1. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I was born in Torrance, California and moved to Seattle, Washington when I was a teenager. While attending college, I met my husband and later moved to Portland, Oregon where I currently reside. Over the years, I've assisted with public relations and marketing for The Yoshida Group, a conglomerate of 18 family-owned businesses. When my three daughters were grown and away at college, I decided to reinvent myself as a writer. In addition to publishing romantic suspense novels, I serve on education, health and community foundation boards and also oversee the Soulful Giving Foundation - a non-profit founded by my husband and I, which generates funds for cancer research.
2. Describe your book BURIED THREADS - Book 2, Threads Series in 30 words or less.
In order to stop a terrible prediction, Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen must form an alliance with Japanese gang members and dive into shark-infested waters to recover three cursed swords.
3. What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Although I've traveled a great deal to Japan, it was necessary to do extensive research about the region, culture, Buddhist religion and secret societies in regard to Yakuza and Geisha lifestyles. This meant hours and months at the library and online, since so little has been written about various aspects of my story.
4. What books have had the greatest influence on you?
Memoirs of a Geisha, The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, Shogun, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Gone with the Wind...along with many more.
5. Briefly share with us what you do to market your book?
Social networking seems to be the best option for me as a self-published author. This involves daily posting on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace. I also have pages on over 30 author-related sites, which include Goodreads, Author's Den, Manic Readers, Shelfari and Freado to name but a few. When I'n not blogging on my own blog site, I'm pinning on Pinterest and often use this site for mapping out stories for my upcoming novels. I've been involved with blog tours on a regular basis and have several book trailers on YouTube. Various book clubs have featured my books and contests seem to be a wonderful means for getting the word out while occasionally winning awards.
6. How do you spend your time when you are not writing?
I have two lovely grandsons who often visit, a 15-acre garden surrounding my home to play in, several foundation events to organize, an extremely busy social calendar and I'm also an avid reader.
7. What are you working on next?
Banished Threads - the last book in my Threads series. In this story, a valuable art collection disappears turning my treasure-hunting duo into crime-stopping sleuths committed to vindicating family members accused of deception, kidnap and murder. More details are available on my website at:
www.kaylinmcfarren.com.
