Author Spotlight: Kelly Borjas
August 31, 2026
Kelly Borjas is the author of romantic suspense novel High Exposure. She grew up in Southwest Colorado and later moved to Southern California. She has a degree in communication studies from Biola University and a master's in leadership and organizational studies from Azusa Pacific University. She is a cohost of the Lit Ladies podcast. Find her at kellyborjas.com.
Kregel: How do you balance writing about difficult topics like murder and drug rings with themes of faith? Have you found that there’s a sweet spot when it comes to fiction?
Kelly Borjas: I love the juxtaposition of dark and light, and romantic suspense with heavy themes allows the light to shine brighter! My characters typically encounter a “dark moment” in which all hope is lost, as a result of the “bad guy,” drug ring, or a murder. But it’s in that dark moment that they encounter the deep truth they’ve been seeking for the duration of the story. Ultimately, I use difficult topics to bring the rescue and good news!
Kregel: How did you decide on the professions of retired DEA agent and travel writer for Cade and Julia? Were there any real-life inspirations behind them?
Borjas: Early on, I wanted my heroine to be adventurous. I knew she’d need a reason to explore the outdoors and the dangerous mountains. Travel writing was a perfect way for her to be autonomous and explore while still having a purpose and a job to complete in our world of connectedness. Social media and technology make it possible for her to share her experiences as she encounters them. I always knew I wanted Julia to have a background skiing and a reason to face that fear, so all the pieces worked together.
Once I knew a meth ring was the ominous threat in Silverberg, I knew Cade had to be a former DEA agent. (I think my husband made that suggestion, actually!) Also, fun fact: The Haskins family are hotel owners because I worked at a historic hotel in high school, and I later worked for Hilton Hotels in sales. So I knew the world of hotels, and it was fun to create a hotel with bits of my own background sprinkled into it.
Kregel: What do you hope readers take from High Exposure?
Borjas: I hope this book provides an escape from reality, a thrilling mystery, and a heartwarming love story. If the takeaway for a reader is any of those, I’ll have done my job well. More than those components, though, I hope readers will find pieces of themselves in my characters. Whether they are battling grief, questioning God’s plans for their lives, trying to control what they can’t control, or even simply wondering if God still works the job he started, I want readers to find hope. They are not alone.
Kregel: What excites you about romantic suspense, and why is that the genre you’ve chosen to write?
Borjas: I love love stories! When a couple battles the hardest obstacles and finally ends up together, it brings immense satisfaction to my heart. With romantic suspense, I get to put my characters in true life-or-death moments. They have all the regular “falling in love” experiences, but the ending feels harder-earned because they had to overcome such extreme circumstances to win the happily ever after.
I also love crafting the suspense part of a story: piecing together the motives of the “bad guy” and the logistics of a case. It’s a true challenge. When the case and the characters overlap, it’s a fun playground. How will my characters respond to the tension? How will they handle their feelings amidst the growing danger? Suspense allows so much room for characters to come alive on the page.
Kregel: If you could say one thing to your readers about writing romantic suspense, what would it be?
Borjas: I am humbly entering this amazing genre. So many greats have gone before me (and continue all around me!). Truly, it’s a dream come true to have a book labeled romantic suspense, and it’s been a genuine team effort. From my agent to my podcast cohosts, to my writing friends and my publisher (Kregel), I have not done this work alone. My name may be on the cover, but as is the case with most life endeavors, it is only with lots of help and encouragement and prayer that I am able to see this dream come to fruition. If a reader out there wants to start writing romantic suspense, I encourage you to start . . . and then quickly find others who can support you on the journey.
When a dead body and meth ring turn up in a small town of Colorado, can a former DEA agent protect the intriguing travel writer intent upon investigating his town—before she’s the next casualty?
Determined travel blogger Julia Stevens is on her final assignment in snowy Silverberg, Colorado. She's running from her past—and God—but the charm of small-town life brings little comfort when she's face-to-face with the winter sport that killed her sister: skiing. Upon her arrival in town, she discovers a dead body and is quickly compelled to research the situation, give justice to the man's story, and kick off her new career in journalism.
Cade Haskins is back home after a failed mission and his subsequent retirement from the DEA. His father's declining health has pushed Cade to prioritize family, and he helps at the historic Silverberg Hotel on his dad's behalf. When Julia shows up at the hotel, Cade becomes her local contact. He quickly realizes she has a knack for sniffing around where she shouldn't, and he attaches himself to her side.
With the local death connected to a meth ring, Julia's investigation has unknowingly put a target on her back. As the danger increases and she begins to learn more about Cade and his family, she finds herself trusting the God she was running from. And Cade? He doesn't want to get dragged back into DEA work, but it seems like he may not have a choice if he wants to protect Julia . . . and his growing attraction to her.
