Welcome Guest Author Catherine Bybee

Please help me welcome author Catherine Bybee. Catherine, thank you for visiting today.
Readers love to get to know authors. Please tell us about growing up. Siblings? Locale?  Were you the shy kid or the tomboy? Share anything that lets readers get to know the real you.

CB: Thank you for having me on your blog today, Caroline. Since you write historical and paranormal books, I’ll be talking about my time travel trilogy, which has elements of both. You asked me about my childhood and what made me the person I am today. I grew up outside of Seattle in a tight little house with three bedrooms and one bathroom. *rolls eyes* Some days I can’t imagine only having one commode. I had three siblings, two older and one younger. I don’t think I was born with a shy bone in my body. But I did spend an awful lot of time with my head in a book… once I discovered romance novels that is.

CC: Oh, my, I remember the days of one bathroom per family. Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?

CB: Romance… Romance… Romance – I read Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance, Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense. I even read Western Romance, but not as much as the others. I do have a lot of authors on my TBR list that write westerns. My critique partner writes M/M romance primarily, so I read that as well. Sadly, all M/M romance ends up in the erotic category, when most of the books I’ve read could easily be in the mainstream section of the bookstores. As for a favorite author? Kathleen Woodwiss started my crazy obsession with her epic books, Nora Roberts has to be acknowledged, and so many more I can’t even count.

CC: I was fortunate enough to hear Kathleen Woodiwiss speak in Houston and met her afterward. Have a treasured photo of us together. But I digress. How many books do you read a month? What are you reading now?

CB: I try and read 2 full length books a month or more and 4 short stories. Again, I read a lot for my critique partners, so they keep me busy.

CC: When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to relax and recharge? Hobbies?

CB: Scrapbooking, sewing… Yoga! I just love Yoga. I suck at it, but it’s a great way to relax.

CC: I agree, yoga is relaxing. I  especially like the breathing exercises. Would you like to share any guilty pleasures that feed your muse?

CB: Sometimes I need to read a sensual story to help with some moods and scenes. A good glass of wine goes a long way, too.

CC: How long have you been writing?

CB: Four years of serious writing. A decade of starts without a single finish.

CC: Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?

CB: Laptop and no music please. If the kids are home, it’s easier to promo than to write new stuff.

Knock, knock…

“Mom, my brother did this…”

“No I didn’t!”

“Yes you did.”

“No way.”

“Yes way.”

Cathy’s head meets Cathy’s desk – Ker plunk!

 CC giggles: Yes, I remember those days. My favorite was, "She looked at me." But, back to the interview. Are you a plotter or a panzer?

CB: Pantser all the way baby! Oh, I have a crazy internal outline; kinda… sometimes… okay, not often, but not enough to ever be considered a plotter. I know where the story starts… a scene or two in the middle and where it ends. My characters show me the rest of the story as it evolves.

CC: Do you use real events or persons in your stories?

CB: No, not really.

CC: Do you do your research before you begin a new project, or as you go along?

CB: As I’m going… from names of my characters to the trees in their yards.

CC: Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you set goals? Do you write daily?

CB: I do write something daily. Edits or new stuff. Some days I only manage to blog or yak on line. You can’t release seven stories in two years without dedicating a lot of time at your computer.

CC: That's true. Do you write full time or do you have a day job. If you have a day job, what is it?

CB: I write full time now. I am an ER Nurse when I do work, but haven’t for a few years due to an injury.

CC: Wow, ER nurses work so hard. What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

CB: Escape and a smile.

CC: What advice would you give to pre-published authors?

CB: Write the best story you can, work with a critique partner to spit shine and polish, and then send your baby out. It will never be published sitting in your hard drive. The worse any publisher can say is no. And sometimes they say yes.

CC: Good advice, Catherine. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?

CB: I write several different genres in the romance world. I have several werewolf stories out, a couple of kilted erotic stories, and the series I’m highlighting today. So if you don’t like one type of story, but enjoy my voice, check out my website to see if something sparks your romantic side.

CC: Tell us about your latest release.

CB: Next month, September 3rd, SILENT VOWS, Book Two in my MacCoinnich Time Travel Trilogy will be out in paperback and e-book. To get you ready for that I’m going to talk about BINDING VOWS. BINDING VOWS is where this epic series begins. Each book can be read without reading the others, but lets face it… when you pick up book two, and didn’t know there was a book one, it’s a bummer.

CC: That's so true, Catherine. I prefer starting with the first in a series. Can you give us a blurb?
CB: Here's a blurb:

Duncan MacCoinnich's task...

Travel to the twenty-first century Renaissance Faire, deflower the Druid virgins, and go home. Only his job is not so easily accomplished with the virgin in question, Tara McAllister. Time is running out. The evil is closing in on them both.

Tara finds Duncan irresistible after what was supposed to be a mock Hand-fasting binds them.

When Duncan whisks her to his home in Scotland she could accept that. But, can she forgive him for taking away her modern life when she finds herself in the sixteenth century?

And is it love they feel? Or something else?

CC: What an interesting premise. Share an excerept with us.
CB: Excerpt: PG

"Where are you going, Tara ?"

"Out!"

"I can see that, but where?"

She stopped and turned. "Far away from you."

He almost collided with her. Before he could react, she was storming off again, as he shouted, "A lady is not safe out here by herself."

She stopped. This time he didn't stop in time and fell into her. Hands at her sides, her chest thrust up next to his she gritted between her teeth. "A lady isn't safe around you either."

"Now, Tara." He tried pleading with her.

"Oh, don't you even ..'now, Tara' me." She stepped to the side and started off, in a different direction. Stalking in circles.

He let her walk for several minutes before attempting to speak to her again. "I would be happy to escort you on a walk. But, we need to get you more properly dressed." He knew the effect watching her walk in tight jeans was having on him, he could only imagine what his men must have thought when she stormed the
courtyard.

"You're a bastard, you know that MacCoinnich?"

He wanted to counter what she said, but cautioned himself against it. "Still, we need you in more fitting clothes. If someone were to come along, questions would be raised which would be most difficult to answer."

"You should have thought of that before you brought me here." She waved a hand in his general direction. "Right now, I don't give a crap what questions you might have to answer."

"I told you how necessary it is for secrecy." He turned to the Keep and noticed some of the men watching, curious about what would happen. He needed to put a stop to this and soon.

"Bite me."

A completely inappropriate image of him doing exactly that popped into his head. A slow lazy smile inched over his lips.

Unfortunately, for him, Tara read his thoughts. She didn't find them nearly as entertaining as he did. "You ass..." She raised her hand to slap his face.

He caught her hand before it made contact. "I've had enough of this."

CC: Intriguing! Where can readers find your books?

CB: This series is available at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/
And all major online booksellers. Amazon – Barnes and Noble - Borders

CC: How can readers learn more about you?

CB: http://www.catherinebybee.com/

Thank you for visiting with us today, Catherine. Best of luck with your series!
CB: Thanks for having me, Catoline. I hope your readers will buy my books and enjoy them.


Each Wednesday in August, I'll be hosting an author from The Wild Rose Press on our blog tour. Catherine is first, August 11 Christine De Petrillo will be here; On August 18, Maya Blake; and on August 25 Aileen Harkwood will be my guest.

At the same time, I'm a guest today on Aileen Harkwood's blog; on August 11 at Rae Summers' blog; on
August 18 at Lilly Gayle's blog; and on August 25 at Maya Blake's blog. Please join us for this tour to showcase our authors and their work.