

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in my head, is the Eve and Roarke series.

341

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We

342

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Kristen Ashley: their series.

343

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It absolutely is Eve and Roarke's series.

344

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Suzanne: At the moment, in my head,

it's a Peabody and McNabb series

345

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because I love those two so much.

346

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Kristen Ashley: I do too.

347

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Suzanne: Yeah, I don't want to say too

much because I can't quite remember

348

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what book you got to, but yeah.

349

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Kristen Ashley: Well, they are, I

think I, I think I got to 17 or 18.

350

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Suzanne: Yeah.

351

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Kristen Ashley: now that Peabody

and McNabb are definitely together.

352

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Suzanne: Yeah.

353

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Oh, they're so

354

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Kristen Ashley: It is, I mean,

they're just beginning to,

355

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I think.

356

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Yeah,

357

:

I believe they just moved in together.

358

:

Suzanne: It's so good.

359

:

So yeah,

360

:

has that been like a big inspiration in

the stuff that you've kind of thought

361

:

Kristen Ashley: for sure.

362

:

Suzanne: Yeah.

363

:

Kristen Ashley: Yeah, I I think when I got

this when I started to think of this idea

364

:

of I don't want to say too much about it.

365

:

But when I got started to think about

this idea something happens to the heroine

366

:

and there's a big plot in the background

because of what happened to the heroine

367

:

well before she even meets , the hero.

368

:

But I think pushing it a little

into the future was definitely

369

:

because I enjoy In Death so much.

370

:

But this is even more in the future.

371

:

So not only is it not our world,

but I know that Nora Roberts started

372

:

writing that series in the 90s.

373

:

You know, so 2058 seemed really

far away and now it doesn't

374

:

seem as far away anymore.

375

:

But the point is made.

376

:

Her world is, is very familiar to us

377

:

Suzanne: Yeah.

378

:

Kristen Ashley: regardless of the, I

mean, I don't even think that there

379

:

were, yeah, there were cell phones

back then, but that was even new.

380

:

That was kind of a new technology.

381

:

, so I don't think she could have ever

imagined how advanced things would get

382

:

in such a short period of time, but

I think she did a great job with it.

383

:

And the thing about that series that,

well, , I haven't read the whole series,

384

:

but I've heard many people say that it's.

385

:

exceptional throughout, the 50

some odd books that she's written.

386

:

But even, , as a writer, , even

just keeping that quality

387

:

of storytelling through 17

books , is incredibly impressive.

388

:

So, I mean, they're not all

amazing, but they're all very good.

389

:

It's just, start at the level of very

good to, oh my god, that one was great.

390

:

You'll have three great ones, great

ones, great ones, one fantastic

391

:

one, and then you might go down to

very good again, but there's not.

392

:

Suzanne: Yeah.

393

:

I've read all of them, and I would

agree that they are, like, they

394

:

soften a bit, because just by the

nature of time going by Eve's trauma

395

:

starts to, , she starts to heal.

396

:

So, there are different issues

that, personal issues that crop up

397

:

and, , the circle of her friends

expand and you get more of that.

398

:

So, the books change.

399

:

They're not as dark,

apart from the crimes.

400

:

They can get pretty oh my god, I'm

checking my doors again tonight.

401

:

Kristen Ashley: Fly away

402

:

from,

403

:

Suzanne: like seeing Eve so happy I'm

just like, Oh, just makes my heart.

404

:

Kristen Ashley: I had to take a break

because she was really driving me crazy.

405

:

So, and everyone's don't, no, keep going,

keep going, you know, it's, it's, it,

406

:

but I mean, I just immerse myself so

into it, so unfortunately, it's a really

407

:

long series, so I can take my time,

408

:

um, and, and my house is

beginning to look like a library

409

:

because I have so many books.

410

:

I've been going off to read all this stuff

on my Kindle and I need to start getting

411

:

through some of these stacks of books.

