I spent most of my career as a sports and entertainment journalist, but there is no doubt I was a closet romance novelist too. I wrote the first one in 1984, not long after I saw the cover of the first Bon Jovi album. It came out in January of that year, and in May I got a job at the local record store. I found the album in the play list stack beneath the register and the moment I saw it, my first rock star romance was born. I still have it—Jonas and Bianca’s story—hand-written in a notebook. That notebook is in a box—one of many literally in the closet—that contains dozens of stories; most hand-written, some unfinished, all a dichotomy of thoughts and hopes and dreams.
In 2015, while recovering from surgery, an author friend of mine sat me down and gave it to me straight: “What are you waiting for? DO IT! Why do you hide all your stories? Finish something, get it edited and publish it. Amazon makes it so easy…”
I was terrified, but I knew she was right, so I did it. My Las Vegas Sidewinders hockey series came out in April 2016, three books, a week apart. And they sold. I couldn’t believe it. People wanted to read my stuff! It was exciting and scary and fun. Books four and five followed, and then a holiday novella. Amazingly, they were still selling. I wasn’t making any best seller lists, but I was living my dream and my creativity was in high gear. I decided to do a spinoff, something a little darker and edgier and more erotic. I wrote the first book, Salvation’s Inferno, and got started on the second one. It was supposed to be a ménage, but that didn’t happen. In fact, the characters literally had minds of their own and took me down a completely different path: M/M. Male/Male. I’d never written it before, never thought about it before and certainly didn’t plan it.
Viggo and Jamie, two rough-and-tumble hockey players, fell in love so hard, so fast, I wrote nearly 90,000 words in 11 days. I couldn’t stop—I was pulled back to the keyboard the moment I woke up in the morning and stayed there until I absolutely had to sleep or eat or shower. When the first draft was done, I was flabbergasted. What had I done? This wasn’t the plan.
This wasn’t the right book…
That’s when it got interesting. The underlying theme for the entire Inferno series, from the get-go, was love and acceptance. The first book focused on the particular kinks of the two main characters and the heroine’s initial reluctance to accept it, while the next book was supposed to be about the struggles of ménage, where three people find permanent love together. Except it wasn’t and they didn’t. Two bisexual men fell in love and went through a totally different ordeal. I’ve seen parts of what they go through in real life with friends—not specifically two bisexual men, but men and women who fell into the spectrum of the LGBTQ community. I’ve watched their struggles and their pain has stayed with me. When I went back and re-read Viggo and Jamie’s story—Temptation’s Inferno—I realized that I’d subconsciously put in my own version of these real-life stories while keeping to the theme of the series.
It became my favorite book, the one I’m most proud of as an author. It took me out of my comfort zone as a writer, and became so much more than just another romance. It was intense, angst-y (something I typically avoid), heartfelt and very, very raw. I tackled real-life issues from the LGBTQ community that many authors simply want to avoid because they’re hard. Hard to talk about, hard to write about, but ultimately, the hardest part would be having to live through them.
Temptation’s Inferno touches upon some of the many obstacles men and women who are LGBTQ must overcome—but with a happily-ever-after I hope leaves readers feeling better about the world. Even though it’s fiction, it meant a lot to make it into something of a statement about love and acceptance.
I don’t know if I’ll write more like this. I’ve had a lot of emails and messages from readers asking for more of Jamie and Viggo, and people were so excited to see them in the next book,
Redemption’s Inferno, even though that was really Emilie and Chains’ story. So I’m thinking about a Jamie & Viggo novella, but I want it to happen organically, the same way their original story did. I do have a few ideas, though… I’m just not telling yet!
In the meantime, I’m departing from both sports romance and dark romance, heading into general contemporary romance with a spin.
