Welcome Guest Author Catherine Bybee! #MarriedbyMonday

Welcome Guest Author 

Catherine Bybee 

to the blog today!

See below for her giveaway!

Welcome, Catherine!  Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.

Thanks for having me here, Laura.

A little about me…okay, let’s see. I love everything about the romance genre. I write everything from contemporary romance to time travels and even erotic…thought I’ve not written the hot stuff in a while. I enjoy a good werewolf and vampire story tucked in there as well. I don’t use any other pen names other than Catherine Bybee though I wish I had for my erotic stuff. Readers get confused.

Okay, so, tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.

Married by Monday is the second book in my Weekday Bride series. It’s predecessor, Wife by Wednesday, went viral last winter and awarded me the wonderful and never old titles like NY Times and USA Today bestselling author. Married by Monday can certainly stand alone as a title. I love bring back characters from other books so you’ll see/read about the H/H of Wife by Wednesday.  

Congratulations! So awesome! Which character is your favorite and why?

In Married by Monday? Zod. And you’ll have to read the book to see why. Zod loves shoes. What’s not to enjoy about that? LOL

LOL! Love it! As the author, what surprised you about this story?

The suspense shocked me. I didn’t plan on it happening. The first book was very light, very Cinderella and Married by Monday is so much deeper. At least IMHO.

Very interesting. Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?

Yes! I have Fiancé by Friday slated for next year and Single by Saturday. As long as I can keep coming up with titles to match the days of the week, I’ll write the books.

Very creative. I do love the titles! What was the hardest thing for you about writing this story?

This might sound funny, but the hardest thing was worrying about how my readers were going to like it. I’ve had 300,000 readers for Wife by Wednesday. That number astounded me and put a pressure on me like I’ve never experienced before. As an author we hope people will pick up our books and read them. We even have some expectations after we’ve released a title or two…but when you have a book go viral that number becomes huge. I had to let go of those worries and just write the book. I think I’m over those concerns and am back on a roll with my writing.

Good for you! What are you working on right now?

I’m working on the second book to my next series that is coming out with Montlake Romance. Not Quite Dating is being released in October and for the first time in my career I have a deadline for the second book. Whoot! I’m working on Not Quite Mine.

Awesome! I hadn’t heard this news, Catherine! Congrats! So, what happened to the first book you ever wrote?

It’s under the bed…where it will live with the dust bunnies forever. Too much work to fix. I learned a lot writing that book…but it isn’t good enough to publish. And I have no qualms about self publishing but some books are better of buried than read.

Definitely respect that and suspect many of us are the same. What do you find easiest and hardest to write?

I think contemporary is easier for me. My time travel and paranormal require world building on bigger levels. The plots are usually deeper with more characters to juggle. I love writing them, however.

I would agree with this! Have you incorporated actual events or people from your own life into your books?

Of course. “Write what you know”… Not Quite Dating, which is coming in October, has a scene out of my life. I worked in a Denny’s on the graveyard shift in my early years so that was an easier scene to write. I’ve worked in Emergency Rooms as a nurse most of my adult life and there are plenty of ER scenes in my books. I write about familiar places or places I’ve been. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel with our books.

So true! Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?

I think so…Family. Friendship. Love.

Nice. What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

I doubt much of anything. I’m an open book.

LOL Which romance book or series (or other genre, if you don’t write romance) do you wish you had written?

None at this point. If I want to write a genre, I will. My readers might be surprised to know that I have a full-length straight historical romance in my hard drive…a vampire romance…and a paranormal that has nothing to do with time travel. Oh, and another erotic. All in my hard drive. Why aren’t they out there? Well, cuz some need work…others are the first book to a two or three book series. I have a lot going on right now and can’t stretch myself any thinner. Who knows maybe someday these books will be released.

Awesome! Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?

I just love Lizzy from Redeeming Vows. She’s kick ass fun.

Okay, now, just for fun:

Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Milk

Salty or sweet? Both

Bed or kitchen table? For sex? Bed…no wait, kitchen table! J

Beach or mountains? I live in So. California. Beach during the day, mountains at night.

Give or receive? Give!!!

Carter Billings:

Sandy blond hair and Hollywood good looks, Carter Billings could have any woman he wants. However, when he makes his bid for the Governor's seat in the state of California, he needs to settle down and become a family man. Eliza, the woman he secretly adores, embodies the perfect amount of spice and passion to suit his marital needs, but she’s not interested in becoming Mrs. Billings. She can't even stand to be in the same room with him.

Eliza Havens:

It’s much easier to drive Carter away than to give into desire. Matching couples is how she earns a living, but getting married isn’t an option. The secrets she carries are too dangerous to entangle anyone else. When her hidden identity and past threaten her future, she’s left with little choice. Carter is quick to offer solutions to both their problems, but saying yes could mean endangering the man she’s growing to love.

Excerpt:

He folded his arms over his chest. “I suppose you could say I’m following Blake’s lead.

Marriage solves a few fundamental problems in my career path.”

She stared at him full on now, not trying to look away. “Your problems. Not mine.”

“Problems you helped play a role in.” He saw the spark in her eye before she managed her first syllable of defense.

She sat the tea down and placed a hand on the counter. “That’s low, Carter.”

“And true or you’d be the first to tell me I’m wrong. If I had a choice, I’d be married by Monday to help dispel all the media crap created by yours and Gwen’s night on the Texas town. I thought

I could come to you and obtain a little bit of cooperation.”

“A little bit of cooperation. Marriage is a tad more than a little bit of anything.” Her voice rose and her knuckles started to grip the counter.

“Yet you earn your living arranging marriages or partnerships on trite reasons less important than mine.” How dare she follow a moral high ground. Maybe she’d forgotten how well versed he was on her and Samantha’s business.

“You forget that our clients have to approve of the relationships we arrange. They have to like the person—”

He laughed, interrupting her. “Do you really want to pretend we aren’t friends to prove your point?”

Her cheeks grew rosy which he had to admit was a much better than the pasty color she’d been sporting when he walked into the house. He felt the fire burning inside her as she shot daggers with her eyes.

“You’re my best friend’s husband’s friend. If you’re looking for a wife you might peek into your little black book, or whatever it is you use, and draw another name.”

Carter let his arms drop and took two steps closer. The angrier she became, the more his blood churned. His body responded to her outrage, but not in anger. “I don’t want to draw another name.”

Find Catherine on the web at:

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

Did you have a favorite line from the excerpt? One commenter who leaves their email address will win an ebook of Married by Monday. Open to international. Contest will end at midnight EST on Sunday, 7/22. Good luck!

Thanks for reading! Now leave Catherine some comment love!

Laura