Against the Tide by Kat Martin

By Christina Ironstone

Kat Martin, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the prestigious RT Book Review Magazine Career Achievement Award, is back with another novel in her popular Brodie series. Kat is a wonderful, cheerful individual. She loves to travel and research the locations she writes about. She has a talent for providing great imagery in her work, and her latest novel, AGAINST THE TIDE, is no exception.

Kat graciously agreed to answer a few questions.

AGAINST THE TIDE comes out May 26, 2015. Are you excited?

I’m particularly excited about this book because it’s one of my personal favorites. I let the plot run and realized I had something special going on, plus I love Rafe and Olivia, who are really smart and interesting people.

Please tell us a little about the book.

In AGAINST THE TIDE, Rafe Brodie is the captain of a charter fishing boat fleet in tiny Valdez, Alaska. It’s a beautiful but harsh and remote place to live. That the new owner of the Pelican Café seems out of place in such a world begins to intrigue Rafe. What is her story? Why would a beautiful woman like Olivia Chandler want to build a life in a place as far off the grid as Valdez? Unfortunately, when Rafe’s first mate, young Scotty Ferris, is murdered, Rafe has another, far more important mystery to solve. But as the clues unfold, Rafe begins to believe that Olivia’s mysterious past may lead him to the killer, which makes Liv equally determined to find the man who murdered their mutual friend.

How did you come up with the idea/plan for this novel?

I generally start with a concept that somehow pops into my head. In this case, I was visiting Valdez during my second, month-long trip to Alaska. As we drove out toward the pipeline, an element of the story began to take shape. Combining that element with solving a murder made it a compelling story to write.

Was there a character you enjoyed writing the most? If so, who and why?

I usually fall a little in love with the men in my books. Rafe Brodie was no exception. An ex-Alaska Coast Guard Swimmer, he’s tough and intelligent, protective and loyal to a fault. But in this book, I particularly loved writing Olivia’s story. She was desperate, innocent of a past she was forced to flee, and so incredibly strong. She was the perfect woman for Rafe and he knew it. All he had to do was catch a killer, find a way to protect her, and convince her that he was the man for her.

When did you start writing? What inspired you to create your first novel?

My boyfriend, now husband, wrote a historical novel. I loved the book. When he couldn’t sell it, I started helping him edit and began to believe I could write a book of my own—so I did! Magnificent Passage, a western romance, was my first published novel.

What typically goes through your mind when you finish writing a novel?

I’m always a mix of relieved and sad. I’m thrilled to be finished with a book I’ve been working on every day for six months, but I’m sad to lose the characters I have come to know and love. Plus I know it’s time to start the process all over again. (groan)

Any exciting plans for the spring and summer?

A couple of fun things going on…I’ll be signing books at a conference in Bozeman, Montana on June the 6^th, then in Lubbock, Texas at the Western Writers of America convention the end of that month. In July, we’re off to Northern Europe for a tour of the Baltic. We’ll be spending time in Sweden and Norway, also taking a ship that stops in Finland and St. Petersburg, Russia. Lots of places to get new story ideas!

*****

New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. She is married to L.J. Martin, author of western, non-fiction, and suspense novels. Kat has written more than sixty-five novels. Sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries, including Japan, France, Germany, Argentina, Greece, China, Russia, and Spain. Born in Bakersfield, California, Kat currently resides in Missoula, Montana, on a small ranch in the beautiful Sapphire mountains. Her last ten books have hit the prestigious New York Times bestseller list. Both AGAINST THE MARK, AGAINST THE WILD and AGAINST THE SKY, her latest release, took top ten spots.

To learn more about Kat, please visit her website and look for her on Facebook.