Interview with Kristen Callihan

KC: I once read about how deeply the death of Kurt Cobain affected his Nirvana bandmates, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic. It got me thinking: What if there was a tight-knit band whose lead singer tried to commit suicide but lived? How would it have changed the band? How would they come back together?

Music is a huge part of people's lives. It brings us together in many ways. I also wanted to explore how very close a band could get and how their absolute love of music motivated them. So while there are some darker moments, there is a lot of joy and fun in the books, too. The reader should feel that heady excitement, the rush of being onstage, and the exhilaration of playing in a band.

GR: We adore the idea of a "meet cute" in the frozen food aisle, a battle of wits over the last carton of mint-chocolate chip while a blizzard nears. Did you always know you wanted them to meet like this?

KC: Ha! Well, I don't know if this is weird, but I have a habit of dreaming up "meet cutes" at odd times—like, say, while shopping in the supermarket. But often I'll be in the middle of writing another book, so I'll jot the idea down and save it for later.

Because Jax is ordinarily so private and in his own world, I thought a little battle over ice cream with an oddball stranger would be just the thing to jolt him out of his emotional boredom. And it does!

GR: What does the "fall" in the title mean to you?

KC: Two things. Jax considers his suicide attempt a fall from grace. But in "falling" he found his inner strength. Both Jax and Stella are resistant to falling in love and opening themselves up emotionally. But it soon becomes clear that they could be really happy together if they simply learn to trust each other enough to fall.

GR: What books first got you hooked on the genre?

KC: I started reading romance when my father passed away. Romance was a comfort because the endings were guaranteed to be happy. In those days, it was all about historical and paranormal romance. I read a lot of Lisa Kleypas, Judith Ivory, Kresley Cole, and Larissa Ione.

GR: Did your very first attempt at romance ever see the light of day?

KC: Sort of. My first book got me an agent and went on submission to publishing houses. It did not, however, get picked up. But I'm OK with that. Rejection taught me to keep going and try something new. Publishing is all about persevering and trying new things when the old ones fail.

GR: In your opinion, what's the recipe for an irresistible love story?

KC: A good mix of witty banter, irresistible chemistry, and emotional connections. In all my books, I try to show what makes these people perfect for each other—why, out of all the people in the world, do these two simply click? That's the true ride of a good love story, in my opinion: watching people come together and realizing that they are better off together than apart.

GR: On top of rock star stories, readers adore your sports romances and paranormal fantasies. Is there another genre you're looking forward to tackling in the future?

KC: In January, I'll be releasing a standalone contemporary called Between Us. It's a childhood enemies-to-lovers story set in Los Angeles.

GR: What's next for the VIP series?

KC: Up next is Rye and Brenna's story. They've had a contentious relationship up until now, both stubbornly ignoring the attraction between them. I'm thinking things are about to change.