Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a debut author, and I’ve just published my first book–a hockey romance. I’ve completed another three books that I plan to publish within the year.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Taming Beckett is the name of my latest book, and it’s about an over-indulgent pro hockey player whose life goes off the rails.
The story’s been brewing in my mind for years, inspired by pondering what happens to a celebrity who’s used to being in the limelight when his/her glory days fade or when he/she screws up so badly that fans disappear. What does that “new normal” look like, and how does he or she transition?
My main male character is a thirty-something pro hockey player used to lots of attention, and he parties like he’s an indestructible young-twenty-something. He’s so caught up in the lifestyle that he doesn’t realize his twenties have passed him by. He comes to terms with it by seeing himself through his love interest’s eyes.
I chose an ice hockey player because I love the sport. I fell in love with the game when I was bedridden with my third son and bored out of my mind. There was nothing else on TV, so I started watching and was hooked.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure how unusual these habits are, but when I really get going, I stare out a window instead of at my screen or keyboard. In addition, I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, and my characters are having entire conversations in my head. I write those conversations down so I won’t lose them. My characters do this to me while I’m in the shower too, so I’ve been known to leap out mid-shower to capture the convo while dripping wet. That can be tricky!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many! I’ve been influenced by different authors and stories at different stages of my life. In my teen years, it was Lord of the Rings and Mary Stewart’s Arthurian saga. Most recently, Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander series have had a lot of staying power in my head.
What are you working on now?
I’m polishing the second book in my hockey romance series, Third Man In. I’m also editing two completed works of historical fiction about Polish winged hussars in the 17th century.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find that critique group and/or those honest beta readers who will help you fine-tune your story. You don’t have to follow all their suggestions, but whatever you do, don’t take the criticism personally. They’re only trying to help you write a better book.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t sweat the little stuff.
What are you reading now?
I have a stack of books in mid-read right now: The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell, Silent Water by P.K. Adams, Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell, Run for the Hills by Jodi Burnett, plus a few history books on Poland-Lithuania … and some guilty reads.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Completing my hockey romance trilogy and starting on my third historical fiction. I’m heading to Poland soon to do more research on the next book in my Polish winged hussars series.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Lord of the Rings. It’s an epic compilation of wonderful stories, and it would take me a long time to read it all over again.
Author Websites and Profiles
G.K. Brady Website
G.K. Brady Amazon Profile
G.K. Brady’s Social Media Links
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