Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Katrina Emmel!
Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Katrina Emmel
Katrina Emmel grew up in New Hampshire, moved to the Midwest for graduate school, and continued traveling westward until she reached the Pacific. Now a SoCal resident, Katrina lives in an active household with her husband, two children, father-in-law, and their twin beagles, Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp. In addition to writing fiction, she loves science, crafts, making up silly songs for her kids, and supporting monarch conservation by planting lots of milkweed. Near Misses and Cowboy Kisses is her debut novel.
About the Book: Near Misses & Cowboy Kisses
A swoon-worthy YA rivals-to-lovers romance between a Nebraskan cowboy and California girl, thrust together on the Oregon Trail.
Anything’s possible under a prairie sky…
Riley Thomas is feeling stuck—she’s moved from California to Nebraska, she’s on a weeklong Oregon Trail family bonding excursion, and her luggage is lost. There’s no one her age on the trip except a tall, dark and irksome cowboy who wrongly assumes she has zero ability to handle the great outdoors. She can’t wait for this misery to end—even though going “home” isn’t even possible anymore.
Lone wolf Colton Walker loves the simpler life of the plains and his family’s tourism business that helps protect them. He’s a stand-up guy—not a love ‘em and leave ‘em type like his rival, Jake. And he knows better than to take his chances with a prairie princess like Riley.
But Riley’s got more sense than Colton thinks–and he’s not nearly as inflexible as he seems. And under a wide prairie sky of puffy clouds and bright stars, everything comes into focus–including a cowboy’s heart.
Katrina Emmel’s Near Misses and Cowboy Kisses will take you on a sweeping journey across the American prairie . . . once you love a boy in a Stetson, you’ll never be the same.
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I was up late one night, unable to sleep, and an infomercial came on about an Oregon Trail excursion where families could have a pioneer experience, complete with campfire cooking and tenting. The idea of traveling across the American prairie in a covered wagon stuck with me and I couldn’t shake the idea that an excursion like that would be an interesting and unique setting for a contemporary young adult romance.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I’m proud of the bison chase scene. I don’t often incorporate cinematic-style action scenes in the romances I write, so incorporating writing that’s more physical and less introspective was a good challenge. It was important to me that the scene be fast-paced and full of tension, but also plausible.
YABC: What came first, the concept, landscape, characters, or something else?
The landscape came first, and it spent almost 10 years kicking around in my brain waiting for the right concept. Once I’d decided to use the Oregon Trail/American prairie as the setting for a contemporary YA romance, the plot and the characters developed pretty quickly.
YABC: If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? Definitely romance, because the world needs more love and hope and positive, sunshiny vibes. I’m channeling my inner Jackie DeShannon here, and if this was an audio interview, I ‘d probably break out into song with a few bars of “What the World Needs Now is Love.” Or maybe, “All You Need is Love,” by The Beatles.
YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
To develop a character’s voice, I read books and watch shows and movies developed for the young adult market. Newspaper and magazine articles written by and/or about teens are also valuable resources. I also draw a lot from the emotions and experiences I had when I was a teen.
YABC: What can readers expect to find in your books?
Readers can expect smart and swoon-worthy leads and vibrant settings, where the romance is a sweet, slow-burn. I try to keep the story light-hearted and the ending satisfying. I also like to add in science references and plenty of animals (both domesticated and wild), too.
YABC: What is your favorite snack when writing?
I usually don’t eat when I’m writing, as drafting tends happen while I’m in a folding chair at my kids’ sports practices or late at night in bed (and it’s never a good idea to get crumbs in bed). However, a good cup of tea has gotten me through more tricky writing sessions than I can count.
YABC: What do you do when you procrastinate?
I try very hard not to procrastinate. I learned quickly when I was a resident advisor in college that crises usually happened the night before a major exam or a report was due, so it was good to be ready before a deadline. However, when there’s a lot on my plate, I can get into “freeze mode,” where I just don’t know where to start. In those situations, I usually create a task list to make things more manageable and keep myself motivated to get stuff done.
YABC: What fandom would you write for if you had time?
I’m a Murder, She Wrote fangirl, and would love to create some crimes for the incomparable Jessica Fletcher to solve. My 7-year-old daughter and I are currently making our way through the series and I love the questions she asks and the who-dunnit theories she comes up with.
YABC: What is your favorite holiday or tradition and why?
This is a tricky question and I don’t think I can choose just one. Every year for Halloween, I’ve designed and handmade my kids’ costumes, which is always a good challenge and a lot of fun. On Christmas Eve, we enjoy a traditional Lithuanian Kūčios dinner with old family recipes that involve a lot of “add it until it tastes right” directions. We also have an annual last day of school celebration that involves a scavenger hunt and s’mores. A few years ago, we actually celebrated a holiday every day, and I can tell you that planning for 365 different holidays is a lot of work, but the memories we made were 100% worth it.
YABC: Is there anything that you would like to add?
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share a bit about myself and NEAR MISSES & COWBOY KISSES with Young Adult Book Central!
Title: NEAR MISSES & COWBOY KISSES
Author: Katrina Emmel
Release Date: July 23, 2024
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
ISBN-10: 0593708148
ISBN-13: 9780593708149
Genre: YA Romance
Age Range: 12 and up
~ Giveaway Details ~
Three (3) winners will receive a copy of Near Misses & Cowboy Kisses (Katrina Emmel) ~US/CAN Only!
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
