K.L. Barstow

For as long as I can remember, reading has been my favorite hobby. I always carried a book with me wherever I went. As I went through school, I often dreamed of being an author, writing my own stories, and seeing my name on the spines of books I saw in the library and bookstores. But, I felt I lacked the experience of being a brilliant author, so I put my dream aside, went to college, and started a career. But I never forgot my dream. I’d wake up early and write, then write in the evenings and on the weekends. I finally wrote and published my first book in my favorite genre. While I got a few sales, the buyers were mostly family and friends, then silence. I struggled to write the second book, published it, and saw my dream die as book sales trickled in and dried up. As my hopes of becoming a successful author crashed and burned, so did my career. The sale of our company lead to a round of layoffs. After twenty-some years as a software development manager, I was suddenly unemployed. I was lucky enough to have a nice severance package, but I knew I’d have a difficult time finding another job. I was looking at fifty and the thought of going to work at another stressful and unfulfilling job had me reluctant to search. So instead, I turned to email marketing and found a small amount of success, but I never forgot my dream. Determined to achieve my goal of being a published author, I did some research. I knew romance was a popular genre. I’d never read romance novels, preferring mysteries, but I plunged in and read books from several sub-genres before discovering romantic suspense. Not only did the stories grab me and pull me into their world, but especially the books highlighting motorcycle clubs. The ideas started flowing. I had found my inspiration! Which was ironic because of my past. In high school, someone I cared about slammed into a telephone pole while riding a motorcycle. He died on my birthday. From that point on, I hated motorcycles. I swore I would never date someone who rode one, or let my future kids ride them. I was very much anti-motorcycle, with no interest in ever changing my mind. But reading books set within MC clubs changed everything. Seeing these men living their lives by their rules captivated me. I found in them kindred spirits. Men and women wanting more out of life. Those who found freedom on a motorcycle and with the family they built. Their lifestyle piqued my interest and suddenly I had an entire club of members clamoring to be heard. I love hearing from my readers, so feel free to visit my website at https://www.klbarstow.com/ or drop me a line at kara@karalanebarstow.com.