Interview with Christi Barth (Author of Bad For Her)
Today on Okie Dreams, we talk with romance author Christi Barth about her newest release, Bad For Her, as well as her thoughts on reading and writing romance. Bad For Her is the first book in a sexy new series about three bad-boy brothers in Witness Protection who are about to learn that going good is harder than they thought…
Meet Christi Barth, author of BAD FOR HER
USA Today bestseller Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes award-winning contemporary romance.
Christi can always be found either whipping up gourmet meals (for fun, honest!) or with her nose in a book. She lives in Maryland with the best husband in the world.
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Q & A Interview
Can you tell us a little about you and your current release?
Christi: Hi, everyone! I write sassy, sexy and smart contemporary romance. Small towns? Got ‘em. Big cities? Got ‘em. Laugh-out-loud bromance? You bet. Whatever your contemporary jam, I’ve got a book for you. Especially if you like big, romance drenched happy endings! Bad For You is the first book in a new series about three big city, bad boy brothers hiding from their mobster pasts. They struggle to fit into a small town but danger follows, putting their new futures – and their new relationships – at risk. It has a gorgeous coastal town full of quirky characters, strong-willed and smart heroines, and the Maguire brothers, who would do anything for each other.
How did BAD FOR YOU and the Bad Boys Gone Good series come about?
Christi: At a writing retreat with my besties in Williamsburg. Isn’t that how all the most amazing book ideas are born? We knew I wanted to check off all the obvious boxes of things that sell romances with the next series—Alphas, Bad Boys, hotter, grittier (yeah, don’t hold your breath on that one—I write romantic comedies, and funny is just how everything comes out), and we threw in small towns for fun. Mobsters are kind of the ultimate bad boys. Don’t worry – mine haven’t killed anyone – but they are rugged and stubborn and loyal to the bone. The almost perfect romance hero! But we needed them shed their criminal past to be true heroes, so I put them in Witness Protection and turning over a new leaf. Or…trying to, at least…
What is your favorite and least favorite thing about writing characters of the opposite sex?
Christi: I find writing guys to be easy. I went to a junior high that was an all boys school until the year I joined – there were 8 girls and 54 boys in my grade. The next year we swelled to 12 girls and 72 boys. For three years, I got valuable insights on how guys work and think and talk. Adding in alcohol and sex was a cakewalk 😊 My least favorite thing is to write sex scenes in the man’s point of view. I want to go full-throttle dreamy and emotional and romantic for sex and guys don’t necessarily react that way to a quickie in the forest!
If you could tell a non-romance reader one thing about reading/writing romance, what would it be and why?
Christi: They are – ultimately – great stories. Romances aren’t glorified sex scenes glued together by random dialogue. They are fantastic stories of people and friends and families with big emotional journeys that will take you on fun, wild ride.
What is one thing you are most proud of as a writer?
Christi: A fellow author made a point of telling me last weekend when we were on a panel together at a book festival that one of my books made her mother cry. (Tearjerker of a prologue in Check My Heart, but I promise it turns sweet and sexy and happy!) Knowing that I was able to transport someone out of their daily routine into believing in my characters and the story enough to make them cry? I was overwhelmed and humbled and, yes, proud of it.
If you could tell your younger writing self one thing, what would it be and why?
Christi: To believe in myself sooner. Becoming an author seemed like an unattainable fantasy (and I was a working opera singer at the time, so it wasn’t as if I didn’t know how to persevere). As much as I loved reading, and enjoyed writing as a hobby, I didn’t buckle down and decide to finish a book when I should have. It feels like I wasted five years on not bothering to try. Because as soon as I did get serious, I did get published!
Thank you so much for being here today, Christi! We enjoyed getting to know more about you, your thoughts, and your current release, Bad For You.
Readers you can find Bad For You online now at:
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