Meet the Brenda
Brenda Rothert lives in Central Illinois
with her husband and three sons. She was a daily print journalist for
nine years, during which time she enjoyed writing a wide range of
stories.
These days Brenda writes New Adult Romance in the Contemporary and Dystopian genres. She loves to hear from readers by email at bjrothert@sbcglobal.net.
Social Links
Website: http://brendarothert.com/
Twitter: @BrendaRothert
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7010859.Brenda_Rothert
4. What do you consider your biggest strengths and weaknesses as an author, as an individual?
I’ve been writing for 15 years between journalism, communications and now as an author. That experience helps me write fairly fast, which is one of my strengths. Self-doubt is a weakness of mine. It creeps in and makes me stop writing, which wreaks havoc with my deadlines.
As in individual, I’m a hard worker who’s been broke before. That strength gives me appreciation for where I am today. A personal weakness is that I have trouble making time for things like exercise.
On to other topics…
5. What's your favorite movie and why?
Bridget Jones’ Diary. Mark Darcy is the perfect mix of man for me.
6. Most romantic thing a guy has done for you, most not so romantic thing?
This is a random one, but it was the first thing that sprang to mind. I was up against a deadline with Now and Forever and I’d already moved it back once. It’s the only book I’ve ever not made my deadline on. I was copy editing fast and furious the night before publication. My husband stayed up with me because he was my formatter at the time. I couldn’t have formatted a book if my life depended on it. I finished it around 4:30 am. He formatted it, I hit publish and then he slept for about an hour and got up and went to work. The romantic part isn’t just that he did it, but that he didn’t complain once. Married life causes us to reassess what true romance is.
Not so romantic was the ex-boyfriend who gave me $20 for Valentine’s Day. He just reached into his wallet and said, “I didn’t get you anything, so…” And that was the end of our three-year relationship.
7. What dreams have come true for you as a writer? As an individual?
I’ve had an amazing writing career. As a journalist, I got to visit Ground Zero after 9/11 with firefighters from my area. We went to the funerals of three firefighters. That trip was life-changing for me. There was a story I did about a young girl who was beaten to death that also touched me deeply. Her mother, who watched the fatal beating and didn’t intervene, wasn’t initially going to be charged with a crime. Due in part to my coverage, she was eventually charged. And as an author, I get messages from readers who have been touched by some of the deeply personal threads in my books, and that is also a remarkable feeling. Making money with writing is nice, but touching hearts and changing lives is a dream come true for me.
Personally, my family is a dream come true for me. I have a great husband and three healthy boys. We’re fortunate to have the life we do.
8. What excites you the most about the writing process?
I love it when I’m writing a book and it’s doing what I wanted it to. Sometimes you can have a great vision of a story in your head, but the execution falls short.
9. Where do you see yourself a few years down the road?
Most definitely still writing the stories I love. And hopefully traveling more with my family.
10. If there were not limits, what is the thing you would like to achieve the most as a writer? As a woman, a mother, a wife?
I measure success mostly on how I feel about the book I’m presenting to my readers and how they receive it. If it sells well and gets great reviews, there’s nothing better than that for me. The things I’d love to see happen in the future aren’t about me personally. I’d love to see more indies make the NYT bestseller list. I hope we can continue to overcome the notion that one book is somehow less than another.
As a woman, mother and wife, I wish I had an ideal answer. The truth is, I’m still working hard to grow my career and that takes a lot of time. I’m spread thin a lot. But I want my boys to know that not only can they achieve any dream they want to, so can their future partners. I think it’s important to set that example for them. My husband is super supportive of my career. I guess the one thing I’d like to achieve most is a greater sense of balance. I’ve carved out some time in 2016 for balance. Maybe that’s the real answer – that finding balance takes work just as everything else does.
Interview with Brenda
1. What inspired you to write your first book?
I’ve always been a voracious reader. I’d go through phases as a reader where I’d read a great non-fiction book and then be in the mood for an amazing fiction one and sometimes I’d have trouble finding one I was excited about reading. I have eclectic tastes, and one of my favorite genres is Dystopian. The ones I was finding were written by men and were light on romance. I wanted a sexy Dystopian. So my first book was one I got excited about as a writer and as a reader. It’s a Dystopian New Adult Romance called Jocale.
2. How do you come up with a title and character names?
When I’m in the imagination stage, I often come up with the title of a book first. Once I start dreaming up a story, I’ll think of character names that match my characters as I see them.