412

:

Francesca: Well, actually, who are

some of your favorite authors to read?

413

:

Who are your autobuy authors, the ones

that you don't even have to read a blurb?

414

:

Or some new favorites

415

:

Kristen Ashley: um, well

I love Darynda Jones.

416

:

I love Darynda, everything

that Darynda Jones writes.

417

:

I absolutely, I, I actually only I mean,

I've heard of her before, but I just

418

:

started reading her last year and I've

read every single thing she's written.

419

:

Francesca: Love her.

420

:

Love her.

421

:

Absolutely.

422

:

Love her.

423

:

We

424

:

Kristen Ashley: Yeah, I love her too.

425

:

I I, I flew through Shannon Mayer's

40 Proof series, which is now

426

:

Suzanne: I love that series.

427

:

Kristen Ashley: So, um,

428

:

Francesca: like we're

sharing a brain right

429

:

now.

430

:

Yeah,

431

:

Kristen Ashley: really, really good.

432

:

I'm kind of bummed it's

over, but, , sometimes just.

433

:

And other than that, I don't really have,

I, I kind of dip in and out of books and I

434

:

don't really, I mean, I'll find something

like,, I mentioned the Karen Marie

435

:

moaning, I, I came to those really late.

436

:

And then I completely

was obsessed with them.

437

:

And then I read all of those.

438

:

I did the same thing with

the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

439

:

Came to those really late.

440

:

And then, you know, did nothing but,

my bed was like, detritus of food

441

:

and coffee cups on the, and my cats

were like, what, you need to get up!

442

:

You've been reading like

seven days straight.

443

:

So, fortunately, that's

the way my life is.

444

:

, that's one of the reasons

why I didn't start in Death.

445

:

Because for so many of those books,

I knew that that was going to happen.

446

:

And and it happened.

447

:

so,

448

:

Francesca: those are some good ones.

449

:

Suzanne: Yeah, I was gonna say, the

good thing about coming to things

450

:

late is that you then do have a nice

little, little pile that you can fully

451

:

gorge, gorge yourself on until that

urge has been satisfied and you can,

452

:

you know, move on to your next prey.

453

:

Kristen Ashley: Yeah.

454

:

Francesca: Which genres do you

gravitate to reading though?

455

:

Because it sounds like

it's a lot of paranormal.

456

:

Kristen Ashley: I like everything.

457

:

So, yeah, I like everything.

458

:

I love I love historicals.

459

:

I've been reading romance since I

was about 13, 12 or 13 years old.

460

:

, and historicals were

always my big, I love them.

461

:

And then when I started writing, one of

the reasons why I can't tell you all of

462

:

these authors that I'm absolutely in love

with this, because once I started writing.

463

:

I got out of the habit of reading,

you know, because essentially I'm

464

:

typing and reading all day long.

465

:

So it doesn't seem as much of a a

relaxation type of thing after it's over.

466

:

But also when you write so

much, I try not to read.

467

:

When I'm writing, because the voice of

I would never read Eve and Rourke right

468

:

now, doing the urban Fantasy, because

suddenly everything would be an auto chef,

469

:

you know, and a drawing tube, and , my

hero would become more and more like

470

:

Rourke, and my heroine, who's very girly

and shy, she would start to have Eve

471

:

qualities, and I don't want to do that.

472

:

With anything like that.

473

:

I started a, like a police procedural

thriller last night, so, because

474

:

it's nothing like what I'm writing.

475

:

And but I got out of the habit of

reading, and I didn't, and I, I really

476

:

didn't read much of anything for years.

477

:

I got Back into it a few years

ago, , and now I'm just reading

478

:

everything I can get my hands on.

479

:

And it isn't just romance, I mean, I

read a lot, I read a lot of thrillers,

480

:

I, I say Ursie, Barry I've got

Dave Grohl's book on my nightstand.

481

:

I have Obama's and Springsteen's book on

my nightstand, so, pretty much everything.

