Interview with Catherine Mann

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Catherine Mann. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called PROTECTOR. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

CM: PROTECTOR continues my “Dark Ops” series about a top secret Air Force squadron of aviators who test the latest technology. This story features Chuck Tanaka, an aviator who was captured and tortured. He thinks his days in the field are over due to his injuries…until he’s drawn in by a mission in the Mediterranean and a mob boss’ daughter.

PROTECTOR is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

CM: The heroine – a mob boss’ daughter – doesn’t know her life is in danger. The hero finds that even with his battle scars, he’s still every bit the honed warrior/protector.

Would you describe your book as a cozy, mystery, suspense, or thriller?

CM: Action/Suspense

What made you decide to write in this genre?

CM: I love to read steamy, action, suspense novels and I’m a military spouse. All of those elements blend into the stories that come to me.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

CM: I saw a river boat casino and my imagination took flight.

Do you have all the key suspense/mystery elements thought out before you begin writing?

CM: I have a synopsis written before I start a book, so major plot points and characters are set. The scenes come to me as I write and I always write in order.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book? What are your favorite research books or sites?

CM: My husband is an Air Force aviator. A good bit of my research comes from talking to him or interviewing other military individuals we know.

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research affect your character development?

CM: I usually start by deciding on a quirk for a character and the character develops from there as I brainstorm. For example, I once wrote a military heroine, very crisp aviator, who collected Beanie Babies.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

CM: Lori Foster, Suzanne Brockmann, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Sherrilyn Kenyon.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

CM: I enjoy directly interacting with readers at conferences and on the internet. Is it the most effective? I don’t know. I just know that I draw great joy from visiting with them, discussing other books and generally having fun hanging out.

What do we have to look forward next?

HONORABLE INTENTIONS, Harlequin Desire, April
UNDER FIRE, Sourcebooks, May
“Dog Tags” in LOVE BITES, HQN, June

Thanks, Catherine!

CM: Thank, YOU! I appreciate your having me here for the day.

To celebrate her book release, PROTECTOR is offering a free book of PROTECTOR to one lucky commenter on today's blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio.
USA Today bestseller Catherine Mann writes military romantic suspense for Berkley and Sourcebooks, as well as steamy romances for Harlequin Desire. A RITA Award winner, she has over two million books in print in more than 20 countries. Catherine resides in Florida with her Air Force aviator husband and their four children. FMI, she can be found online at:
Website: http://catherinemann.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CatherineMannAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CatherineMann1
Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Protector-Dark-Ops-Berkley-Sensation/dp/042524699X

Interview with Candace Havens

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Candace Havens. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called Model Marine. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

First, thanks for letting me hang out. I love any place with loads of chocolate. The book is about a Marine who does a good deed to help out a woman, a fashion designer, and it ends up getting him a lot of trouble. But his biggest problem is that he falls for the fashion designer, and their worlds couldn’t be more different.

Model Marine is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

It’s a play on words. He’s a model Marine, but he also has to model. (Smile)

What made you decide to write in this genre?

Honestly, my editor asked me to. She wanted me to write one of their Uniformaly Hot stories and it had to be about a Marine. Of course I had to make it fun and quirky with a hint of a mystery because that’s just me.

Are you a plotter or a pantser and how did it affect the writing of this book?

I’m a pantser, who has to write a synopsis for her editor. It’s tough for me. I like discovering the book as a reader would.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book? What are your favorite research books or sites?

I did a lot of research about Marines and when I finished I had a couple of beta readers who were either Marines or in the Armed services. I wanted to make sure I had the Marine stuff right. It was important to me.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

Well, I knew I had to use a Marine, and I’m sort of obsessed with Fashion Week in NYC. So, The first line of the book about the models being in jail, came to me and everything else fell into place.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I don’t ever have favorites, I love them all. Though I have to say Will, my Marine, is someone I would definitely like to hangout with some day. (Smile) He was so protective of her, and yet understood why she had to be a free spirit. I love him for that.

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research affect your character development?

I don’t do any of that stuff. They just come to me as I write the book and reveal themselves as I go along. I was as surprised as anyone when I discovered my Marine was a musician. I love when stuff like that happens. I do end up writing down my characters and some of their traits in a notebook as I discover them so I don’t forget.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

That is a really long, long list. I aspire to be like Jodi Thomas some day. She writes beautiful books and is one of the most caring, giving souls I’ve ever met. My writing career was inspired by Jodi, Nora Roberts, Janet Evanovich and Laurell K. Hamilton. I wanted to create worlds like they did.

What do we have to look forward next?

I’m in an anthology of ghost stories called Spirited, and all of the proceeds go to support literacy. That is out this month through http://www.leapbks.com/. I’m going to be in a 2012 Blaze Christmas Anthology with Lori Wilde and Kathleen O’Reilly. Very excited about that. I have more proposals in with Harlequin. And I’m going to write more in my Charmed & Dangerous and Caruthers Sisters series this next year.

Thanks, Candy!

