Interview With Debut Author Kath Richards | Mafia Romance

Kath Richards is the author of the debut Mafia Romance titled A LOVE MOST FATAL. I was lucky enough to read this novel a few months ago and fell in love instantly with the writing and characters. Since then I have considered Kath a good friend of mine, and wanted to feature her on my rebranded website! I have linked her novel below for you to check out, and a full review will be live soon, so make sure to subscribe!

What inspired you to be an author?

I got really into reading when I was around eleven and discovered YA romance—to say I was shook would be an understatement. My parents raised me and my siblings on romcoms, and finding out that books could be romantic and full of yearning, pining, dating, and kissing was a game changer for me. I had so much joy in reading, and I wanted to try to write stories myself. I wanted to make people feel the way I felt while reading a really good romance; giggling, kicking my feet, gasping loud enough to make my family concerned, the whole nine yards. My parents were also wildly excited about my (probably very bad, but very eager) first stories, and always encouraged me to pursue this dream. I owe a lot to them and to the YA romance authors of the 2000s.

What is your writing process?

I wish it was organized, I really, really do, but it's a bit of a mess. I start with a zero draft, which is completely unreadable by anyone that's not me, and then whip that into something resembling a book enough to get some feedback. I sometimes write on my phone before bed, scribble scene ideas on sticky notes during work meetings, and draft chapters on my freewrite so I don't know how many spelling errors I'm making. My beta readers give some early feedback on the edited draft, then I revise it, send to my editor, rinse and repeat. This goes for a few drafts, and with every revision, I have a long list of items I break down into individual tasks that I try to knock out one by one. 

Drafting is the hard part. Revising takes way longer, but at least the story exists. Can't fix something that doesn't exist. 

What should we expect next?

A LOVE MOST BRUTAL, the sequel to A Love Most Fatal, will tell the story of Vanessa's little sister Mary and her arranged marriage to the older, Russian mob boss Maxim Orlov. That book comes out late this August with an audiobook following shortly after. Before then, there will be an ALMF audiobook, which I'm stoked about.

Next year I hope to drop two books, but I haven't started talking about those two yet. 

Any book signing events on the horizon?

I will be at Romance Out West this March! I'm brand new to the world of book cons, but excited to try to attend some more in the next year. When A Love Most Brutal comes out, I plan to have a few events in Utah and a couple in Southern California as well!

What is the plan for after 'A Love Most Brutal'?

There is a third Morelli book, which I've planned to come out in 2026 following Leo Morelli! I've also got a Christmas novella I want to share, we will see if this is the year for it. In the backlog, I have a vampire novel and a contemporary romcom, too, so lots of projects that I want to share with the world!

Can you tell us 3 of your favourite authors?

Ali Hazelwood is my top auto-buy author, not only because I am a long-time Reylo, but because I think her writing is so insanely charming. Her prose makes me want to write funnier, wittier characters, and I always end her books feeling inspired to write something that feels half as good as reading it felt. Love Theoretically, Check & Mate, and Bride are probably my big three bot wow did I also love Deep End. 

Rainbow Rowell is another author I would read anything by—her books feel like fresh air and I really believe that when I am reading something by her I like the world more. Like, by reading her writing, I am more thoughtful, more human, and better for it. I've read Carry On probably 5 times, though Fangirl and Attachments also have my whole heart. 

Kevin Wilson became a favourite of mine in grad school, where I was assigned one of his books and feel so in love with it, I picked up the entire rest of his backlog and read them one after the next. His stories are full of heart and so thoughtfully crafted from a story-level down to t  line level. His prose and dialogue challenge me to write better and I am always left thinking about the books long after I've finished them. If you haven't heard of his book Nothing To See Here, I recommend it so much. Follow that with my favourite by him, Perfect Little World. 

Who is your favourite character you have written?

Nate Gilbert, hands down. He is so funny, stubborn, and earnest, and I loved being in his head as this outsider experiencing the mafia. While writing A Love Most Brutal, I found myself constantly thinking, "Is this a scene we can have Nate in? Like what if he's just hanging around?"

What inspired 'A Love Most Fatal'?

I love dark romance (like, the more dark the better), and I love, love, love action movies. I was having a bout of reading a ton of mafia romances while also rewatching my favorite action movies, when I thought it would be completely absurd to have a goofy man thrown into circumstances where he had to be the damsel in distress and a strong female mafia boss had to save him. It was a fun, silly sort of idea at first, but as I thought more about it, this role reversal was so compelling to me, and I dove into drafting the book, exploring what it meant to be a woman in power in a traditionally male, toxic sort of world, while falling for someone who had no stomach for a life of crime.

Do you have any advice for upcoming authors?

Get good at being rejected. Writing, publishing, sharing your work with anyone, it's a rejection game. Celebrate every rejection as proof that.you've put yourself out there and one stepping stone closer to your goal. Keep writing. Write the shitty first draft, it doesn't have to be good, it just have to exist! 

You are a writer if you say you are, and if you write. Make it a priority if it's important to you and write what you care about. 

Will you branch out into any other genres?

Oh yes. I love exploring romance subgenres, and have at least two vampire novels in my future. Contemporary rom-coms, too, these ones about normal people, not sexy criminals. I also have a lot of poems and short stories published, so would love to put together a short story collection. I think 80% of my readers would not care about a short story collection from me, but I would like it, and that's what matters. 

What was your favourite scene to write?

My favourite scene to write in ALMF was the scene where Vanessa and Nate take care of her very ill niece and nephew. The tenderness of them working as a team and ending the night with a vulnerable conversation felt like a serious turning point in the novel. I also loved writing any scene where Nate was begging Vanessa not to do The Thing [this being a big spoiler] because I love a dramatic scene.

What is your favourite part about being a published author?

Connecting with readers who felt something while reading my book. Writing is so personal, and sharing it is so intensely vulnerable, that when I hear that someone connected with something I wrote and really liked it, nothing could be better or more exciting to me. I love writing, and hearing that people love something I created from my brain is so tender to me. 

What is your favourite snack while writing/editing?

Fruits, almonds, and white cheddar Cheese Its for desk snacks. I love to stop for a pickle, and I usually have like three beverages minimum (water, sparkling water, coke zero, or an energy drink are my go-tos). Gotta stay fuelled up. 

Synopsis

Since she was a girl, Vanessa Morelli has trained for two titles: CEO of Morelli Construction, and more importantly, head of the Morelli Crime Family. So far, it’s going well; business is booming, and the city’s criminals fear and respect her. Or at least she thought they did, before shipments start disappearing, construction sites blow up, and—most annoying of all—the older women lay on the pressure for her to marry and make an heir.

When an ill-advised date with her Godson’s math teacher goes horribly wrong, she brings him under her protection while she figures out who’s sabotaging her operation.

Nate, the goofy, dog-owning teacher, wants nothing to do with her after learning that she’s the queen of organized crime in the city. But when the choice is life or death, he chooses to accept her help and move in for the summer. Bored out of his mind, though, Nate offers his services on the hunt for a suitable husband, interviewing every eligible mafioso in Massachusetts.

But when more sparks begin to fly between her and Nate instead of her and her suitors... she starts to wonder. Can they work and live together, without falling for each other along the way?

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