I am more than delighted to welcome these lovely ladies to my blog on their release day. I have had the pleasure of editing several novels by them and, not only is their writing fabulous, they are a joy to work with. Happy release day, ladies!
Thank you so much for hosting us on book launch day! We’d love to answer any questions, including personal questions, that your Followers might pose.
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
We’re sisters, and each other’s only siblings, born and raised in Rutherford, New Jersey, a small suburban town about thirteen miles from New York City. Our dad, Michael (Mickey) died when we were teenagers and our mom, Katherine (Kay) died when we were in our early forties. Neither lived to see us realize our dream of becoming published authors. We honor their memories with our pen name: we’re (K.)atherine’s and (M.)ichael’s Daughters.
Pat, the oldest sister, is married to Nick, has three children, two granddaughters and two grandsons. Pat lives in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. Kathie is married to Tom, has two sons, four granddaughters and one grandson. Kathie lives on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This explains our settings in our Sisters of the Legend Trilogy, Reunion For The First Time, etc.
Pat has no pets. Kathie rescues Boston Terriers. Franklin is her Boston Terrier mix. K.M. Daughters LOVES Franklin.
Where did you get the idea for From The First Moment?
The title sprang from Mike and Amy’s history of loving each other from the first moment they met.
Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?
Yes, we’ve written romantic suspense in our Sullivan Boys Series and love the genre. Bringing back the Sullivan Boys next generation is like a loving family reunion for us.
Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?
Finishing this book was an unprecedented joy for us. We love writing together and our process alternating chapters always brings unexpected plot twists and surprises. But the real-life plot twist for us when we were about halfway through writing our first draft was Pat’s diagnosis with ovarian cancer. After we complete every first draft of a novel, we get together for a read through. This read through was beyond joyful. After six rounds of chemotherapy and extensive surgery, Pat was cancer free.
Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story?
We give each other a charm for our “K.M. Daughters bracelets” engraved with the name of each book after a completed read through. We’re starting to run out of links. J
What book have you read that you wish you had written?
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
What do you dislike that most people wouldn’t understand?
No matter how cold it is outside, neither of us can stand wearing socks under the covers. AND the covers can’t be too swaddled around our feet, either.
Do you collect anything?
Seashells and sea glass if you ask Kathie – Pat only has a few from sister-time visits to OBX. Both of us collect autographed books.
What was your first job?
Cashiers at Shop Rite Supermarket in our hometown.
Would you rather have a bad review or no review?
No review. Absolutely, we choose no review. If either of us doesn’t enjoy a book, or in the rare cases if we don’t like it enough to finish, we never give the author a bad review recognizing how hard it is to write a novel. Our grandmother’s life philosophy stuck: if you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
We attended a Fiction Novel writing course at the University of Iowa’s Writers Workshop. It was SERIOUS. We had to supply ten pages of a manuscript to workshop attendees for their critiques. Thankfully, no one criticized our ability per se but clearly, they didn’t consider romance writers serious. “Does everybody have to be beautiful?”
The best compliment is hearing that a Reader “can’t wait” for our next book. We’ve heard that a lot pending the release of From The First Moment. We are excited that Sullivan Boys Series fans have missed the family.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
All our characters are fictional, but we often name secondary characters after real people. Secondary characters named Kay and Mickey always have roles in our books in honor of our parents.
How did your interest in writing originate?
Our dad wrote children’s stories for us when we were kids. So, the writing bug was inherited.
Can first love last forever for Mike and Amy?
Amy Jordan Sullivan returns to Chicago from her home in the Hollywood Hills for a starring role in a run of the musical Grease. She moved seven years ago to establish her now successful acting career leaving her first love behind. CPD Homicide Detective Michael Sullivan Lynch heads the next generation of Sullivans in law enforcement. Mike is a rising star on the force and he’s happy with his career and his life in Chicago until Amy returns home reawakening feelings that he thought he’s buried. Can first love last forever for Mike and Amy? Only if Mike can stop the Hollywood City Studios killer.
Excerpt:
“How has this already gotten out to the media?”
“You’re kidding right? All those cellphone videos? It was probably on TMZ before the coroner even got to the lot. MJ ran into Ryder’s arms when he appeared at the door. I’m happy he’s here for her.”
A tear ran down her cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb. “Aw, don’t cry, Ames. I’m here for you. I’ll get to the bottom of all this.”
“Why, Mike? Why would anyone want to harm MJ?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll find out. I contacted your dad requesting involvement in the case. He must have talked with Flynn who has a history working with the LAPD. Small world. Flynn knows the lead detective. I’m on the investigative team officially. I have a meeting with the lead detective first thing in the morning.”
“MJ said she wants to resume shooting tomorrow if the police let her. I’ll have an early start to the day, too.”
“I don’t see any reason why you can’t go back to work – if MJ adds a heavy security presence. I’ll talk to her before I leave for my meeting in the morning. She needs to close the set and post guards at all studio access points. I’m still concerned about her exposure.”
“I know. I’m sure she’ll listen to you.”
He huffed a laugh. “Have you met my sister?”
Mike stroked Amy’s silken hair. “Get some sleep, sweetheart. I’ll keep you safe.”
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/from-the-first-moment-k-m-daughters/1144094989?ean=9781509252978
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/from-the-first-moment/id6467134024
About the authors:
K.M. Daughters is the penname for team writers and sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. The penname is dedicated to the memory of their parents, “K”ay and “M”ickey Lynch. K.M. Daughters is the author of 17 best-selling and award-winning romance genre, mainstream fiction and Christian fiction novels. The “Daughters” are wives, mothers and grandmothers residing in the Chicago suburbs and on the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Visitors are most welcome at http://www.kmdaughters.com
Author Alicia Dean 