To celebrate her book release, Candace Havens is offering TWO free books of Model Marine to two lucky commenters on today's blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio. Bestselling author Candace Havens has written six novels for Berkley including, Charmed & Dangerous, Charmed & Ready, Charmed & Deadly, Like A Charm, The Demon King and I and Dragons Prefer Blondes. Her new venture is writing for the Blaze line of Harlequin. Those books include Take Me If You Dare, She Who Dares, Wins, Truth and Dare, and The Model Marine. Her books have received nominations for the RITA's, Holt Medallion and Write Touch Reader Awards. She is the author of the biography Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy and a contributor to several anthologies. She is also one of the nation's leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities including Tom Hanks, Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise, George Clooney and many more. Her entertainment columns can be read in more than 600 newspapers across the country. Candace also runs a free online writing workshop for more than 1800 writers, and teaches comprehensive writing class. She does film reviews with the Dorsey Gang on New Country 96.3, and is the President of the Television Critics Association.

Check out author’s website at www.candacehavens.com

Buy http://www.amazon.com/Model-Marine-Harlequin-Candace-Havens/dp/0373796501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317479402&sr=8-1.

Interview with Catherine Mann

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Catherine Mann. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called COVER ME. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

COVER ME is the first in my new military romantic suspense series. “Elite Force” features air force special operations pararescuemen, trained in high-risk rescue, combat or humanitarian. More books are already in the works with HOT ZONE (December 2011) and UNDER FIRE (May 2012.)

COVER ME is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

COVER ME fits the story on a number of levels. The book is a military suspense novel, so the COVER ME refers to the hero and heroine watching out for each other. The book is also set in Alaska, so there’s a very literal sense of keeping warm. And of course it’s a romance, so COVER ME has a sexy connotation on those cold Alaska nights.

Would you describe your book as a cozy, mystery, suspense, or thriller?

I would call it military romantic suspense, but it’s been interesting to see some of the reviews coming in label it s a thriller. All have agreed it’s steamy!

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I’ve always been an avid reader of both romantic suspense and romances. So it’s a natural fit for me to write in both genres for Sourcebooks, Harlequin and Berkley. As for the military angle, my husband served for over twenty years as an air force aviator.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

I had already decided to write a PJ series and was brainstorming ideas when I came across an article in National Geographic about the Aleutian Islands. The article noted how Russian missionaries referred to it as “the land that God forgot.” That sent a real chill down my spine. I knew then, I’d found the place to set the first book in the “Elite Force” series!

Do you have all the key suspense/mystery elements thought out before you begin writing?

When I begin a book, I have a basic outline in place, along with a number of key scenes in mind. I have character sketches for all the main players, including the villain. However, I do have to say the villain in this story really surprised me. I had a major revelation about his character about three weeks before I turned the book in and had to go back and re-work all his scenes. While I was surprised at the twist my story took, I am thrilled with how it all played out!

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book? What are your favorite research books or sites?

My husband served for over twenty years in the Air Force and is awesome about brainstorming story ideas and plot points. He proofreads my books for fact checking. I also live only a few miles away from Hurlburt Field, headquarters for Air Force Special Operations Command. And in a lucky twist of fate, my chiropractor also happens to be a retired pararescueman. He’s been great about sharing stories about his active duty adventures.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I always enjoy creating a new military squadron – especially coming up with their back stories and call signs (nick-names.) Once I have my crew/team, I’m ready to roll!

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research affect your character development?

I keep files on characters with lists of their histories (or as much as I know when the story starts.) I also choose photos of actors and actresses who resemble those characters. Research adds layers to those characters, like suiting them up for battle.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

I’m an avid romance reader and have been a long time fan of books by Suzanne Brockmann, Lori Foster, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Lisa Gardner, Linda Howard, Teresa Mederios, Christina Dodd… My list could go on and on.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

It’s tough to know what’s the most effective, but I do know what’s the most rewarding. I truly enjoy interacting with readers on Facebook (Catherine Mann author) and Twitter (CatherineMann1). I can also always be reached through my website: www.catherinemann.com

What do we have to look forward next?

I have a wonderfully busy few months ahead on the shelves:
COVER ME, Sourcebooks, July 2011
BILLIONAIRE’S JET SET BABIES, Harlequin Desire, Oct. 2011
IRRESISTIBLY HIS, Harlequin Showcase, Nov. 2011
HOT ZONE, Sourcebooks, Dec. 2011
PROTECTOR, Berkley Sensation, March 2012
PROMOTED TO PAPA, Harlequin Desire, April 2012
UNDER FIRE, Sourcebooks, May 2012

Thanks, Catherine!

CM: Thank YOU for inviting me to hang out!

To celebrate her book release, Catherine Mann is offering a free book of COVER ME to one lucky commenter on today's blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio.
USA Today bestseller Catherine Mann has over two million books in print in more than twenty counties. A RITA Award winner, she lives in the Florida panhandle with her flyboy husband, their four children and menagerie of pets.

Check out author’s website at http://catherinemann.com
Buy at amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cover-Me-Catherine-Mann/dp/1402244959/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290033156&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Cover-Me/Catherine-Mann/e/9781402244957/?itm=1&USRI=catherine+mann+cover+me