Featured Author: Kait Ballenger Q & A

Coastal Magic Convention is a beachside reader weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida each February. The 14th annual weekend is February 19-22, 2026, celebrating the magic of stories & storytellers. Each year’s goal is to bring authors and readers together for a memorable weekend with old friends (and new!) and to build TBR piles! This year, the theme for the event is “Secret Garden: Reading Helps Your Mind Bloom”.

Kait Ballenger is an award-winning author of dark romantasy and paranormal romance. She is obsessed with tales of morally gray, sometimes villainous heroes and can’t resist a spicy redemption arc. When Kait’s not busy writing obscenely kinky paranormal fantasy, she can usually be found with her nose buried in someone else’s naughty books. She lives, unfortunately, in Florida’s Bible Belt
with her two adorable sons—and will gladly use that belt to whip you. You can find her on TikTok @kaitballenger and Instagram @kait.ballenger or sign up for her newsletter at www.kaitballenger.com.

What got you into writing? How long have you been writing?

I started writing young when I was only 11 or 12. It was a story about a girl falling in love with a vampire (this was the pre-Twilight days) and well, that tells you a lot about how I grew up to be a paranormal romance and romantasy writer. My first book was published when I was 21 and I’ve been writing for fourteen years now.

What is your favorite part about being an author?

My favorite part of being an author is the creativity. Getting to create stories that bring me joy and getting paid for it is really a dream come true. I love when I’m in the new idea phase and getting to discover the story and characters. There’s nothing more fun that that.

How many books have you written? Which of your books is your favorite?

I’ve written 15 books thus far (only including the ones that have been published or will be published). My favorite by far is Original Sinner. It’s everything I love in a book. It was my joy and passion project and I’m so excited for readers to pick up book two, Wicked Believer, soon. I’ve had so much fun working on this series.

Have you experienced writer's block, and how do you handle it?

I can’t say I’ve ever experienced true “writer’s block.” I believe what we used to call “writers block” is really just creative burnout. There have been times when I’ve gotten stuck in a particular story, but there is always a way to get unstuck.

How do you choose names for your characters?

I go on baby name websites and browse the sites for names that feel right to me. I follow my intuition from there. Though some characters just show up already named. It’s a subconscious thing, I guess.

What has helped you the most while writing?

The thing that’s helped me the most while writing is learning to lean into my joy and the things I love. If I’m having fun, my readers are more likely to have fun, so I don’t write anything that I wouldn’t want to read.

What has hindered you the most while writing?

Time lol. There’s only so many hours in the day. I think that’s often the biggest challenge for many writers, but we find ways to make it work.

Do you outline, plot, and plan, or is your writing more organic?

My process has changed over the course of my career. I’ve never been a heavy plotter/planner. I did go through a period where I did some light planning when I was writing my Seven Range Shifter series, but for the Original Sinner books, it’s been totally organic.

Do you read much and if so, who are your favorite authors?

I read a lot. I always have at least one paperback and one audiobook going at pretty much all times. Some of my auto-buy authors are Alexis Hall, Scarlett St Clair, Katee Robert, Sarah Maclean, Sara Cate, and so many others.

Where did the idea for Original Sinner come from?

I was really into reading Hades/Persephone stories at the time and I wanted to do something similar but different. I asked myself: what would Hades look like outside of Greek mythology? The answer is that Lucifer is the Hades of Christian mythology and once I had the idea of writing a book where the devil was the main character, the rest just sort of took on a life of its own from there.

What can you tell us about your latest release, Wicked Believer?

I can tell you that Wicked Believer brings all the same dark, devilish fun readers enjoyed in Original Sinner but ramped up to the next level. Higher stakes, darker temptations, and even more heat as Charlotte struggles with her newfound immortality and what it means to be Lucifer’s devilish queen.

What is next after Wicked Believer?

After Wicked Believer is the third and final installment in Lucifer and Charlotte’s story, Beautiful Redeemer, which will be out in early 2026. But don’t worry, there will be more sinful fun to follow about the other sinners. The story doesn’t entirely end there.

What are you most excited about for Coastal Magic 2026?

I’m most excited that my author bestie, Abigail Owen, is attending this year and I can’t wait to introduce her to all my CMC friends!

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Readers can learn more about me and my work by signing up for my newsletter at my website www.kaitballenger.com or following me on social media.

Information about #CMCon26, including this year’s list of Featured Authors and how to register to attend is on the website, http://CoastalMagicConvention.com.

You can also get involved and have some bookish fun between now and February by joining the Facebook Authors & Attendees group: http://Facebook.com/groups/CMConAuthorsandAttendees, and Reading Challenge group: http://Facebook.com/groups/CMConReadingChallenge.