Kandi Steiner is a USA Today- and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance in all its forms. Her newest release, Stand Your Ground, is the fifth installment of her Kings of the Ice hockey romance series.
No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal. An alumna of the University of Central Florida, she graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. Steiner took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she's always been a hopeless romantic and found herself bursting at the seams with love stories she was eager to tell. She currently lives in Tennessee.
We spoke with the author about what draws her to writing sports romance, her favorite romance trope, and her favorite holiday traditions.
Having worked in both traditional and indie publishing, what do you find most rewarding about the indie side?
I love the freedom. Being an indie author means I get to dream something up and bring it to life exactly the way I envision it—everything from the story itself to the cover design to the marketing strategy. There’s something incredibly empowering about steering your own ship. It’s taught me to be creative not just in storytelling, but in business, too. And while it’s a lot of work, it’s also deeply fulfilling knowing every success came from taking that leap of faith on myself.
Your stories are full of emotion and flawed, relatable characters. How do you strike a balance between that emotional intensity and the hope readers expect in romance?
For me, the heartbreak only matters if there’s hope waiting on the other side. I always want my readers to feel—to sit in the messiness of love, the ache of loss, the beauty of forgiveness—but also to walk away believing in second chances. Life isn’t tidy, and neither is love, but I think that’s what makes the joy so much sweeter when it finally comes.
Your Kings of the Ice series is a collection of interconnected hockey romance standalones, and you just released the fifth book! What do you love about writing sports romance?
I love the intensity of sports romance—the high stakes, the competition, the adrenaline. It mirrors the tension of falling in love perfectly. In the Kings of the Ice series, hockey isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a living, breathing part of the characters’ world that shapes who they are and how they love. The challenge is making the sports side authentic without losing the emotional heart of the story, but when you nail that balance? It’s magic. You get both the thrill of the game and the slow-burn ache of love.
Any behind-the-scenes stories you can share about the process of creating Stand Your Ground?
Stand Your Ground challenged me in the best way. Carter and Livia’s story has an age gap, a power imbalance, and a ton of emotional baggage—and I wanted to explore all of that without losing the spark and playfulness that makes their connection work. One fun behind-the-scenes story: I met a reader at a signing in Nashville, and she later came onboard as a beta reader. Her insight and feedback were invaluable in bringing authenticity to those dynamics.
Skate into the Kings of the Ice world in this spicy, age gap, grumpy/sunshine hockey romance!
What is your favorite romance trope as a reader? Do you tend to gravitate toward stories like the ones you write, or do you prefer something completely different?
I’m a mood reader through and through, but I’ll never say no to a well-done second chance romance or a slow burn that hurts. I love reading within my genre because I’m constantly inspired by the way other authors tackle familiar emotions in new ways—but I also adore a good fantasy romance or women’s fiction novel that punches me right in the feelings. Currently, I'm obsessed with historical romances. I'm reading The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas and loving it!
Do you have a holy grail romance novel, film, or TV show? What makes it the perfect romantic story?
I have to cheat and name three: Brown Sugar, Pride & Prejudice, and The Holiday. Each captures a different facet of love that I adore. Brown Sugar is all about friendship, chemistry, and timing—how love can grow quietly over years until it finally demands to be seen. Pride & Prejudice gives us that delicious tension, the push and pull, and the kind of yearning that feels timeless. And The Holiday reminds me that love can find us in unexpected places when we’re brave enough to start over. For me, the perfect romance has all of that—authentic emotion, tension that builds and leaves you breathless, and an ending that fills you with hope.
If you could sit down with your younger self at the beginning of your publishing journey, what advice would you give?
Success isn’t linear; some seasons will feel like soaring, and others like starting over, but both are part of the journey. Learn to ride the waves, trust your gut, and remember that every setback is just redirection. Every book will teach you something new, and every failure will lead you to something better. Oh, and maybe learn to rest once in a while. You don’t have to prove your worth through exhaustion.
What are you working on next?
Next up is Love Overboard, a steamy yacht romance set on the Amalfi Coast. Think Below Deck meets The Summer I Turned Pretty with a forbidden second-chance twist. After that, I’ll be diving back into the Kings of the Ice world with the final installment: Right Your Wrongs. This is Coach's story, and it's ripe with tension!
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
People may be surprised to discover that I teach pole fitness! I started doing pole dance fitness in 2018 and fell in love. It's incredibly challenging and empowering. I've been teaching now for about five years and always find a way to try out a new pole studio when I travel to a new city. It's also wonderful for my creativity, as getting into my body and out of my head helps me to push through writing blocks.
As we approach the holidays, what is your favorite tradition around this season?
On Christmas Eve, my husband and I exchange books and chocolate. It's my favorite tradition! I always look forward to reading the book he picked out for me. Also, our daughter is 15 months now, and she'll be just shy of 17 months old when Christmas arrives. I'm looking forward to rebirthing childhood traditions from both my and my husband's family. For me, that means baking Christmas cookies with sugar frosting!