Romancing Greece is my next project and I have the first three books plotted out, with the first one almost complete and set for release in late July. Each book will take place in a different city in Greece, and will be filled with tidbits of the local culture, food, architecture and more. Since I’m half-Greek and spend a lot of time there, I thought it would be fun to bring my mother’s heritage into some of my books. I’ve changed the name of the first one three times already, but it’s taking place in Athens and Las Vegas (since Vegas is a recurring theme in all my books).
The seventh book in my Sidewinders series is coming this fall, and will feature Vladimir and Rachel. Another hunky Russian, a movie star (who used to date one of his teammates) and a quirky set of new (to readers) hockey players and supporting characters who will hopefully breathe new life into the series. There’s also a spin-off novella that will be in a March of Dimes charity anthology later this year, but I don’t have a release date yet (featuring Drake’s older sister Mack and a new guy named Rob). So there’s a lot going on and it’s really, really exciting. I’m considering a whole new hockey series, this team set in Anchorage, Alaska, and a rock star serial that’s already over 400,000 words! Sometimes there isn’t enough digital paper for all the stories in my head—or the time to write them!
I’m excited to bring my stories to you and I hope you’re just as excited to read them! If you’d like to find out what’s coming and catch up with what I’m doing, you can subscribe to my newsletter at
www.katmizera.com
I just started a new group for my readers—I’ll be doing special contests, Q&A’s with industry colleagues like photographers and models, have guest authors stopping by and more! So join the group and hang out with my Vegas Vixens!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240364066425130/
The Book
Two men. One threesome. Zero expectations.
Jamie Teller has had a rough year. After being blackmailed by a teammate, weathering a sex scandal, and being traded to a team on the other side of the continent, he’s overwhelmed and looking for a distraction. A sexy threesome with his burly roommate and his wife wasn’t expected--neither is his sudden attraction to a guy.
Viggo Sjoberg has been openly bisexual since he was 17, but he’d always assumed he would settle down with a woman. When he’s surprised with news he has a child from a past fling, he jumps headfirst into marriage and fatherhood, but his new wife isn't what she appeared to be. Adding to Viggo’s confusion are the feelings aroused by his seemingly straight roommate, Jamie.
When Jamie moves thousands of miles away, Viggo tells himself it’s over. Until a life-changing event puts the two men on a collision course. Suddenly, Jamie needs Viggo—badly—and Viggo is prepared to do whatever it takes to help. Even if it means he has to give up everything he always thought he wanted.
Author’s Note: This series is somewhat darker than my other books. Although they are all HEA’s, there are elements of BDSM, ménage, hate crimes, vigilante justice and LGBTQ relationships throughout the series. If you’re concerned about trigger warnings, this may not be the series for you.
Author Bio
Kat Mizera is a South Florida native. Born in Miami Beach with a healthy dose of wanderlust, she's called Los Angeles, Long Island, upstate New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Atlanta home. She's never been able to pick which locale is her favorite, but if pressed, she’d probably choose the west coast.
A typical suburban PTA mom, Kat has a wonderful, supportive husband (Kevin) and two amazing boys (Nick and Max). When she's not writing, she's either scrapbooking or indulging in her second love (after writing) – traveling. Greece is one of her favorite places in the world. She loves that Athens is a big city with a small-town feel. The food, beaches and culture keep her going back as often as possible. She hopes to retire there one day so she can spend her days writing books on the beach.
Kat has been a working freelance writer for nearly 30 years. She sold her first article--a review of a rock concert--for $10 in 1985. Since then she's been an entertainment journalist (working with bands like Saigon Kick, Bangalore Choir and Julliet), waitress, bartender, legal assistant, food critic, magazine editor, substitute teacher, and freelance writer. She also spent time working as a record store manager in Ft. Lauderdale and at A & M Records in Los Angeles.
As you can guess from her series, the Las Vegas Sidewinders, Kat loves hockey. She is a retired freelance hockey writer, covering her favorite team, the Florida Panthers, and any other teams that had an interesting story. Now she writes novels full-time: sexy, romantic fiction that she hopes makes you as happy as it makes her. There's something enticing about hockey players and romance...
