Meet Kaci Curtis

This is Ink & Intrigue—the blog where romance ignites, secrets simmer, and every love story hides a twist. I’m your blog host, Sheila Kell, romance author and lover of plot twists, slow burns, and morally questionable book boyfriends.

Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to an author whose stories sweep the reader to another time and place—Kaci Curtis! If you love tales of adventure and survival with a dash of cowboy romance, you’re in for a treat.

Kaci Curtis is known for well-researched historical fiction that leaps off the page and immerses the reader in the historical setting. Her latest release, Along the Trail, takes place on the Oregon Trail in 1847, and the main character, Winnie, must decide whether following her heart is worth the risk.

In this spotlight, Kaci Curtis shares her writing journey and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at Along the Trail.

Whether you write love stories, devour them, or dream of doing both, you’re in the right place. Let’s get into it and give a warm welcome to Kaci Curtis! 💖

Here’s a quote from Kaci, then we’re straight into questions, followed by an excerpt and Kaci’s bio.

What’s your typical writing routine like—do you write with emotion or outline first? 

I usually start with a character and setting, and build from there. In my earlier years of writing, I was mostly a panster (and I still can be!), but lately I’ve found that getting down a rough outline helps me to better organize my thoughts and monitor the pace a bit better. In the case of Trail, I needed an outline to follow to make sure I hit the highlights of the trail (and its memorable landmarks) in the correct order.

How do you handle writer’s block, especially during emotional or steamy scenes?

Writer’s block can be tricky! What usually works best for me is to get outside (in the woods if I can) and go for a good, long walk. Instrumental music also helps me to dial in and to envision the scene playing out. The right music, evoking the right mood, will usually help to bust me out of a rut. But the fresh air is also a great reset. Sometimes, with both of my kids home, a long walk and music is off the table, and I simply have to put the writing away and take it out later, hoping the muse will appear!

Can you tell us about your latest book and what inspired the story?

Along the Trail is historical fiction with a romantic subplot. It’s set on the American frontier, on the Oregon Trail in 1847. I grew up in Kansas City, MO, which is only about 20 minutes from Independence, MO, which was the hub from which most of the overland travel by wagon train began. It’s been a point of interest for me since I was in elementary school, playing the Oregon Trail game in our computer lab (I’m aging myself, haha!)

Are your characters based on real people, or entirely fictional?

Some of the characters in my book are based on real figures on the frontier, like Jim Bridger, the famous mountain man who built Fort Bridger. But most of them, including the main characters, are fictional. However, they’re heavily based on the types of men and women who traveled the trail at that time period. I did a lot of research on where emigrants came from, what their stories might have been, and how they would have traveled. I spent a lot of time researching the Native tribes that they were most likely to encounter along the route. I will also say that I spent a lot of time studying the trail itself: the various routes, shortcuts, campsites, etc. All of the physical places mentioned in my book are real places or landmarks along the trail, and many of them are accessible today as historical landmarks on the Oregon National Historic Trail, managed by the National Park Service. So many of the places you’ll read about are places that you can still go to, today. Some of them even have wagon ruts visible, tangible evidence of thousands of wagons passing through the same area.

What was your journey to publication like?
Trail was actually the fifth book I’d ever written – the previous four have not been published. Since I was a young girl, I knew that I wanted to be published traditionally. So with my first four books, I only queried literary agents. I got some requests for partial manuscripts, but didn’t find any perfect fits. And honestly, my writing just wasn’t ready, yet. But I kept trying, and with each book, I’d query for longer and accept more rejections before moving on to the next project. When it came time to query Trail, I decided to also query independent publishers, and not just literary agents. When I did, a couple requested the full manuscript. And now, Trail is a traditionally published novel! I learned so much going through this process – working with an editor (shout out to ELF!), meeting deadlines, and figuring out how it all fit together. Doing the promo for the first time has also been a huge learning process. Some parts have been more fun than others, but I’ve really tried to soak it all in and to remember to be grateful, even when I’m stressed, haha.

How did you find your agent or publisher (if applicable)?
I don’t have an agent at this time (though I’d love to have one!), but I’ve been blessed to find a home for Trail with the Wild Rose Press. I tell emerging writers that the real work of the writing process is hidden in researching publishers/agents, finding the best fits, weeding out the ones that won’t work with your genre/style, and then crafting all the content that you need to have ready to send. Each agent/publisher may ask for different things, and important pieces like a strong synopsis, blurb, author bio, fist 10 pages, and elevator pitch really need to be hammered out and fine-tuned before you can even begin the querying process. The query letter is an intimidating and stress-inducing page all on its own! But if you don’t do it right, your query can come across as sloppy, poorly researched, or even lazy. None of which are particularly enticing to agents or publishers. They want to work with someone who can meet deadlines, deliver what they say they’ll deliver, and have a kind attitude during the process. And with a solid query letter package, you can show them that you can provide that kind of work ethic as an author.

