Friday, May 17, 2013

Blog Tour: Interview with Catherine Bybee + Giveaway!




WELCOME BACK TO THE BLOG, CATHERINE! :)




Catherine Bybee has been addicted to books for as long as she can remember. With the love of reading romance novels came the desire to write them as well. Creating worlds where passion and intrigue collide and where werewolves fall in love gives Catherine the perfect balance. And what young woman hasn't fantasized of traveling through time to find the perfect man? Catherine currently lives in Southern California with her supportive and patient husband and two growing sons. If she isn't busy at her computer or with her family, she's volunteering for any number of organizations or working as a RN in a busy Emergency Room.



Where to Find Catherine:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads


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The_Book_Queen: Hi Catherine---welcome back to the blog! :) Since our readers already had a chance to “meet” you during your last interview here, I won't re-ask those questions. Which means I'm now racking my brain for some new questions! Let's start out with something simple, though I'm sure you've been asked this question by others before:  what inspires you to write? Do you draw from everyday things, perhaps some of your fantasies (and no, I don't mean * just * the dirty ones! LOL)?

Catherine: Thanks for having me back. And thank you for forgoing the ‘get to know you questions’ LOL

I can find inspiration from a song, a TV show… a couple walking down the street. I certainly pull ideas from life, and I pull a lot from my own head. I’ve told many people that I often write books around the titles I come up with, which is quirky, but works for me. 
TBQ: If it works for you, keep doing it! ;)

Not Quite Mine is the second book in this series. Can you tell us a little bit about this book, and why readers are going to love it? Would I need to read Not Quite Dating first?

C: You don’t have to read Not Quite Dating first. This love story is between two characters you met in Not Quite Dating, Dean and Katie, but they weren’t ‘in action’ in that book…just jogging through life with a few questions that my readers might have asked themselves when reading.

 All of that said, I do think whenever you read a series you, as a reader, are more vested in the pages and the characters if you know about their past. I try very hard when writing series books to not recap the entire previous book to ‘catch up’ my readers. My thoughts are, if you want to know about the other book, read it. Summaries in books generally turn me off as a reader. I don’t want to do that with my readers. A paragraph of explanation…fine, but not chapters or pages of summaries. *yawn*


TBQ: I agree! ;)

 In 5 words or less, describe Katie for us. And let's not forget Dean—what's he like?
C: Katie:  Sexy, Sophisticated, Confident, Loyal, Mom
Dean:  Sexy, Dedicated, Torn, Loving, Devoted


TBQ: Ooh! Dean sounds like my kind of man! :)
Do you have a favorite part from NQM?
C: I love many parts about this book for many different reasons. I love how redemption doesn’t come easy…and how not every mother in the book is perfect. I love the loyalty and dedication between the H/H and the secondary characters in the book, AKA Monica and Jessie…and Jack. I love the fact that this book is not a replication of the first book with a switch in the names of the characters.


TBQ: I love that; NQM is truly its own book, like it should be!
For some readers, this genre (contemporary) can be a bit “boring”-- no magical beings or fighting for the Earth's survival, and it's set in a time that we know very well. I'll admit, I used to think this myself, until I realized that, like with any genre, you just have to find the “right” books for your tastes. Do you find it challenging to write contemporary romances?
C: Good question. Yeah, actually… it is a challenge to write contemporary romance where no one sprouts fur or slips through time. The conflicts that keep the H/H apart can be just as dramatic, however. And the internal conflict doesn’t change if it’s a paranormal or a contemporary. A person’s feelings are very similar regardless of setting.
As an author of both genres, I find it easier to write paranormal as you can shove anything between the pages and your readers will buy it… if done well. If I tell my readers that Joe is a werewolf and turns furry three nights every month around the full moon so he avoids relationships, my reader’s like…OK, moving on!
But if I tell my reader that Joe is a jaded business man who avoids relationships because he doesn’t trust women, my readers are like…OK, why? What happened that made him jaded? Was their another woman? Did she break his heart? More questions are asked and I as a writer need to make Joe’s character believable and all of his motivations something everyone can go “OK, I see that happening.” Vs. He’s a werewolf that’s why!
All that said, contemporary romance is limitless. Every person you see walking down the street wearing a wedding ring, or holding the hand of a lover…they have a story. They can be anyone, in any phase of their life, and they have a love story to tell. From chance meetings to blind dates. They all have a past, they all have a future… No two stories are the same and for readers of contemporary romance, the beauty is finding the voice of a writer that makes you smile, turn pages, and sigh at the end of the book.
TBQ: *claps* Very well said! :)
When it comes to romance, what, in your opinion, must a book have in order to be perfect?
C: Not sure about perfect… but I think every book needs to have two engaging characters you care enough about shortly after opening the book to keep you turning pages. Some parts can be predictable, as in life… you know if you drive your car you’re going to go through gas. While other parts need to keep you guessing. The characters need to grow and there needs to be some conflict. One thing every romance needs to have is a HEA. I always laugh when I read a review of a reader who obviously doesn’t read romance very often… “Why always a fairytale ending?” Duah! It’s romance. It’s expected. I don’t want people of importance dying at the end. Kinda takes the fun out of it for me.



