Now it’s time to learn more about the authors we read. . .

What drew you to the genre you write?
My top choice for a reading session of pure fun is a humorous cozy mystery that includes the chance to learn something new. I wanted my writing to have that same flavor of entertainment mixed with learning – animal rescue, veteran’s and their service dogs and Montana are some of the hot topics embedded in Murder in the Crazy Mountains.

How did you come up with your pseudonym
I do love reading J.A. Jance books and have always liked the way her initials look in her author name. I turned Kathleen Louise Borges into K.L. Borges, and here we are.

Tell us how you got into writing?
An imagination operating in overdrive, a mind empty of other endeavors, and hours to daydream out the car window on a three-thousand-mile road trip from Montana to the Southwest and back again, with my husband at the wheel – this was the perfect storm of creation for me. Newly retired from teaching high school math, I didn’t have any plans to become a writer but as the trip and my story progressed, I had an epiphany: If this story was a book, I, at least, would want to read it!

I jumped in with both feet and began writing when we returned to Montana and three years later am thrilled that Murder in the Crazy Mountains is a published work.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
My earliest career was in environmental engineering where I spent time as part of a rapid response team for hazardous/radioactive disasters in the Pacific Northwest. This was followed by change to teaching mathematics in a high school. Both professions were rewarding and came with daily challenges, excitement, and surprises.

I got involved in local animal rescue before I retired and am a regular volunteer at a bricks and mortar rescue in town. My experiences there laid the groundwork for writing Murder in the Crazy Mountains. I hope to continue both my post-retirement endeavors as long as I am topside.

How many books do you have published?
The answer is “One”. Murder in the Crazy Mountains, released in October of 2025, is my debut book. It’s the first in a series, with Book Two scheduled to come out in the fall of 2026 and Book Three planned for 2027.

Where do you write?
Typing words into a manuscript happens in a light-filled open-plan room in my house where I have a dedicated office spot. It’s quiet there but I’m not separated from goings-on in the rest of the house, which makes for a nice balance.

I also spend a lot of time imagining scenes in my head, anywhere and anytime, 24/7 but, ha-ha, NOT when I am behind the wheel of the car! Distracted driving is not just for teenagers with cellphones; I have discovered that an author scripting an exciting scene can also be a danger to all!

What’s your favorite genre to read?
Hands down, crime mystery, of all types.

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
You may well laugh, but I have a secret talent for communicating with chickens in their own cluck-cluck-cluck language. It’s true! Within twenty minutes of making a bird’s acquaintance, I can sweet talk a chicken onto my lap to sit for a lovely session of avian petting, one of life’s little known, but profound joys.

Who is an author you admire?
Norman MacLean, who wrote his two, beautifully worded books in his later life, following the death of his wife. A River Runs Through It and Other Stories and Young Men and Fire, these are books to treasure.

Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?
Like the Nike slogan – Just do it! Don’t let self-doubt and worry about not being ‘good enough’ sabotage your writing journey. You go, writers!

What is next for you?
I am currently writing a first draft of Book Three in the Montana Animal Rescue Mystery series, juggling writing time with book promotion for Murder in the Crazy Mountains. I’m about a third of the way done and hope to start revisions in May.

Where can we find you?
Through “Comments” section just below!
My website is www.klborgesauthor.com
Email: klborgesauthor@gmail.com
Facebook author page
It would make me very happy to hear from you!

Now to have some fun . . .

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Breakfast all the way! That’s coffee time, woo-hoo! Favorite breakfast: French toast with mascarpone cheese, topped with real maple syrup and loads of Moroccan raspberries. Swoon-worthy.

Fruits or vegetables
Let’s hear it for fruits. I enjoy vegetables but you won’t catch me eating them outside of dinnertime. Fruit is for anytime or anywhere.

Sweet or salty snacks
I truly cannot resist the salty, buttery taste of Dot’s Pretzels, original flavor.

Ice cream or cake
I scream, you scream, we all scream for…Ice Cream. Best pick: Double scoop, Pralines and Cream and German Chocolate, packed into a waffle cone.

Cooking or baking
Cooking, especially when done with friends or family and experimenting with new recipes.

Dining in or dining out
Once all that fun cooking is done, you have to sit down and eat it, right?

City life or country living
Country living is the life for me. Big cities are fine for visiting; but I am the country mouse for sure.

Beach or mountain
Beaches because they are not part of my day to day world. I spend more time in the mountains because they are so available but if I am planning a big vacation, it’s beach time, baby.

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall
Fall is my favorite season and would take up an entire half of the year if I were in charge. Under my rule, Summer would still get it’s allotted four months, but Winter and Spring would shrink to one each.

Extrovert or introvert
Ninety percent introvert and ten percent unrepentant extrovert.

And even more fun . . .

What is your favorite movie?
Ghostbusters, the original movie.

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
My husband, Miles. A pet of some sort (maybe a chicken). My trusty machete from the Philippines. With those, being stranded would morph into a Swiss Family Robinson type adventure! Assuming, of course, that the island comes with water and food resources, otherwise I need to rethink this situation.

Book Give-away
Leave a comment and be included in a random drawing for a free copy of Murder in the Crazy Mountains! One entry per person and the giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends January 20, 2026. Good luck everyone!

My bio:
I was born and raised in Idaho but moved away for higher education at the age of seventeen. Some ten years later, I married my husband, Miles, in New Mexico. Life took us, a working cattle dog, and a pet chicken named Maxine to Montana thirty-plus years ago, where we have stayed ever since, raising three children along with a series of herding dogs. We currently share the house and adventures in Montana’s great outdoors with two blue heelers who appear under the pen names Sadie and Leo in my writing.