High Exposure releases September 15, 2026.
Kregel: How do you balance writing about difficult topics like murder and drug rings with themes of faith? Have you found that there’s a sweet spot when it comes to fiction?
Kelly Borjas: I love the juxtaposition of dark and light, and romantic suspense with heavy themes allows the light to shine brighter! My characters typically encounter a “dark moment” in which all hope is lost, as a result of the “bad guy,” drug ring, or a murder. But it’s in that dark moment that they encounter the deep truth they’ve been seeking for the duration of the story. Ultimately, I use difficult topics to bring the rescue and good news!
Kregel: How did you decide on the professions of retired DEA agent and travel writer for Cade and Julia? Were there any real-life inspirations behind them?
Borjas: Early on, I wanted my heroine to be adventurous. I knew she’d need a reason to explore the outdoors and the dangerous mountains. Travel writing was a perfect way for her to be autonomous and explore while still having a purpose and a job to complete in our world of connectedness. Social media and technology make it possible for her to share her experiences as she encounters them. I always knew I wanted Julia to have a background skiing and a reason to face that fear, so all the pieces worked together.
Once I knew a meth ring was the ominous threat in Silverberg, I knew Cade had to be a former DEA agent. (I think my husband made that suggestion, actually!) Also, fun fact: The Haskins family are hotel owners because I worked at a historic hotel in high school, and I later worked for Hilton Hotels in sales. So I knew the world of hotels, and it was fun to create a hotel with bits of my own background sprinkled into it.
Kregel: What do you hope readers take from High Exposure?
Borjas: I hope this book provides an escape from reality, a thrilling mystery, and a heartwarming love story. If the takeaway for a reader is any of those, I’ll have done my job well. More than those components, though, I hope readers will find pieces of themselves in my characters. Whether they are battling grief, questioning God’s plans for their lives, trying to control what they can’t control, or even simply wondering if God still works the job he started, I want readers to find hope. They are not alone.
Kregel: What excites you about romantic suspense, and why is that the genre you’ve chosen to write?
Borjas: I love love stories! When a couple battles the hardest obstacles and finally ends up together, it brings immense satisfaction to my heart. With romantic suspense, I get to put my characters in true life-or-death moments. They have all the regular “falling in love” experiences, but the ending feels harder-earned because they had to overcome such extreme circumstances to win the happily ever after.
I also love crafting the suspense part of a story: piecing together the motives of the “bad guy” and the logistics of a case. It’s a true challenge. When the case and the characters overlap, it’s a fun playground. How will my characters respond to the tension? How will they handle their feelings amidst the growing danger? Suspense allows so much room for characters to come alive on the page.
Kregel: If you could say one thing to your readers about writing romantic suspense, what would it be?
Borjas: I am humbly entering this amazing genre. So many greats have gone before me (and continue all around me!). Truly, it’s a dream come true to have a book labeled romantic suspense, and it’s been a genuine team effort. From my agent to my podcast cohosts, to my writing friends and my publisher (Kregel), I have not done this work alone. My name may be on the cover, but as is the case with most life endeavors, it is only with lots of help and encouragement and prayer that I am able to see this dream come to fruition. If a reader out there wants to start writing romantic suspense, I encourage you to start . . . and then quickly find others who can support you on the journey.
When a dead body and meth ring turn up in a small town of Colorado, can a former DEA agent protect the intriguing travel writer intent upon investigating his town—before she’s the next casualty?
Determined travel blogger Julia Stevens is on her final assignment in snowy Silverberg, Colorado. She's running from her past—and God—but the charm of small-town life brings little comfort when she's face-to-face with the winter sport that killed her sister: skiing. Upon her arrival in town, she discovers a dead body and is quickly compelled to research the situation, give justice to the man's story, and kick off her new career in journalism.
Cade Haskins is back home after a failed mission and his subsequent retirement from the DEA. His father's declining health has pushed Cade to prioritize family, and he helps at the historic Silverberg Hotel on his dad's behalf. When Julia shows up at the hotel, Cade becomes her local contact. He quickly realizes she has a knack for sniffing around where she shouldn't, and he attaches himself to her side.
With the local death connected to a meth ring, Julia's investigation has unknowingly put a target on her back. As the danger increases and she begins to learn more about Cade and his family, she finds herself trusting the God she was running from. And Cade? He doesn't want to get dragged back into DEA work, but it seems like he may not have a choice if he wants to protect Julia . . . and his growing attraction to her.
High Exposure releases September 15, 2026.
