Q: If something is pulling at your heartstrings today that is because we’re being joined by romance author V.K. Tritschler! I’d like to kick things off, if possible, with you sharing a little bit about yourself and what types of stories you enjoy writing as well as which genres you write in?
A: I love to write about love, but I have several sub-genres within romance that I enjoy. From a light-hearted rom-com, to a feisty fighting female romantic suspense, it is engaging the reader into all the aspects of the world of romantic entanglements that brings out my best writing. There is something magical about bringing two characters together and letting them learn and grow from each other.

Q: I’d love it if you could share a bit about your latest release ‘A Town Called Nowhere’? For starters, what is it about for anyone unfamiliar with it?
A: This is the first book in a trilogy and introduces the readers to not only to my two main characters, Nicci a werepanther abandoned as a child, and Dru an illustrious race car driver and heir to a substantial pack. Together they have to escape their lives, and they discover a chance for a new beginning in a remote desolate township called Nowhere. But can they build a new beginning for themselves, or will their pasts haunt them?

Q: I love the idea of shapeshifters in romance, why do you feel that they resonate so well with readers?
A: Because we love the idea of living and loving without restrictions, and in shapeshifting we can be both man and beast. We can allow for the characters to have real emotions, only partially tethered by our humanity. It is the Steppenwolf inside of all of us that enjoys a good shapeshifter romance.

Q: You’ve done a mixture of both paranormal romance and standard romance, how do you prepare for writing the two genres?
A: I am not a planner or a prepper when it comes to writing, rather I let the story guide me where it wants to go and I follow obediently behind it. Sometimes I might have a tiny thread of an idea, and it is always special to watch it unfurl.

Q: As a reader, do you have a preference between the two?
A: I think there is a beauty in both styles. We like the story to feel authentic, which is the reason I sometimes like to write a standard romance, but what you can do in a paranormal romance exceeds the world of realism and is quite cathartic in its own right.

Q: You’ve had quite a body of work emerge over the past couple of years. Was this a build-up of writing that you’ve been working on or did the pandemic leave you with more time to follow your passion?
A: Once I opened the writing floodgates, the stories poured forth. Now I am just trying to keep up with the ideas as they present themselves. Unfortunately, the pandemic didn’t change my schedule much, as I have other commitments I must adhere to, but it did give me some more ideas to store in my very own writing investment bank.

Q: Where were you born (and/or are you from) and how has that affected your writing?
A: I was born in New Zealand, but my father is from Canada and we travelled there often in childhood. It gave me a love of travel and a desire to explore, which I think has been invaluable in my writing.

Q: What inspired you to start writing?
A: When we moved to Australia is was on my bucket list to write a book. I never imagined it would turn into what it has become, but I do believe that we should have goals in life, and strive to always achieve them in whatever capacity we can. You only get one life after all (apart from the ones in books and other universes!)

Q: I’ve read that you have a menagerie of pets. Can you tell me about any of them? I won’t ask for a favorite pet, but do you have a favorite animal?
A: I have two elderly cats, and a new kitten from a rescue shelter who is as cute as he is naughty. We also have a miniture schnauzer, who is too rotund and too tall to technically be a miniture anything. Not to mention the tank and pond full of fish and assorted creatures. It reminds me of feeding time at the zoo most nights.

Q: It looks like you’ll be attending the Australian Romance Readers Association (ARRA) Conference on the Gold Coast in August 2021. Are you excited to see these events starting to open back up?
A: Yes, and I can’t wait! It will be my first time attending, but it looks fabulous. And to get to meet my readership personally is something special – for it’s been a long time since as authors we have had to virtually attend such events, I cannot wait to participate.

Q: Are there any teases you can share on your next work to be released or current work in progress?
A: There will be heartache and loss, love and growth. A beloved character will die, and another will prove their worth. But that is all I can tell you at the moment – you will have to wait for The Heart of Nowhere to find out more! Its out in October so you dont have to wait too long.