3. Are any of your characters based on people you (or maybe ;-) ) know?
Many of my characters pull from people I know in real life. I’ll leave it at that. J
1. What inspired you to write your first book?
I’ve always been a voracious reader. I’d go through phases as a reader where I’d read a great non-fiction book and then be in the mood for an amazing fiction one and sometimes I’d have trouble finding one I was excited about reading. I have eclectic tastes, and one of my favorite genres is Dystopian. The ones I was finding were written by men and were light on romance. I wanted a sexy Dystopian. So my first book was one I got excited about as a writer and as a reader. It’s a Dystopian New Adult Romance called Jocale.
2. How do you come up with a title and character names?
When I’m in the imagination stage, I often come up with the title of a book first. Once I start dreaming up a story, I’ll think of character names that match my characters as I see them.
3. Are any of your characters based on people you (or maybe ;-) ) know?
Many of my characters pull from people I know in real life. I’ll leave it at that. J
4. What do you consider your biggest strengths and weaknesses as an author, as an individual?
I’ve been writing for 15 years between journalism, communications and now as an author. That experience helps me write fairly fast, which is one of my strengths. Self-doubt is a weakness of mine. It creeps in and makes me stop writing, which wreaks havoc with my deadlines.
As in individual, I’m a hard worker who’s been broke before. That strength gives me appreciation for where I am today. A personal weakness is that I have trouble making time for things like exercise.
On to other topics…
5. What's your favorite movie and why?
Bridget Jones’ Diary. Mark Darcy is the perfect mix of man for me.
6. Most romantic thing a guy has done for you, most not so romantic thing?
This is a random one, but it was the first thing that sprang to mind. I was up against a deadline with Now and Forever and I’d already moved it back once. It’s the only book I’ve ever not made my deadline on. I was copy editing fast and furious the night before publication. My husband stayed up with me because he was my formatter at the time. I couldn’t have formatted a book if my life depended on it. I finished it around 4:30 am. He formatted it, I hit publish and then he slept for about an hour and got up and went to work. The romantic part isn’t just that he did it, but that he didn’t complain once. Married life causes us to reassess what true romance is.
Not so romantic was the ex-boyfriend who gave me $20 for Valentine’s Day. He just reached into his wallet and said, “I didn’t get you anything, so…” And that was the end of our three-year relationship.
7. What dreams have come true for you as a writer? As an individual?
I’ve had an amazing writing career. As a journalist, I got to visit Ground Zero after 9/11 with firefighters from my area. We went to the funerals of three firefighters. That trip was life-changing for me. There was a story I did about a young girl who was beaten to death that also touched me deeply. Her mother, who watched the fatal beating and didn’t intervene, wasn’t initially going to be charged with a crime. Due in part to my coverage, she was eventually charged. And as an author, I get messages from readers who have been touched by some of the deeply personal threads in my books, and that is also a remarkable feeling. Making money with writing is nice, but touching hearts and changing lives is a dream come true for me.
Personally, my family is a dream come true for me. I have a great husband and three healthy boys. We’re fortunate to have the life we do.
8. What excites you the most about the writing process?
I love it when I’m writing a book and it’s doing what I wanted it to. Sometimes you can have a great vision of a story in your head, but the execution falls short.
9. Where do you see yourself a few years down the road?
Most definitely still writing the stories I love. And hopefully traveling more with my family.
10. If there were not limits, what is the thing you would like to achieve the most as a writer? As a woman, a mother, a wife?
I measure success mostly on how I feel about the book I’m presenting to my readers and how they receive it. If it sells well and gets great reviews, there’s nothing better than that for me. The things I’d love to see happen in the future aren’t about me personally. I’d love to see more indies make the NYT bestseller list. I hope we can continue to overcome the notion that one book is somehow less than another.
As a woman, mother and wife, I wish I had an ideal answer. The truth is, I’m still working hard to grow my career and that takes a lot of time. I’m spread thin a lot. But I want my boys to know that not only can they achieve any dream they want to, so can their future partners. I think it’s important to set that example for them. My husband is super supportive of my career. I guess the one thing I’d like to achieve most is a greater sense of balance. I’ve carved out some time in 2016 for balance. Maybe that’s the real answer – that finding balance takes work just as everything else does.
Fire On Ice Series
Bound
(Book 1)
College senior Kate
Camden has learned to adapt - to her last year of school, to the promise
of motherhood, to the fact that she’s doing it all alone. But just when
she’s learned to adjust, heartache threatens to break her apart.
Pro hockey player Jason “Ryke” Ryker has it all: adoring fans, a promising career, and a beautiful wife. But when his seemingly perfect life is shaken by tragedy, he’s left questioning whether having it all is ever more than an illusion.