What do you like to read in your free time?
As a homeschooling mom this year, I don’t have as much free time to read as I wish I did. In the past year, my limited free time was taken up by editing, then organizing promo, and figuring out how to market my book so that it’s seen by readers. When I do get to read, YA fantasy is my go-to (and my first love!) but I also enjoy historical fiction. I’m always dabbling in non-fiction as well, as it’s sometimes easier for me to read only a few pages at a time when it’s non-fiction. My non-fiction (often several going at once) are almost always nature or history related.

Do you have any quirky writing habits or rituals?
I’m not sure how quirky it is, but I write best to instrumental music. Most often, I write at the kitchen table, and I put an ambient video on the TV as a background. I try to match the ambiance to whatever I’m writing that day – a forest, a tavern, a shipping port, etc. Having a hot cup of coffee makes everything better, of course! If the weather is nice and I can open some windows, then I’m really off to a good start. Setting out building toys or other things to occupy my kids always helps too, haha!

What are you working on next?
My current WIP is the sequel to Trail – I’m hoping to make it a duology. After that, I have a few ideas for speculative fiction set in history. I’m also working on a high fantasy novel that’s been flying around in my head for the last several years. I’m drawn to other time periods and eras, so I think the real work will be finding something that hasn’t been overdone recently. I’ve no interest in following publishing trends, and my hope is that there will always be room for a good book on the shelf, regardless of current trends.
Excerpt:

The friends passed the next several hours on horseback, taking care to always keep the wagon train in sight. The wagon canopies were so small in the distance, they resembled a herd of sheep.

Mae recounted many stories from her native friends – outlandish tales of trickster coyotes, nature spirits, and ancestral guides who took the forms of animals.

As they hunted for the stream that Big John had spoken of, the wilderness around them seemed to come alive.

Winnie knew it was because of Mae’s stories, but she couldn’t help herself. The afternoon sun gilded the tree tops, and she found herself searching their branches and trunks for a glimpse of curious eyes or a wily smile.

When they ventured from the swath that had been cut by hundreds of wagons before them, the prairie grass grew tall enough to brush the bellies of the horses. It wasn’t hard to imagine something crouching there, peering at them between stalks of grass.

The wildflowers seemed brighter, the colors more vibrant. The biting flies that lingered around the livestock were long gone, and for the first time, Winnie thought she could see why people had begun to venture west.

Maybe it was the break from the monotony. Maybe it was the novelty of riding Lazy Loui instead of walking. Or just maybe, Winnie was finally beginning to actually see the wilderness, instead of only resenting it for its hardships and the simple fact that it wasn’t the farm she’d grown up on.

With that thought, she felt that she had found the root of the matter. The heart of the cause for the blinders she’d worn the past month and a half, which had kept her from finding anything about the trail worthy of its renown. She bore resentment. A bit of anger. Reluctance.

Papa had decided to bring them across the wilds to Oregon territory. He had spoken to Mama about it beforehand, but he’d been the driving force behind the idea. And months later, the animals Winnie had helped to raise were all gone. Millie’s little calf. The piglets that Mama Pig grunted with so affectionately. The chickens that had followed Winnie around the yard when she did her chores.

All were gone now, except for Millie the milk cow.

The simple life she’d known had been traded for the uncertainty of the westward trail, and she saw now that she had been determined to endure it, but also determined not to find anything about the scenery of their travels very pleasant or worthwhile.

With her stories, Mae breathed life into the trees, curiosity into the rabbits and squirrels, and omnipotence to the birds, and Winnie removed the blinders she’d been wearing. She saw the true feelings that had lurked there, ducking behind the exhaustion, the cautious excitement over her relationship with Hal, and the irritation over small inconveniences.

She’d been grieving the home she’d lost. And she’d never even known it, until now. It wasn’t until those wounds began to close over that she even acknowledged their existence.

BIO:
Kaci Curtis is a military spouse and mom of two. She was raised in Kansas City, MO, only minutes away from the town of Independence, where the Westward Trails began. She loves hiking, camping, reading while sipping coffee, all things National Parks, thunderstorms, gardening, and book club.

 

I hope you loved getting to know Kaci Curtis and hearing about her journey, her inspirations, and her latest swoon-worthy release, Along the Trail. If you haven’t added this to your TBR yet, now’s the time—trust me, you won’t want to miss it. 📚

You can connect with Kaci Curtis here:
📚 Website: kacicurtisauthor.com

📱 Socials: Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KCurtisWriter   |     Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kacicurtisauthor

🛒 Grab her books:

TWRP: https://wildrosepress.com/product/along-the-trail/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FL1C55WW/thewildrosepr-20

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/along%20the%20trail%20kaci%20curtis

Indie Bound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/along-the-trail/acddcf8eab8a6041?ean=9781509263165&next=t&next=t

BAM: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781509263165

Thank you for joining me in spotlighting a fellow romance lover who’s giving us all the feels. Stay tuned for more author features, book talk, and behind-the-scenes romance goodness.

Until next time—keep reading, keep swooning! 💖

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