TBQ: You're right; if it's a romance, there must be a HEA. But more importantly, it should be believable, at least in my opinion.
I know you love meeting with your fans, or even talking to them online---do you have a favorite, or most memorable, fan contact moment to share? (Thanks to Colleen for this question!)
C: Yeah… Last year in Chicago at the RT Convention I met this lady in line…if you’ve ever been to RT, you know about the lines. *rolls eyes* I made a few comments about being hungry *there was no food at RT last year* And then I talked about anything and everything. Chatty Cathy I have always been. I think this poor lady thought I was crazy. But at some point she started laughing and talking. I have that affect on people. Then she grabbed my nametag and repeated my name. She didn’t know me, or my work. By the time I saw her the next day she walked up to me, with sass and conviction. “You didn’t tell me you were a New York Times Bestselling Author.”
I was like… what? Do I need a T-shirt?
Then she told me she’d downloaded a couple of books the night before on her e-reader. We still chat to this day online. And yes, Felicia, you do have a Chicago accent! *wink*



TBQ: ;)
Do you have any tips or advice for anyone who's been thinking of trying their hand at writing?
C: Yep… just one. Write.



TBQ: I'm sure writing has its good moments...and its bad. Can you share with us one example of each?
C: The good moments are when I read something I’ve written and it makes me cry.

The bad moments are when I read something I’ve written and think… What the hell does that mean?


TBQ: Hey, look on the bright side--that means you're human! :)
What's next-- Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming releases or WIP?
C: FiancĂ© by Friday, the third book in my Bride series is being released in August. Very excited to share Gwen and Neil’s book with the world… then my readers will get a hold of the third book in the Not Quite series in October, Not Quite Enough. Monica’s story is very dear to my heart.
And for my time travel readers… I’ll be working very hard to get the much needed 5th book, Amber’s story, out in the fall. So stay tuned.


SPEED ROUND:


Look around—tell us the first three things you have sitting in the room with you:
  • Empty wine glasses
  • My iPad
  • NQM with that yummy cover
(Yummy cover indeed! :) Lucky!)

Your house is on fire (but don't worry, you, your family, and any pets will get out safely!) What item would you grab before you dash out the door yourself?
My hard drive.


Favorite movie:
Toss up: Romancing the Stone and Raiders of the Lost Arc (Is it horrible that I haven't watched either one? Oops...)

Favorite place to visit:
The South

Craziest pick-up line you've heard?
From my husband: “Have you ever been hurt by a guy?”

Would you like to see one of your books made into a movie?
I wanna see all my books made into movies. Lifetime should look at my contemporaries, and I really want the time travels to make the big screen. (Yes! I think we should start a petition- Bybee Books into Movies!)

Ah childhood! For some, it involves the best memories, for others the worst. What comes to your mind?
Some of the worst memories.

Do you collect anything?
Pounds… Damn little buggers don’t know when to go away! (*sigh* You're not alone there!)

Quick—name the one food that you cannot live without:
Is wine a food? (Yes!)


The_Book_Queen: Thanks so much for stopping by, Catherine, and please know that you are welcome back anytime! Do you have any questions for our readers—something to spark a good discussion?
Catherine: Yeah… let’s ask my speed round question:
Craziest pick up line?

Oh…and one more
For the hero
Sexy chest
Or
Sexy butt?



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Not Quite Mine by Catherine Bybee
Publisher: Montlake Romance (May 7, 2013)
Series: Not Quite, 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Gorgeous hotel heiress Katelyn "Katie" Morrison seems to have it all. But when she crosses paths with Dean Prescott - the only man she's ever loved - at her brother's wedding, Katie realizes there's a gaping hole in her life. After the ceremony she gets an even bigger surprise when someone abandons a baby girl on her doorstep. Determined to keep the newborn until she learns who her mother is, Katie has her hands full and doesn't need Dean snooping around, especially when his presence stirs feelings she thought were long gone.

Dean Prescott knows Katie is lying to him when he discovers a baby is living with her. He shouldn't care what the woman who broke his heart is up to...and he most certainly shouldn't still be aching for her. Yet Dean can't ignore the need to protect Katie - or the desire to be near her every chance he gets. But when he and Katie solve the mystery surrounding the baby, their second chance for happiness could be shattered forever.


Where to Buy*:
Amazon | Kindle | BN 
More Info:




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a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Thanks so much for stopping by today, Catherine, I had a wonderful time interviewing you again! :)
Don't forget Catherine's questions!
Craziest pick up line?

Oh…and one more
For the hero
Sexy chest
Or
Sexy butt?





Enjoy!   


Until Next Time,


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*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

8 comments :

cdposey said...

I really liked this interview, and the post looks great! :D

Priscilla Shuster said...

I love your interview with Catherine Bybee! She is so sweet and down to earth for such an accomplished writer.
As for her questions: I definitely love a sexy chest best and the corniest pick up line I've heard is "Are your legs tired? Because you've been running through my mind all my life!". LOL

Catherine Bybee said...

OMG... spitting coffee on my desk. Wow, hope that guy was laughed at!

Bec Wallis said...

Great interview.
Now, when is my copy going to arrive in the post? Hurry up postie!

Bec Wallis said...

As for the questions:
Sexy chest

Pick up line: Damn, if being sexy was a crime, you’d be guilty as charged!

Catherine Bybee said...

SNORT!!!

Lea said...

Great interview! As for the questions....for a Hero a nice but is nice but it's all about the sexy chest (god I can't wait for Neil's book, I bet his is the best of the lot) and pick up lines.....well the craziest one I ever hear personally was "Are those C's or D's?"...like I was going to answer by dropping my halter top and flashing him...I mean really.....

Joni Payne said...

Great interview.