482

:

Francesca: Do you remember your

first romance book you read since it

483

:

was, you know, when you were a kid?

484

:

No.

485

:

Mm-Hmm.

486

:

Kristen Ashley: mom belonged to the

Harlequin Romance Club, and I don't

487

:

even know if they do that anymore,

where every month they send you four of

488

:

those white books with the bow on the

front, And the couple in the embrace.

489

:

There was no sex in them.

490

:

They might kiss on the last page.

491

:

So that was probably why she allowed

me to swipe them and read them.

492

:

So it was those, but I was, I, for,

for Harlequins, Penny Jordan was my,

493

:

Penny Jordan was my favorite writer.

494

:

And then I got into reading the actual

novel, full length novels, because

495

:

really those little Harlequins presents

were probably mostly like novellas.

496

:

I

497

:

mean, so then I got into the big ones

and I loved Judith Macnaught and Jude

498

:

Devereaux and, um, Julie Garwood.

499

:

Francesca: Oh,

500

:

A Knight in Shining Armor.

501

:

Kristen Ashley: yes, oh my god.

502

:

And when I lived in England, my in

laws were like They knew I wanted

503

:

to be a writer and they were like,

our neighbor is a romance novelist.

504

:

You should come over and, and meet her.

505

:

And I said, Oh, that'd be great.

506

:

So went up to Cheshire, went to

their house, they had dinner, this

507

:

beautiful blonde woman walks in.

508

:

Her name was Penny Hossall.

509

:

And we started talking romance.

510

:

And I said, do you

publish under your name?

511

:

And she said, no, I publish

under the name Penny Jordan.

512

:

I'm With my favorite romance author!

513

:

And I completely, I think I

almost slid off the couch.

514

:

It was totally

515

:

Francesca: a great story.

516

:

Kristen Ashley: that was a very,

very unexpected and happy moment.

517

:

Francesca: Yeah, that's amazing.

518

:

Kristen Ashley: I know, it was bizarre.

519

:

I think I got choked up

and almost started crying.

520

:

Sadly, she, she passed away

of cancer not long after that.

521

:

But, she was lovely.

522

:

And, she was lovely.

523

:

And I was really glad I got to meet her.

524

:

Serendipity.

525

:

, Francesca: for sure, for sure.

526

:

So do you think you read

more on your Kindle nowadays

527

:

Kristen Ashley: Yeah.

528

:

I love you.

529

:

I really love books,

but this is the thing.

530

:

I have trouble sleeping.

531

:

Really bad issue sleeping all my life.

532

:

And in the routine that I've gotten into

is to turn the lights out and have my

533

:

Kindle in dark mode, you know, and read.

534

:

And, and for me, it's really relaxing.

535

:

I'm in my own little cocoon, my own

little world, and I can read until I

536

:

get really sleepy and then set it aside.

537

:

And you don't even have to find

a nightstand for it, you know,

538

:

I just tuck it under my pillow

539

:

and fall asleep.

540

:

Francesca: it's so convenient.

541

:

Kristen Ashley: So yeah, I'm kind

of leaning more towards the Kindle

542

:

as much as I really love books.

543

:

And last night I woke up in the

middle of the night and this thriller

544

:

that I'm reading is an actual book

and I had to turn the lights on.

545

:

Bummer.

546

:

But I did it!

547

:

Francesca: You gotta get one of those.

548

:

Little nightlight things.

549

:

Kristen Ashley: Yeah.

550

:

Yeah.

551

:

I do.

552

:

I should probably get one of those.

553

:

Francesca: Yeah.

554

:

Kindles are the best though.

555

:

, Suzanne: I always said you can carry a

hundred books without hurting your back.

556

:

Kristen Ashley: Yes.

557

:

Yes.

558

:

Francesca: it's awful when you fall

asleep with the Kindle because it's very

559

:

painful when it hits you in the face.

560

:

Happens to me all the time.

561

:

Suzanne: I was going to say

that happened to me recently.