When circumstance brings Kate and Ryke together, they discover they don’t have to hurt alone. Bound by a grief that haunts them both, they must rely on one another to survive heartbreak. But that grief is more powerful than they realize, and the tie that binds them together may ultimately tear them apart.
Pro hockey player Jason “Ryke” Ryker has it all: adoring fans, a promising career, and a beautiful wife. But when his seemingly perfect life is shaken by tragedy, he’s left questioning whether having it all is ever more than an illusion.
When circumstance brings Kate and Ryke together, they discover they don’t have to hurt alone. Bound by a grief that haunts them both, they must rely on one another to survive heartbreak. But that grief is more powerful than they realize, and the tie that binds them together may ultimately tear them apart.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18721507-bound
Captive
(Book 2)
Two years ago, Jason
and Kate Ryker were brought together by grief and bound to one another
by love. Now married, they’re confronting their fears together.
But heartbreak finds them again, and the ties that bind Kate and Ryke are tested as she struggles against fear and sadness. As a grief counselor, Kate understands all too well the pain of her clients. And while her husband’s career as an NHL forward is at an all-time high, he’s coping with the frustration of feeling powerless as his wife's hopes slip away.
Kate’s unexpected journey sheds light on the fear that imprisons her, and reveals that she is the only one who can set herself free.
But heartbreak finds them again, and the ties that bind Kate and Ryke are tested as she struggles against fear and sadness. As a grief counselor, Kate understands all too well the pain of her clients. And while her husband’s career as an NHL forward is at an all-time high, he’s coping with the frustration of feeling powerless as his wife's hopes slip away.
Kate’s unexpected journey sheds light on the fear that imprisons her, and reveals that she is the only one who can set herself free.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19169885-captive
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/oflstza
Edge
(Book 3)
Team trainer Adella Price’s job is to help Luke get back in peak condition. But their one on one sessions shake her resolve to remain unattached. Dell is hands-off to all hockey players, even one as charming and successful as Luke.
As Luke starts to get ahold of his game again, he loses his grip on his heart. Helping Luke get his edge back brings to light what Dell is missing from her life. But those who want them apart are relentless, and with their careers on the line, Luke and Dell must decide if their love is worth risking it all.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20505710-edge
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/ogq5syd
Drive
(Book 4)
Sadie Alexander knows all about the drastic measures men will take just to get laid. She’s not only experienced it first-hand, but lived to tell about it in her online column, Sadie Says. And even though she’s a die-hard independent woman on the outside, the recent marriage of her best friend has her secretly feeling more alone than ever.
Getting close to a foul-mouthed Russian hockey heartthrob was the last thing Sadie expected. And the timing couldn’t be worse since she’s sworn off of men for a writing assignment. The line between love and hate is eroding, and Niko and Sadie find themselves in deeper than they ever expected. Could something that started out wrong end up being just right?
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22073039-drive
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/q8volt6
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/q8volt6
Release
(Book 5)
Samara Cross just wants to be invisible. After living a nightmare, she came back to her hometown seeking solace. But her quiet new life is upturned by the hot, charismatic hockey player who’s taken a sudden interest in her.
Orion and Samara find something unexpected in each other, but when the hockey offseason ends, so does their time together. They struggle with their separation, confronted by ghosts of the past and an uncertain future, discovering that sometimes the only way to hold on to something precious is to let go.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23029198-release
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/q9lo9ow
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/q9lo9ow
Fire on Ice Box Set Purchase Link
The Fire on Ice Series is now available in a box set
The Fire on Ice Series is now available in a box set
The Now Series
Now and Then
(Book 1)
Now Emmaline Carson has settled into her career as a graphic
designer, though she’d rather be painting or shopping with her sister
Layla. But then – in the years before she went to art school in Paris –
she was a shy, awkward teenager with frizzy hair, a flat chest and a
massive crush on the boy across the street, Cole Marlowe. Too bad her
incredibly hot neighbor only had eyes for Layla.
Cole is now a
confident, laid-back attorney who’s even hotter than he used to be. He’s
planning to stay single while working his way up the corporate ladder –
until he’s knocked off course by a chance run-in with Emma.
Everything
is different between Cole and Emma now. He finally sees her in a way
she only dreamed of, and their hot chemistry is fueled by a growing
friendship. But Emma’s deception of her sister – who wants Cole for
herself – and the secret Cole’s been keeping for more than a decade
threaten to tear apart what’s only just begun. Because sometimes the
only thing standing in the way of now is then.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18716795-now-and-then
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/nh9g9gf
Now and Again
(Book 2)
Once again, 26-year-old Layla Carson has the attention of a man
eager to satisfy her. Ben Montrose, the hot, confident cop who gets off
on frustrating her, is eager to show her just how arresting he can be.
