Spring 2004

I'm still getting questions as to whether adventures of Bishop, Miranda, and the Special Crimes Unit of the FBI will continue, and the answer is a resounding yes. The way this series has developed, I'll continue to write trilogies, sets of three books with a title "keyword" (Shadows, Evil, Fear, etc.), each set taking place roughly within the space of about a year in story-time (as opposed to real time). Though plots will be different and new characters will be introduced along the way, the common thread among all the books will always be Bishop and hisÊSpecial Crimes Unit. These are all stand-alone books, so anyone venturing to try the series need not start at the beginning unless you want to.

Some characters already introduced (such as Quentin, Beau, Galen, and Hollis Templeton) will appear in other stories and will in all likelihood eventually have their own books. There will also be characters new to you readers who immediately take center stage for their stories (such as Isabel in Sense of Evil, and Lucas Jordan in the August 2004 hardcover, Hunting Fear.

In the Fear trilogy, the plan is to reveal to readers some of Bishop's past, particularly during the time when Miranda was still lost to him and he was concentrating on locating and recruiting psychics who could work in the special FBI unit he had fought to build. I'm hoping that each story will have a flashback prologue showing how he met and recruited the psychic featured in that particular novel.

We'll see how that goes.

And now — since I have received so many questions during the time I fell waaay behind on my mail, I'll attempt to answer as many of the questions as possible in this newsletter. Please forgive the jumbled subjects, but I made note of the questions as I came to them, and will answer them the same way.

Will there be another book in the Thief series?
Would I leave you hanging like that? Honestly, I wouldn't. I fully intend to continue the Thief series (hopefully for at least several books) as soon as the publisher and I can get our schedules worked out. Please do keep an eye here on the website for updates, okay?

Which books are available in hardcover, and why?
Answering the latter question first, the publisher determines if and when an author moves to hardcover, decisions made based on various factors such as sales and career growth. I was published in hardcover for several books (Amanda, After Caroline, Finding Laura, and Haunting Rachel), then moved back to mass-market paperback when those at Bantam decided that the Shadows trilogy could push my career to the next level, the New York Times bestseller list. (It's easier and more cost-effective for a publisher to build an author in paperback, especially if they believe an author's work is primed to "break out" and garner much larger sales numbers.)

Is the TV movie/series "Touching Evil" based on your book?
No. Titles can't be copyrighted, so you do occasionally see exactly the same title on two different projects. The movie and series with this title have nothing whatsoever to do with my work. (Believe me, if I get a movie sale, I'll be posting it here on the site!)

Have you ever watched Crossing Over with John Edwards (and what did you think)?
I think it's good that people are being exposed to the idea of psychic abilities, whether in TV, movies, or books. And I think everyone has to make up their own mind as to what they believe and why they believe it.

Will the Hagen series ever be reissued and/or published as a set?
It will if I have anything to say about it. Seriously, I am working to get a reprint program going so that all of my classic romances can be reissued (preferably in omnibus editions, offering you readers several books for a reasonable price).

Are any of your books on tape?
Yes, several of my titles are now available through Recorded Books. Their website is www.recordedbooks.com and their phone number is 800-638-1304. I believe they provide rentals by mail as well as sales. Upcoming titles will also be available in audio formats: if you'll go to www.barnesandnoble.com and do an author search in my name, you'll see exactly what's available and in what formats.

Which of your books are part of a series?
If you will check out the Books section of the website, you'll find a Complete Book List with all series books noted and color-coded. And if you prefer to read a series in order (not necessary with my Bishop/SCU series, but I understand the preference!), please do check the copyright dates. Oldest-to-newest dates are the order in which they were written. Also, please note that we make every effort to package the books so that their relation to each other is clear: the "keywords" in the titles of each trilogy, and the primary-color backgrounds of each cover in the first two trilogies obviously link the books. Or, at least, that's the plan.

Will Bishop be in contact with Cassie in future books?
Since there's a bit of confusion here, I have to say first that Bishop and Cassie are indeed related; they're distant cousins, both descendants of that "long line of women" with very special psychic abilities. Not many sons on that family tree, but Bishop is one of them and, like Cassie, represented the only surviving generation — at least until Cassie had a child with Ben. (Yes, it's a girl!) And Cassie may well turn up in a future story in the series. We'll see. And for the reader who asked why Bishop, if he knew she was his cousin and a genuine psychic from the beginning, was so "mean" to Cassie, the answer is that, as always, Bishop was playing his cards close to his chest. (Most of his team would call him "secretive.") Cassie herself does not know in Stealing Shadows that they're related until toward the end when he touches her for the first time — and she's able to read him.

Will you ever write the story of Bishop and Miranda's "first" romance?
I try never to say never, so — no. Think about it. That first relationship ended in a horrible tragedy, with Miranda on the run with her sister and Bishop on the trail of the man who had destroyed their family. I don't mind dark (obviously!) but I dislike ending a book on a note such as that one would have to have.

What if I'm looking for your book(s) and don't see any on the shelves of my local bookstore?
Please ask the store personnel! Any bookstore will be happy to order any book you request as long as it's still in print, and it won't cost you a dime extra, I promise you.

Are you psychic?
I think I'll plead the fifth on that.

Will there be more Lane Montana books?
I hope so. Though, honestly, they aren't in the plans at the moment.

Did Quinn appear in any books before Once a Thief?
He originally appeared in the Loveswept "Men of Mysteries Past" series I wrote about ten years ago, but never appeared outside series romance until Once a Thief.