562

:

you're awake again and then

it's just Oh, for God's sake.

563

:

Kristen Ashley: That's funny, because

I, I sleep on my side, so I read on

564

:

my side, so if, if I fall asleep, it

just falls to the bed, you know, so,

565

:

Francesca: Much safer.

566

:

Kristen Ashley: yes, maybe train

yourself to sleep on your side.

567

:

Suzanne: Yeah.

568

:

So do you any

569

:

favorite heroes, like the ones that

like really stick out that you're

570

:

like, if they were real, they would

be for me kind of heroes or heroines?

571

:

Kristen Ashley: Lee is

my ultimate for my books.

572

:

Lee is my ultimate hero.

573

:

And it's mostly emotional that was

the first series that I ever really

574

:

found my voice in writing and I

kind of just dropped all the rules

575

:

that I thought were around romance.

576

:

writing and, and just wrote

what I wanted to write.

577

:

But also that was the only book my

mom read before she passed away.

578

:

And the last communication I had

from her was a letter about the book

579

:

and that she finished the letter,

I hope one day you find your Lee.

580

:

So he's always been my favorite, But there

are definitely ones that stand out and

581

:

I don't Joe from At Peace stands out.

582

:

He was just so broken and I

absolutely love how he fell in

583

:

love with three girls in that book.

584

:

I just loved all of the different love

affairs that happened in that book.

585

:

Not only with Vi, but also

her two daughters and how

586

:

they came to depend on him.

587

:

I really love Johnny

Gamble from The Hookup.

588

:

He is just the salt

of the earth good guy.

589

:

In the weirdest times when he joins

her on the picnic blanket and he's

590

:

got the baseball cap and he's looking

out for her cause she fell asleep

591

:

and she's got the baby with her.

592

:

I don't know what it is about

Johnny Gamble, but I really,

593

:

I really love Johnny Gamble.

594

:

I really love Deacon again.

595

:

I guess I like the broken ones.

596

:

I mean, he was just really, really broken.

597

:

Deacon from Deacon.

598

:

And, but I also, I think maybe I

just like these quiet love affairs.

599

:

They just live in this, these

cabins by this river and they

600

:

found Love against all the odds.

601

:

And, she's just owns some cabins and

she was precisely what he needed to

602

:

help him through something really ugly.

603

:

And so, but I could probably go down

the whole list of every single one of

604

:

my heroes and wax poetic about them.

605

:

Suzanne: They are great

and like fairly unique.

606

:

So you said about, I assume

you mean Lee Nightingale from

607

:

like the Rock Chick series.

608

:

I always really liked

Hank from that series.

609

:

I don't know why.

610

:

I think I just, yeah.

611

:

Kristen Ashley: I think that there are,

I think that the psychologists could

612

:

probably draw a few things from who

is, who's team Lee and who's team Hank.

613

:

I definitely think that they can,

cause, cause I obviously when I met

614

:

Hank, when I wrote the Rock Chick

books, there were only going to be,

615

:

the only stories were going to be the

men in Nightingale Investigations.

616

:

So there was, there

would have been no Eddie.

617

:

There would have been no Hank.

618

:

There would have been no Ren.

619

:

, and Hector wasn't even a

thought in my mind at the time.

620

:

But the minute I met Hank, I'm like, okay,

well, I guess I'm not gonna go with that.

621

:

Because he has to have his own story.

622

:

I mean, it immediately veered off, because

the same thing happened when I met Eddie.

623

:

So there's Lee, and then the next

two books aren't even, you know,

624

:

men and nine investigations at all.

625

:

So yeah, so I fell in love

with both those guys too.

626

:

Suzanne: I would have been so

disappointed without Hank book.

627

:

As soon as it's on the page, I'm

like Can't wait to read his book

628

:

and I started reading that series

where most of them are already

629

:

out So I'm like and it's coming

630

:

Kristen Ashley: Yeah, Hank's a good guy.