But as a reforming sexaholic, Layla’s sworn off casual hookups, and
doesn’t miss the days of her early 20s –much.
Ben’s caught off-guard
when the sexy, outspoken attorney turns him on and then turns him down.
But the confident former Marine knows he can handle the simple seduction
of a beautiful woman. He finds Layla’s weak spot – competition, which
he happens to share – and challenges her to a game that could make them,
or destroy them.
As they compete to crown the master of seduction,
Ben and Layla discover there’s more to their game than power and
foreplay. But as the stakes go up, they realize the game has changed,
and they both stand to lose more than they bargained for.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18716802-now-and-again
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/orfvw44
Now and Forever
(Book 3)
Now that Emma and Layla Carson have landed the men of their dreams,
it’s time for happily ever after. Or is it?
Emma’s with childhood
crush Cole Marlowe, and Layla finally found Mr. Right in alpha cop Ben
Montrose. But both couples face unexpected obstacles that will test
their relationships. Layla and Emma find solace in each other as battle
lines are drawn, and they rediscover the close friendship they lost over
Cole.
It’s all on the line as the sisters struggle to find the answer
to the most difficult question they’ve ever faced: is the love they
have now meant to last forever?
** Warning** This book contains adult language and situations.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18469904-now-and-forever
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/pflfo32
Box Set Buy Link
Unspoken
(Standalone)
Brady, a contractor, is swiftly building his business into an empire. Work is a faithful companion that never lets him down like Palmer did. When he sees women now, it’s on his terms. And his terms are simple: just sex. He won’t let a woman break him again.
Palmer is barely holding it together when she and Brady are unexpectedly paired on a project after a year apart. The pull between them is stronger than ever, but the fallout from their reconnection leaves them both wondering if maybe some things are better left unsaid.
** Due to mature content, this book is intended for readers age 18 and up.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22914261-unspoken
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/oorsufl
On The Line Series
Killian
(Book 1/Standalone)
Killian Bosch knows he’s his own worst enemy – he just doesn’t give a
damn. The star forward of a minor league hockey team, he’s unstoppable
on the ice. His reckless behavior, devil-may-care attitude and complete
disregard for consequences have made him a major source of headaches for
the Fenway Flyers’ brass.
But the new Flyers owner is more steel than brass. Sidney Stahl is a disciplined woman who parlayed earnings from a college job into a real estate empire. She’s determined to transform the Flyers from marketing nightmare to hockey powerhouse. Once she gets Killian in line, she knows the rest of the team will follow his lead.
The seduction of his sexy new team owner is a challenge too forbidden for Killian to resist. Sidney plays into his attraction as a means of controlling him, but soon finds that she’s the one surrendering. It’s all on the line as Killian and Sidney are forced to choose - business or pleasure?
But the new Flyers owner is more steel than brass. Sidney Stahl is a disciplined woman who parlayed earnings from a college job into a real estate empire. She’s determined to transform the Flyers from marketing nightmare to hockey powerhouse. Once she gets Killian in line, she knows the rest of the team will follow his lead.
The seduction of his sexy new team owner is a challenge too forbidden for Killian to resist. Sidney plays into his attraction as a means of controlling him, but soon finds that she’s the one surrendering. It’s all on the line as Killian and Sidney are forced to choose - business or pleasure?
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25201617-deep-down
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/ossnv4v
Bennett and Liam will be released sometime in 2016.
Lockhart Brothers Series
Deep Down
(Book 1)
I’m falling.
Faster.
Further.
Deeper.
Sometimes you fall so hard you can’t get back up. My closest companions now are shame and loss. But a sliver of hope lies in the only person I have left in this world – the one who’s growing inside me.
Survival becomes living again because of my child, and the town where I begin anew. That’s where I meet the man who starts to melt the ice inside my heart.
As we get closer, reminders of my past become sharper. Clearer. To confront the pain, I have to discover what’s deep down inside me. Is there enough left there to become whole again, or am I too wounded to heal?
**Warning** This book has mature content that some readers may find troubling. It is intended for readers 18 and up.
Faster.
Further.
Deeper.
Sometimes you fall so hard you can’t get back up. My closest companions now are shame and loss. But a sliver of hope lies in the only person I have left in this world – the one who’s growing inside me.
