Jayne Ann Krentz and Catherine Coulter: Author One-on-One
In this Amazon exclusive, we brought together blockbuster authors Jayne Ann Krentz and Catherine Coulter and asked them to interview each other.

The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, Jayne Ann Krentz writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print. Read on to see Jayne Ann Krentz's questions for Catherine Coulter, or turn the tables to see what Coulter asked Krentz.

Jayne: You have a fabulously successful career going in two genres, romance and suspense. Why do you write both? What are the elements in each genre that excite and compel you as an author?

Catherine: Do you know, I love to write both genres because they are so very different from each other, and that means, frankly, that I?ll never run out of creative gas or get myself stuck in a burn-out hole. In most of my historical romances (just like yours) there are mysteries because my mind simply works that way (just like yours). To be defined as a romance, the relationship between the man and the woman must be at the center. And as you know, in suspense thrillers, unlike romances, it's the gnarly situations that are at the center, and the love story?and there usually is one, because relationships are at the center of life?, is at the periphery. In the thrillers, I?m focused on pacing (i.e., making the reader turn that page), and juggling two different gnarly situations. And maybe, if I?m blessed, I can go back and forth, stretching the denouement for both to a good hundred pages.

Jayne:When you wrote the wildly successful book The Cove, those of us in the romance genre cheered wildly. We were thrilled because you opened a door for a lot of us romance authors (like me) who were eager to infuse more suspense into our books. At the time, many of us were meeting with resistance from editors who feared we would lose our audiences. But you proved that the audience would follow. Any deep background you care to share about what inspired you to write that book or how you got it published?

Catherine: Lots of writers had branched out before I got into the FBI series. The Cove came about when I was at home for a family reunion. My sister, who?d never done anything like this before, walked up to me and asked, ?Have you ever heard of a little town on the coast of Oregon called the Cove? They make the world's greatest ice cream, and bad stuff happens.? I went en pointe. The Cove marked the first of the FBI series, but at that time I had no idea that this book was a kick-off for a series. It simply evolved. Because of its success, Putnam wanted me to drop historical romances and stick to suspense thrillers. No way was that going to happen: I love historicals, the humor, the mysteries, the history, the cat races, for heaven's sake! I struck a deal with my publisher: One historical romance, then one suspense thriller. You said you were a happy camper?move over, I?m right with you.

Jayne:There's a bit of a psychic vibe in many of your books. Where does that come from, and why do you like to plot with that element?

Catherine: People are fascinated with psychic stuff. Just look at TV shows and movies?Medium, Ghost Whisperer, The X-Files, Lost, and anything with vampires, like Twilight, The Vampire Diaries. And even Harry Potter. We all love stuff we can?t explain, stuff that's different from what's real in our daily lives. From one woo-woo lover to another, ain?t it great?!

Jayne:What is the future of the FBI series? Any plans for firing up a new suspense series?

Catherine: I?m now writing the fifteenth (count ?em, fifteen) FBI, titled Split Second. That's a whole lot of Savich and Sherlock. My prayer is that I will realize when enough is enough. So far, things still look good.

Jayne: Did you really grow up on a horse farm in Texas?

Catherine: Yep, quarter horses.

(Photo of Catherine Coulter © Charles Bush)
(Photo of Jayne Ann Krentz © Sigrid Estrada)