631

:

Suzanne: would you recommend

any particular book for people

632

:

to start with with yours?

633

:

Is there any book you think,

right, this is a great intro

634

:

into, into Kristen Ashley.

635

:

Or series for that matter.

636

:

Kristen Ashley: I, I would always say

rock chicks 'cause that will definitely

637

:

give you a sense of my voice and, the

kind of heroes and heroines I write.

638

:

But other people have

definite different ideas.

639

:

It's really interesting because lot of

people think you start with Colorado

640

:

Mountain, the Colorado Mountain series,

The Gamble, and Sweet Dreams but I

641

:

don't, you know, so it's hard to say.

642

:

And some people even say Dream Team

series start with Mystery Man, but,

643

:

you know, the Dream Team series is kind

of a spinoff on the Rock Chick series.

644

:

So, but.

645

:

I would say Rock Chick.

646

:

Francesca : yeah.

647

:

with that.

648

:

Suzanne: See, I

649

:

Francesca : You gotta get,

you gotta get the vibe.

650

:

Suzanne: I think I might have

been, like, Colorado Mountain.

651

:

But that's just complete bias because

it's my favourite series of yours.

652

:

So, like, I don't know.

653

:

Kristen Ashley: Yeah.

654

:

I recently re-read Sweet

655

:

Dreams I love those books, but I

probably hadn't read the, I recently

656

:

read The Gamble and Sweet Dreams.

657

:

I'm going through the whole series,

Bibling it and before I started writing

658

:

and I, and I probably hadn't read

those books for seven, eight years.

659

:

And so it was kind of like

rereading it and you're reading it

660

:

for the first time a little bit.

661

:

And I, you know, this is going to sound

not humble at all, but I was like, Ooh,

662

:

this, these are really kind of good.

663

:

And I think in your head, I think you

get in your head that you wrote those,

664

:

you wrote those in the beginning.

665

:

And that you've gotten so much better

with your craft, and so in your head you

666

:

can kind of twist them into thinking,

oh gosh, no, they're terrible, I don't

667

:

ever want to go back there, I don't want

to read that, oh, I'm sure it's awful.

668

:

But I was really pleasantly

surprised that they were good.

669

:

Suzanne: Hey, if you don't like your

books, then, you know, woe to anyone else,

670

:

but no, I reread Sweet Dreams on a semi

regular basis, I really love that book.

671

:

Kristen Ashley: Yeah, Tate he's quite

an interesting hero in a good way.

672

:

I like, him because he's very, very,

very, very flawed and incredibly lovable.

673

:

I think he was maybe one of the most real.

674

:

Real life men I ever wrote as a hero,

you know, cuz I mean he he could be a

675

:

dick he lashed out when he was angry

or when he was frustrated or you know

676

:

When things were getting on top of

them, I mean he just had real real man

677

:

Problems, and made a terrible decision

about the woman to spend his time with.

678

:

His dreams derailed.

679

:

And even his friend, Bubba's an

asshole, Bubba takes advantage of Tate,

680

:

takes advantage of Crystal And, so

it's really interesting to read that

681

:

book because he's just the real guy.

682

:

He's a hot guy, you know, and

he's an alpha guy , and you,

683

:

watch him as well as Lauren figure

out how to be with each other.

684

:

There's one specific part in that book

where everything is piling up on him and

685

:

he comes home and he's kind of acting

like a dick and she immediately thinks,

686

:

okay, the custody trial is coming soon,

and I can't match his attitude with my

687

:

attitude, I gotta take care of my guy, I

have to understand where he's at, because

688

:

he's got a lot on his shoulders, and so

she, I love the way she handles that.

689

:

On the other hand, even though

we're not in Tate's voice, we

690

:

see him doing the same things.

691

:

for Lauren, when her father has a heart

attack, he takes over , and he looks after

692

:

her and he gets her where she needs to go.

693

:

So, yeah, it's, it's a really

interesting, I did good with that one.