Survival becomes living again because of my child, and the town where I begin anew. That’s where I meet the man who starts to melt the ice inside my heart.
As we get closer, reminders of my past become sharper. Clearer. To confront the pain, I have to discover what’s deep down inside me. Is there enough left there to become whole again, or am I too wounded to heal?
**Warning** This book has mature content that some readers may find troubling. It is intended for readers 18 and up.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25201617-deep-down
Buy Link
* Currently ON SALE for .99 *
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/njtowes
In Deep
(Book 2)
I’ve got a secret.
No one knows how I blow off steam, and that’s how I like it. Most of the time, I’m happy just being part of a big family in a small town. And those times I need to get away are mine and mine alone.
My secret stays safe until I meet her – the woman who simultaneously pisses me off and turns me on. She seems like a wallflower at first, but it turns out there’s a lot more to her than I realized. Despite her hidden strength, she has a vulnerability I can’t resist.
As we open up to each other, I realize she’s starting to mean everything to me. She doesn’t feel the same way, but that won’t stop me from doing whatever it takes to keep her safe – even if it means exposing my secret to her. I’m in way over my head, and all I can hope is that someday, she’ll feel the same way about me.
(Book 2)
No one knows how I blow off steam, and that’s how I like it. Most of the time, I’m happy just being part of a big family in a small town. And those times I need to get away are mine and mine alone.
My secret stays safe until I meet her – the woman who simultaneously pisses me off and turns me on. She seems like a wallflower at first, but it turns out there’s a lot more to her than I realized. Despite her hidden strength, she has a vulnerability I can’t resist.
As we open up to each other, I realize she’s starting to mean everything to me. She doesn’t feel the same way, but that won’t stop me from doing whatever it takes to keep her safe – even if it means exposing my secret to her. I’m in way over my head, and all I can hope is that someday, she’ll feel the same way about me.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25740235-in-deep
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/psc4jhx
Healing Touch
(First published as part of the Night Shift Anthology)
She spends her nights treating patients, but Dr. Jocelyn Drake's own
wounds are unfixable. Her ex-husband and his younger, bouncier
girlfriend work just a few floors away at Tulane Medical Center, and
they serve as a constant reminder of what Joss lost. But a fierce
determination to continue her research project and a shred of remaining
pride keep Joss from transferring out of the Big Easy.
Carson Stephens recently returned from a tour of duty in the Middle East, and though willing women present themselves at every turn, his closest companion is loneliness. His night-shift work supervising the electrical and mechanical systems at the hospital is a perfect fit - it's solitary work putting broken things back together.
When the electrical system on Joss' floor goes haywire, she's frazzled by the sexy electrician who sparks her dormant sex drive. He's brooding and cocky - so not her type. But if Carson has his way, his hands will work their magic on more than just the wiring, and he'll show Joss a night of passion that restores her shattered confidence.
* Please note that Healing Touch is a 78 page novella.
Carson Stephens recently returned from a tour of duty in the Middle East, and though willing women present themselves at every turn, his closest companion is loneliness. His night-shift work supervising the electrical and mechanical systems at the hospital is a perfect fit - it's solitary work putting broken things back together.
When the electrical system on Joss' floor goes haywire, she's frazzled by the sexy electrician who sparks her dormant sex drive. He's brooding and cocky - so not her type. But if Carson has his way, his hands will work their magic on more than just the wiring, and he'll show Joss a night of passion that restores her shattered confidence.
* Please note that Healing Touch is a 78 page novella.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25190003-healing-touch
Buy Link
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/o7tktn5
*** Coming Soon ***
Barely Breathing
(Standalone)
People see what they want to see. A burly guy with tats and a permanent
scowl is probably a criminal and an asshole, right? And I can’t fault
‘em, because in my case, they’re right. My world revolves around
righting the wrongs of my past. Atoning for my selfish stupidity. And
it’s enough.
Until I meet Viv – a woman who sees right through me. She’s not scared or intimidated. A woman like her is way too good for a man like me. But life as I knew it won’t be enough anymore. I realize now that before I met her, I wasn’t really living. Hell, I was barely breathing.
*Please note that price is discounted during preorder period and will be higher upon release.
Until I meet Viv – a woman who sees right through me. She’s not scared or intimidated. A woman like her is way too good for a man like me. But life as I knew it won’t be enough anymore. I realize now that before I met her, I wasn’t really living. Hell, I was barely breathing.
*Please note that price is discounted during preorder period and will be higher upon release.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26200511-barely-breathing
Pre-Order Link
Release Date: November 10
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/ok9bgru
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