Do you sign bookplates/bookmarks/photos/books?
I will happily sign and return books or bookplates sent to me (with return postage, please) by readers. I never send out photos because I dislike pictures of myself and if I happen to have any bookmarks on hand (which I don't have, currently), I'm happy to sign those as well.

Was there a book before Once a Thief about Max and Dinah?
Yes, a Loveswept titled The Touch of Max — long out of print.

Why aren't all the Bishop/SCU books in hardcover?
See above answer to a related question. Also, please note that I disliked the decision to put the third book of a trilogy — Sense of Evil — in hardcover when the others were published in paperback; it is, as I said, the publisher's decision.

Do you own the rights to your backlist, and will you eventually reissue the mysteries too?
I own several of my older books, some of which will be reprinted by Berkley. They published Enchanted early in 2003 in trade paperback, followed in 2004 by a mass market edition; early in 2004 was Elusive, also in trade paperback and containing three more of my classic romances. Berkley will also be reprinting my very first book, Lady Thief, as well as the two Silhouette Intimate Moments romances I wrote, Enemy Mine and The Haviland Touch (under the new umbrella title of The Real Thing, due out in November, 2004, in trade paperback). I'm hesitant to reissue the Lane Montana mysteries unless and until I continue that series but, as I said, I never say never. Please keep an eye on the website for publication details.

Are there psychics in all your books?
There were paranormal elements in some of my earlier books (Kissed by Magic, If There Be Dragons, Rebel Waltz, Belonging to Taylor, and Time After Time specifically) but, strictly speaking, the psychic series begins with Stealing Shadows, and continues through the Evil trilogy and upcoming Fear trilogy.

Is Bishop based on someone you know? Is Quinn?
No. I never base characters on real people. They may have characteristics I've observed in real people — they do, in fact — but are definitely created characters.

Will you be writing sequels to The Wizard of Seattle (Summer of the Unicorn, Larger Than Life, Belonging to Taylor)?
There's a possibility I may write sequels to Wizard and Unicorn one day, but it's highly unlikely I'd "continue" the other two. Do please keep an eye on the website; I'll try to announce plans as far in advance as possible.

Which of your books are being reissued?
Enchanted contains three classic Second Chance at Love romances: Kissed by Magic, Belonging to Taylor, and Eye of the Beholder. Elusive contains: On Her Doorstep, Return Engagement, and Elusive Dawn. As noted, The Real Thing contains Enemy Mine and The Haviland Touch, and Lady Thief will be reissued in 2005, along with the Regency novella "Masquerade." I'll update the website as soon as I have firm publication dates.

Any chance you'll rewrite or expand other older books?
I really don't plan to do that. Quinn was the exception, but only because I felt his character truly deserved a much larger canvas — and had many stories he wanted told. My other classic romances, when reprinted, will be just as I originally wrote them.

What happened to The First Prophet?
Ah. The First Prophet is written and in-house at Bantam, but I felt it was a little too similar to the Bishop series in some respects to be published concurrently. So, by mutual agreement, we have shelved the project for now. One day, perhaps after the Bishop series has run its course (far, far in the future!) I may return to it. On the other hand, the Bishop series may develop such a strong identity of its own that another series dealing somewhat differently with the paranormal won't infringe on its space — or my creativity. We'll see what happens.

How can we find your out-of-print books?
It's a sore subject with me, actually, since I feel my body of work should be easily available for those readers who want to read books written early in my career. However, until I manage to get a reprint program on the schedule, all I can suggest is that you try used bookstores and online sources such as eBay.

Will we see Bonnie again?
Yes, both Miranda's sister and her boyfriend Seth will reappear later in the series. Since Bonnie was introduced as a sixteen-year-old, I felt it was important to allow her time to grow up — offstage, as it were.

Can you have your books made into movies?
I wish it were that simple, believe me. Few authors have the clout to "have" their books made into movies. I've had nibbles of interest from Hollywood over the years — both the Bishop and Thief series have been discussed — but, so far, no contract to indicate a movie or TV series is seriously in the works.

Do you write under another name?
No. I wrote eight Second Chance at Love novels many years ago under the pen name of Kay Robbins, but six of them have been subsequently reprinted under my real name. (The other two I own outright and do not plan to see reissued.)

There — I believe we're caught-up, or at least according to my notes. Remember that I do read all my mail (email and snail mail), and respond as quickly as possible given my deadlines and occasionally hectic life.

And thanks so much for your interest!

Please do look for Sense of Evil and my other in-print work on sale now at your local bookstore, and Hunting Fear on sale August 17. Any bookstore can order this or earlier titles for you at absolutely no additional cost to you, and many are happy to preorder upcoming books so that a copy is reserved and ready for you to pick up on the on-sale date.

Or order/preorder a copy online from www.barnesandnoble.com or another online store.

And if you would, by chance, like to order a signed copy of Sense of Evil or any of my in-print books, please contact my local bookstore, and they'll be happy to arrange it for you. Fireside Books is online at www.firesidebookstore.com or you can call them at (828) 245-5188. They have and will continue to ship my books all over the world.

And do let me know what you'd like to see in future editions of this newsletter, okay?

Happy Reading!

Kay

Archived Newsletters

Spring/Summer 2006 Newsletter — From Kay's Desk
Summer 2005 Newsletter — From Kay's Desk
Spring 2004 Newsletter — From Kay's Desk