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With over 20 novels under her sparkly rhinestone-studded belt, Texas writer Katie Graykowski has won nearly every romance award there is, and she’s still drawing in fans from all over the world with snappy and sarcastic dialog between her cadre of Texas characters. From beefy Austin NFL football players in The Lone Stars series to three BFFs looking for love in The Marilyns series to the hunky hill country ranchers and sassy heroines in the Texas Rose Ranch series, Katie’s books will have readers hooked from the first steamy kiss. We caught up with Katie just outside of Austin at one of our favorite wineries and shared a glass of sparkling rosé while we asked her the burning questions…
Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Longview, in northeast Texas. I now live outside of Austin on top of a hill.
What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?
I would tell myself that high school ends and that college will be so much more fun. And, guys named Randy are a bad idea.
Are any of your characters based on people you knew early in life or know now?
Absolutely! All of my antagonists are patterned after people I don’t like. I have been known to name a few after the people that inspired them.
What’s your favorite spot for Tex-Mex?
For beef fajitas—Pappsitos
For salsa and chips, tortilla soup, and sangria—Vivo
For chicken fajitas—Serranos or Lupe Tortilla
For queso, steak burritos, and flour tortillas—Chuy’s
For green chili pork burritos and “Damn Good Tacos”—Torchy’s
For margaritas and the most wonderful invention, the Pina Colada Martini—Santa Catarina
What is your favorite book store in Texas?
BookPeople—I love a good independently owned bookstore.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Yes, when I finish a book, I add a charm to my silver book charm bracelet. I can order the charm before I finish, but I can’t add it to the bracelet until I’m done. Occasionally, I find a charm I like and then write a book that mentions this item so I have a reason to buy the charm.
What color are your toenails painted right now?
Drop Dead Red—when I retire, I want to become a nail polish namer.
If your latest romance novel, Texas Rose Happily Ever After became a movie or a Texas Rose Ranch Netflix series, who would be in your dream cast?
This is a tough question to answer. The characters in my head don’t always have famous faces. Many of them are composites of family and friends. But, here’s my best guess:
A-Lee Von Claremont: Laura Berlin
T-Bone Rose: Gabriel Basso
What are you reading now?
Sherry Thomas’s A Tempest at Sea: The Lady Sherlock Series, Book 7
If you haven’t tried this series, stop what you’re doing right now and download it. Then call in sick, tell your family that they can figure out dinner, and lock yourself in your favorite reading spot and devour this series.
Tell us about the Texas Rose Ranch series
Everything’s bigger in Texas, and that goes double at the Texas Rose Ranch, home to the Rose family through five generations of toil, sweat, and scandal. The Texas Rose Ranch series follows the love stories of the five Rose brothers as they work to hold onto their family’s ranch and find the loves of their lives.
More about Katie and all her books:
Website: http://www.katiegraykowski.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katie.graykowski
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiegraykowski/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Katiegraykowski
Texas Rose Happily Ever After
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Cover Photo Courtesy Katie Graykowski
Leslie Barrett is a native Texan and avid traveler and reader, living her best life in the Hill Country.
