Okay, I have to start this interview by letting everyone know that I am a Beaver fan and Kendra over there is a Duck fan.  

Benny & Ducky

What does this mean to you?  Well, we are in state rivals and will let’s just say Beavers don’t like Ducks and Ducks don’t like Beavers…  Still don’t understand why I am telling you this?

Kendra’s 1^st book in the Bone Secrets Series “Hidden” is set at Oregon State University home of the Beavers! But that doesn’t always mean that it is a good thing.

Kendra:   I was the first duck in my family. My parents, older brother, and older sister all went to OSU. The youngest sister fully rebelled and went to the University of Utah.

So now that we know all that.  Let’s begin.

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Eleven years ago, the Co-ed Slayer murdered nine female students on the Oregon State University campus. Lacey Campbell barely escaped his attack, but lost her best friend whose remains were never found. As the sole surviving victim, Lacey helped send the sadistic serial killer to prison for life.

Now a forensic odontologist examining teeth and bones for the state Medical Examiner, Lacey is devastated when she arrives at a crime scene and identifies the skeletal remains as her college friend’s.

The remains are discovered on the land of ex-cop Jack Harper. Sparks fly between him and Lacey, even as they realize that the prosecution’s witnesses from a decade ago are now being murdered one by one. All the evidence points to the Co-ed Slayer as the culprit—only, he’s long since dead. So who’s the new killer? And is Lacey next in line to die?

Kendra, can you please share with us a little about yourself:

I live in the Pacific Northwest and am married to an amazing man. I have three daughters, two odd cats, and an adorable Pomeranian who has us all wrapped around his little paw. I was a dental hygienist for many years and quit last spring to write full time. I have a degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon and used it extensively to write brilliant notes in dental charts.

Who has the better school colors?  You have to know Orange and Black is better than Yellow and Green any day right???

Let’s just say both sets of colors really suck. I mean, who wants to look like they’re wishing for Halloween all the time? And the yellow and green is simply too much bright color together. Someone should have used purple.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

God, no. Who’d want total strangers reading your work and telling you what was wrong with it? It wasn’t until about six years ago that I decided to write. I loved to read and after reading Diana Gabaldon’s OUTLANDER for the tenth time, I decided to give writing a try. I had no visions of publication, I just wanted to know if I could write a book.

Are you a plotter or a panster? And you explain the difference?

I’m a little of both. A plotter plots every twist and turn in the book. A pantser writes by the seat of her pants, going where instinct drives her as she types. I’m naturally a major planner and assumed I would be a plotter, but I’ve found some of my best writing occurs when I’m simply forcing myself to sit down and write. I’ve been bogged down with plotting to the point where I’ve wasted weeks not writing, because I couldn’t plan where to go next. A great tool for me is #1K1HR on twitter. It puts you with other writers who are racing to get 1000 words on the page in an hour. You just start pounding away at the keyboard. My stories take great unplanned turns during these sessions.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I like silence while writing. No music. I write my notes on graph paper—the stuff with the tiny squares. I don’t like lined paper, especially yellow legal pads. And ink must be blue, not black. Wow. Those were really boring quirks.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

For HIDDEN, I had an image stuck in my head of a woman’s corpse buried in the foundation of a house. I think I picked it up from watching an episode of CSI. From there it just grew, incorporating aspects that I wanted to write about. Forensic dentistry, serial killers, and a clash between the hero and heroine.

For CHILLED, I attended a writing workshop led by a forensic nurse who volunteered with a search and rescue team. She was utterly cool and a fantastic inspiration for the heroine of a book. I later interviewed her and used several of her experiences in CHILLED.

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For BURIED, which comes out in 2013, I walked around for weeks with an idea of a group of children on a field trip who simply vanished long ago. I decided to make Michael from HIDDEN the hero of the story and have one of the missing children be his brother.

Why did you pick OSU as your setting for Hidden?   

My heroine competed in college gymnastics. OSU has a program, I don’t think UofO ever did.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

Hmm. I’d have to say Diana Gabaldon or Robert Crais. I’ve met most of the authors I love at conferences or signings, but these two have been avoiding me for some reason.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Write and read lots. Repeat. Continue until luck happens.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

Mine is pretty short. I want a quiet home on the water somewhere where my husband and I can walk on the beach, talk, and write. I would like to see Machu Picchu and spend some time in Italy touring and eating.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

I can’t wait for Lee Child’s A WANTED MAN in September. I buy all his books in hardback. Recently I discovered Lisa Unger. I want to read her backlist.

What is the best and worst thing about living in the Pacific Northwest?  For me it would be that it is so green and the worst would be lack of sunshine.

I like the rainy days. I don’t have to shave my legs or water the lawn on those days. Best thing would be simply quality of life. I know that is general, but the air is clean, crime is low, the people are friendly, and it doesn’t cost a fortune to live here. Worst would be it needs more snow!

What is your favorite time of year & why?

Fall. The kids go back to school and I have a quiet house for several hours of the day. And I love gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’ve learned that getting ready for the holidays is usually more fun than the holiday itself. I usually make a list of things I want to do with the kids. Cookies, shopping, decorating and simply enjoy them.

Who is your Celebrity crush?  And what would you do if you ever meet them?

George Clooney. I would smile, forget all words, and wish I’d worn something different.

I would say that this interview went really well, despite the fact that you are a Duck and I am a Beaver. Is there anything else you would like to add?  

Yes. I’m very sorry your Beavers have not won a Civil War football game since 2007.

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