Guest Author: Cathleen Ross

Last week, I mentioned I met Kandy Shepherd at my very first RWA Conference. I  met today’s guest, Cathleen Ross, at the same event and found we had several things in common outside the romance world—including that she’d been to the same school my children were attending, and that my neighbour was her hairdresser!

Cathleen was already a best-selling author back then and has since been an award winner and multiple ARRA finalist. On August 20^th, her latest title, “Snatched”, will be released by Entangled Publishing and is the first of a very sexy MC book—the first in the Outlaw Warrior series.

Cathleen, thank you for joining the Quick Author Quizzing blog today!

Firstly, I’d love to hear more about ‘Snatched’ and whether the story posed any particular challenges for you as it unfolded.

I had a vision of my heroine being snatched by a bikie, but he was doing it for good reason and so the series of Outlaw Warriors began. I wrote this at the time of Me Too Campaign, where women were stepping up and talking about the abuse they had suffered at the hands of men. I believe in being responsible as a romance author and the majority of us are used to quickly writing in a condom these days and think nothing of it, but kidnapping is a crime, and I was very aware that I was writing an abusive scene in a time where women had had enough. The thing is romance is fantasy but I feel strongly that we as authors have to be responsible and aware of reality too.

I had to have a good reason for my biker to commit this crime, plus a very good reason for them to fall in love. My editor, Nina Bruhns at Entangled Publishing is dead against instalove. This was a great challenge for me as an author, but I think I've pulled it off. The Entangled committee loved this book because my heroine was so strong in the face of danger and fear.

What’s next for you as an author?

I asked my editor if she would like me to write a follow up book with another big sexy military hero who is friends with my hero from the first book. I sold this book on proposal. It has had its challenges, as I tend to write into the mist and my editor, who is very patient, needed a detailed synopsis. 

This hero's challenge was that he served his country for so long that he was too used to war and killing. I'm really enjoying writing this series because it's about big alpha men who are having to adjust to everyday life, after fighting in the Middle East, where everyday life is about survival. 

I know that you wrote an erotic novel, Man Hunt, for Black Lace, Virgin Publishing, London, which was their best selling book in 2006. Was that a turning point for your writing career or is there another milestone that you achieved that you’d look at as a pivotal point?

Man Hunt was on the Virgin Publishing Best seller list for over a year. It still is one of my best-selling books. Who knew? It was a turning point in so much as it was my first novel sold but I still had plenty to learn about writing, especially writing romance.

In terms of other milestones, I was one of the first authors to self publish in this country. In 2011, I worked hard on writing a self-published Scottish Highlander series. Mills and Boon had indicated they were interested but I decided I wanted to develop my own list. I'm travelling to the highlands next year and I'd love to do another series. It's such an exciting place historically.

Which type of holiday do you prefer—an active, action-packed holiday or a lazy holiday made for unwinding and recharging—and do you have a favourite holiday destination?

I go on Alison Weir tours with a lot of English history nerds. I love these tours because we go to public and private houses in Great Britain. I've met some amazing bishops, politicians, lords and seen and heard quite a few ghosts.

If you could plan a dinner party and invite any famous people, who would be the top three on your guest list?

Winston Churchill, Henry VIII and Robert the Bruce.

      

That would be an interesting dinner party! Three very powerful, opinionated men there and I imagine that would make for some rather spirited and perhaps argumentative conversation!

Thanks for joining me today, Cathleen, and good luck with the upcoming release.

You can find more about Cathleen by visiting her website at: cathleenross.com

Please join me on the 7th of July for my next Quick Author Quizzing with Grace Burrowes. Until then, Happy Reading!

Alyssa J. Montgomery

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About the Blogger:

Alyssa J. Montgomery is an Australian contemporary romance author who is published by Escape Publishing (Harlequin Enterprises, Australia). She also 

writes medieval romance as Alyssa James,

 

http://www.alyssajmontgomery.com/