Tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Brooklyn Kerr, and I’m a wife and a mother. I have an amazing son, and I am also a special needs pet parent to two senior rescue cats and a ten-year-old goofy Golden Retriever.
I live in the St. Louis metro area writing full-time now, but I am also a lawyer licensed in two states and served as the executive director of a non-profit organization for a few years.
My hobbies include gardening, baking, cooking, caring for and snuggling with our pets, and spending as much time as I can with my husband and son.
What made you become a writer?
I wrote often for my work, but only practical things. Very rarely would I ever write creatively since there just wasn’t time. But during the pandemic, I stayed home with my son to help him through his first years of school remotely.
Since I was used to keeping my mind active, the transition into being a stay-at-home parent required finding something to keep my mind occupied. I started reading a lot and then tried writing. In a few months, I had written a book. So, I wrote more.
Eventually, I gave my books to my husband to read. With his encouragement, I submitted them to a small press. Last year, my series of five spicy hockey romance books, called The Hockey Stars of Taylor Ridge, was published.
This year I’m publishing the Diablo series, my new dark romantic suspense series, independently.
Where did the idea for Dead Man's Curse come from?
The idea for Dead Man’s Curse came from my fourth book in the hockey series I wrote, Choosing You. There was a love triangle where one of the characters didn’t get the girl, and a dangerous criminal organization called Diablo.
It was such an interesting concept, with a lot of potential with different tropes, new characters, a new conflict to address, and a fiery conclusion. So, after I finished the hockey series, the characters for this one started to take shape in my head.
Before I knew it, I’d planned an eight-book Diablo series, with eight different couples telling the story of how Dead Man’s Metal (a crew of morally gray men with mostly good intentions) and others come together to fight a war against Diablo. (You don’t have to read Choosing You to read the Diablo series, but it does give some extra background if you enjoy the story.)
Most of the books in the Diablo series are already written and in various stages of editing. While the story of the couples resolves at the end of each book, there is a plot cliffhanger setting up the next book. But it won’t be a series that will keep you waiting for too long. With the books mostly written, I’m hoping to have the series completed by the end of next year.
What is Dead Man's Curse about?
It’s too late to go back and change the past. Diplomacy is out of the question. The only way forward is through the death and destruction The Devil leaves in her path.
As the daughter of a police lieutenant, Felicia’s black-and-white worldview is shaken to the core when she’s pulled into the criminal underground with only one hope of safety.
Hopping on the back of some tatted guy’s bike.
The longer Felicia spends with his crew, Dead Man’s Metal, the more her views fade to gray and the deeper she finds herself falling for the last person she should want.
With failing health and a need for justice, Jagger rides with his crew on the wrong side of the law, in the middle of an all-out war, and finds himself desperate for a connection that’s impossible.
With her.
In trying to loosen Diablo’s grip on Felicia, Jagger and his crew effectively seal their fate. With the growing bond between Jagger and Felicia, and Diablo’s increasingly lethal tactics, the men of Dead Man’s Metal will have only one choice:
Protect those they hold dear or die trying.
Unlikely allies form, a war breaks out, and lives change forever in this dark romantic suspense that follows the first of the Dead Man’s Metal crew.
Are you ready to face the Devil?
Dead Man’s Curse is the first in the new dark romantic suspense Diablo series packed with wild thrills, a crew of morally gray men, and scorching spice that leaves you begging for more.
Tell us about your main characters are they based on anyone you know?
My characters are not based on anyone in real life. Felicia is mentioned in Choosing You, so that was where she came from. Jagger came to life as I got to writing the story.
I plan some of what I write, a basic outline, but the rest comes out as the story progresses and the characters take shape. I liked how he connects with her in such a short time, since most of the book takes place over three days. It’s partly through a shared sense of trauma, but also with the dangerous things they both handle to learn more about Diablo.
What tips would you give a new writer?
Just start writing. Whether you plan and outline or just dive in doesn’t matter. Whatever works for you.
The first things you write will not be great, but it doesn’t matter. Get it out. Don’t worry about the first draft. Don’t second-guess yourself. Don’t worry about writing for the market. Write what you enjoy. Get a draft done.
Then keep writing. Another book and another. Each one will get better. Then, go back and edit based on what you learned in writing. You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll get with practice. Then, share your writing with someone you trust, get some feedback, and just keep working at it.
What are your favourite books?
My favorite books are the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I love her sense of humor mixed with action and romance. That’s probably why I also enjoy Lucy Score andClaire Kingsley, too.
Where can we find you on social media?
On social media, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. I’m also on Goodreads and BookBub as Brooklyn Kerr. My website where you can sign up for my weekly newsletter.