Conversations with the Inspiring Brenda Kurtz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda Kurtz.

Brenda, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have lived in Sierra Vista for my entire life and fell in love with desert living. I truly wish to call no other place home. I have been writing fiction since middle school, but as a youth, I wrote a sports column for the local paper as well as developed an edition of the Cochise College literary magazine, The Mirage. I wrote my first full-length fantasy novel when I was a sophomore in high school, which would later turn into the first novel in my successful Atlantis series. While writing my novel, I studied Joseph Campbell’s mapping of the hero’s journey, which still influences my novels. Most writers also contribute influence from popular novelists. In my case, it is Mary Higgins Clark. I grew up loving her novels and still use similar techniques in my own stories.

I began attending The Society of Southwestern Authors writer’s conferences in Tucson, AZ. The more I learned about the business, the more I wanted to write. I expanded my journey to other conferences, soaking up as much information as I could about writing and the publication process. Many years later, I was accepted into the Odyssey Online Writing Workshop, a program that only accepts 14 applicants worldwide. Since my first encounter, I have taken 3 classes through this program and have seen a greater impact on my writing than with any other class taken.

I am forever grateful to all of the individuals I have met, and continue to meet, along the way. We are all on this journey together and I could not have come this far on my own.

I balance this passion for instruction, motivational speaking, and writing while featuring the beauty of this city in my recent novels. In 2016, I earned two teaching awards. I was a top 9 finalist for the UofA/Circle K Outstanding High School Faculty Awards program as well as AFA 2016 Cochise Chapter Teacher of the Year. I am also a member of Sisters in Crime as well as the Huachuca Art Association.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Becoming a writer is definitely not a smooth road. When I was 16, I sat down with a top literary agent and almost landed a deal before I was legally an adult. That would have been too easy. From there, I dealt with countless rejection letters from agents and publishing houses as I waited for my “break.” I watched the years pass as I got “close” but always seemed to fall short.

During this time, I also questioned my own worth. I questioned if I was good enough to enter the writing world. I questioned if I should just give it all up. But there was always this voice inside of me that said I couldn’t stop. I had to keep pursuing… even if that meant changing the vision of what I “wanted.”

As a teenager, I thought being a New York Times bestseller was the definition of success. I thought I was nothing without this. As I grew up, I realized how outlandish this dream really was. Through self-reflection, I came to understand that I was trying to define my own success and happiness by the world’s standards. I had to revisit my dream and change it. This was hard because I had to get over it feeling like a failure. It wasn’t. Not really. It was defining what I needed to feel valued, because no amount of outside praise could do that for me if I wasn’t willing to recognize it.

By defining what it means for me to feel successful, I was able to finally acknowledge what I had accomplished so far. I was able to enjoy the ride and share my novels with the world. Ultimately, the agent and NYT bestseller isn’t the dream. Writing and sharing it with others is the dream, and I am doing that now more than ever before.

So, my advice to other young women just starting is to really look at what it means to you as an individual to be successful. Don’t define yourself by what others think you should be doing. Go out. Take chances. Know that failing is growing and that growth is always a step in the direction of your dreams. But pursue them on your own terms and by your own definitions. That is the secret to being happy in the pursuit of a dream within a competitive world.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into BJ Kurtz story. Tell us more about the business.
I pride myself on writing novels that question the power of human relationships while entertaining readers with the essence of paranormal and fantasy plots. My New Age novels are enjoyed by many types of readers of many different ages who are looking for character-driven stories that will captivate the mind.

My fantasy series is based in Atlantis. In the first novel, a man with his own haunted past is assigned to protect a young shape-shifter. The girl is torn between a society who condemns her for being a curse on their land and a military who wants to use her wolf form as a weapon in a costly war. This story examines the love between father and daughter, loyalty to country or humanity, and the cost of betrayal. The remaining novels in this series follow these characters as they travel to do ambassador work in the other countries in that world I created. They have to balance the art of negotiation while getting out of the countries alive. This series is a character-driven examination on the growth of individuals as they build their own destiny. With Greek mythology and classic tragedy mixed into the story, this is a series for anyone looking to be swept away by the magic and mystery of an individual’s strength.

Between the fantasy series, I also publish paranormal novels. The Lord of Nightmares follows a kingdom of supernatural beings who toy with people’s lives for sport. A young girl gets swept into their game of wit in an attempt to save her soul. It questions the morality and how far someone will go to save themselves. Challenging Fate is about a family who can manipulate fate, but there are consequences to their actions. It examines a story that begins with good intentions but quickly spirals out of control as two orphaned girls must learn to trust each other in an attempt to survive the ordeal. My latest novel, out in October, is called Shattering Boundaries. This novel follows the world of dream and reality collide in an epic battle to save humanity. This novel follows two women as they learn the “flaws” that define them are actually their strength in defeating those of darkness.

Aside from my first novel, all the others are narrated by females. I wish to show females in a strong role and not as merely a sidekick or romantic connection. I take them to the brink of destruction to show how their strength and wisdom gets them to victory.

Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
I have two:
1. Surround yourself with people who will build you up. Not judge you or tell you what you are doing wrong, but will provide support and valid criticism.
2. Don’t let other people define what it means to be successful. Define this specifically for yourself and pursue it with everything you have.

Pricing:

• $4.99 for Kindle version
• Around $16 for print version

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bjkurtz.com
• Email: bjkurtz@bjkurtz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bjkurtzauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bjkurtzauthor/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BJKurtzAuthor
• Other: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1211523.B_J_Kurtz?from_search=true

Image Credit:
BJ Kurtz

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.