694

:

Suzanne: You definitely did.

695

:

You just see them like they're such

different people at the end of the

696

:

book than they are at the beginning.

697

:

And some of it's through their

interactions with each other, but

698

:

some of it is just that, especially

Lauren, she just got the space to

699

:

grow as a person, and then, Yeah,

it was, I know, I really enjoy, it.

700

:

Sorry, any chance to talk

about Sweet Dreams and Tatum

701

:

Jackson, I'm like, I'm there.

702

:

I'm there.

703

:

Yeah.

704

:

It's a great book.

705

:

Kristen Ashley: And I love

Lady Luck in that series.

706

:

And I love Bree.

707

:

I love that series.

708

:

It's a good series.

709

:

I, once I get some writing done,

because I have, I don't have any

710

:

books written for next year, and

I really need to get on that.

711

:

Once I get some writing done, I'll

go back to bibling that series,

712

:

and I'm looking forward to it,

713

:

Francesca : I was gonna hound

you for which was your favorite

714

:

Kristen Ashley heroes, but you

took care of that on your own,

715

:

Suzanne: Yeah, hank Nightingale

and Tate Jackson and Tex as well.

716

:

I know he's not a hero, but he kind of is.

717

:

He doesn't have his own book, but

718

:

Kristen Ashley: I did a survey of

favorite hero, favorite heroine

719

:

and favorite side character.

720

:

And it's weird.

721

:

I don't remember the

favorite heroes and heroines.

722

:

I think Tack was hero for motorcycle man.

723

:

Suzanne: Hmm.

724

:

Kristen Ashley: And I think, I don't

remember the heroine, but Tex was

725

:

by far the favorite side character.

726

:

So yeah.

727

:

And it was Avenging Angel,

which is a definitive next

728

:

generation Rock Chick series.

729

:

And , I'm really excited for

everybody to read the second book.

730

:

And I'm really excited to

dive into that series more.

731

:

But I, I love how happy

everybody was to see Tex.

732

:

in the Avenging Angels.

733

:

. So it's going to be interesting to, yeah.

734

:

I don't want to say too much.

735

:

But,

736

:

Suzanne: He's just so good though, Tex.

737

:

He's just so gruff, but so soft

738

:

Kristen Ashley: yeah.

739

:

He's a real, he was, I mean, he's, he's

based on, I lived in, when I was in

740

:

Denver, I lived in Ava's Row House.

741

:

, in the north of Denver.

742

:

It's much different now than it was there.

743

:

In fact, the row houses have all

been renovated and they're beautiful.

744

:

But then it was a pretty

poor part of town.

745

:

, it wasn't the greatest

, part of town and Mr.

746

:

Kumar's shop was on the corner.

747

:

His name wasn't Mr.

748

:

Kumar, but and there was a Vietnam vet

that lived across the street from us

749

:

who sat on his porch with a shotgun.

750

:

Vision goggles and kept the blocks safe.

751

:

I only ever met him once, I, I'd

had my stereo my car was parked out

752

:

front and I had had my stereo stolen.

753

:

And and they really, really messed up

the dash when they pulled the stereo out.

754

:

And I was just like standing there

cause it was like the third or fourth

755

:

time my stereo had been stolen.

756

:

It had never been stolen

in front of my house.

757

:

It had been stolen in parking

lots where I was working.

758

:

Cause I really, it was

really a bad part to have.

759

:

And I just sit there Oh man, not again.

760

:

And I felt , this hand

land on the top of my head.

761

:

And I turned around, there

was this big, huge guy.

762

:

And he said, I'm sorry,

I wasn't out last night.

763

:

And by the way, you have a tail light out.

764

:

And, I just felt so

safe, you know, that he.

765

:

That he'd noticed that I had a taillight

out on top of it, and he was upset

766

:

because he wasn't out to stop, you

know, because it's a real violation

767

:

when somebody steals something from you.

768

:

And they broke my window,

too, so it was awful.

769

:

Anyway, but he was awesome, and that's

the only time I ever spoke to him,

770

:

you know, I lived across from him.

771

:

for a while and I never, I saw him,

but I never spoke to him face to

772

:

face and I don't think I said any

words to him and that text was born.

773

:

So he's more than likely not with

us anymore because he wasn't young

774

:

then, but he will forever live on the

pages in Rock Chick and Avenging Angel

775

:

and wherever else I could shove him.

776

:

Cause he will never, ever die.

777

:

Suzanne: No, and not only that, but

he'll be well loved by a load of people.

778

:

Francesca : yeah,

779

:

You had shared that story.

780

:

I remember at a conference and

I still to this day remember it

781

:

because it had made such an impact.

782

:

Kristen Ashley: Yeah, it is

a, an indication, I should

783

:

tell it more actually.

784

:

, how great, if you're just thoughtful

and kind and look out for your neighbors.

785

:

I mean, he is the most

beloved character in my books.

786

:

I would say if I did this if I

did the survey of the most beloved

787

:

characters in my, all my books.

788

:

Text would win, you know, so it's

really funny that just his kindness,

789

:

carries on and will carry on for

as long as people read my books.

790

:

So, it's a lesson for all of us to

learn in how we treat each other.

791

:

Yeah.

792

:

Suzanne: You never know

793

:

Francesca : absolutely.

794

:

Suzanne: much it might affect someone.

795

:

.

Kristen Ashley: And , I was like 22 years old, I grew up in a small town in

796

:

Indiana, we left the keys in our car,

797

:

I don't even think we had locks

on the door, you know, so I was

798

:

really in a different world.

799

:

And then suddenly I know that

I have this guy looking out

800

:

for me and I felt safe again.

801

:

So it was, for him, it

was just what he did.

802

:

He never left his house.

803

:

I he was probably significantly struggling

with post traumatic stress from Vietnam.

804

:

Man, he left beauty in his wake.

805

:

Suzanne: For sure.

806

:

Kristen Ashley: Thank you for having me.

807

:

It was fun talking to you guys.

808

:

Francesca : Oh, it was

so fun talking to you.

809

:

Thanks for coming on.

810

:

Suzanne: So where can, if people

want to, you know, do a little bit of

811

:

stalking, where can they find you online?

812

:

Kristen Ashley: Am at kristinashley.

813

:

net and pretty much across

all of the social media,

814

:

Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.

815

:

I'm kristinashleybooks.

816

:

Suzanne: Yeah, so make sure you go

check out Kristen's social media.

817

:

For us, you can find us

at underthecoversbookblog.

818

:

com.

819

:

And you can see our sporadic

posting on Instagram UTC book blog.

820

:

We do mean to be better, but mostly we

just haunt our website and podcast, so

821

:

you should go, you know, subscribe to this

channel and give us five stars and stuff.

822

:

Yes, so yeah, follow us there

and there's great stuff, lists,

823

:

recommendations, reviews.

824

:

We've got it there.

825

:

Um,

826

:

Francesca : be sure to

download The Woman by the Lake.

827

:

Suzanne: yes,

828

:

Kristen Ashley: Yeah, please.

829

:

Suzanne: does it come out?

830

:

It's been two lives.

831

:

Is it already?

832

:

I thought it was out in July.

833

:

I don't know.

834

:

My brain is

835

:

Kristen Ashley: No, it's out, it

was out on Tuesday, June 11th,

836

:

Francesca : It's out.

837

:

It's ready for you to read.

838

:

Dive in.

839

:

The whole series.

840

:

Suzanne: Yeah.

841

:

You should definitely read the new

one, but also read all the other

842

:

books that we've spoken about.

843

:

So Rock Chick, Colorado Mountain.

844

:

Yeah.

845

:

Chaos MC as well.

846

:

It's really cool.

847

:

But yeah, thank you very much

for joining us today, Kristen.

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