I love reading a good military romance and became a huge fan of yours beginning with your Wingman Warriors series.
Thank you for including me on your blog, Jeanne! It’s a delight to hang out with you online and in person! As for your question, I’ve wanted to be a novelist since the first time I lost myself in a book, and I’m a longtime fan of romance novels, all the way back to my teenage years. I found when it came time to begin writing novels of my own, romance stories were the ones that naturally came to mind. Romance novels have given me so many hours of escapism fun, it’s an honor to be able to give that same joy back to readers with my books.
Where do you get your ideas for your books? What inspires you to tell these stories?
For my military stories, I find inspiration in my Air Force husband. Actually, for all my books I find inspiration in my own happily ever after! Then from that inspiration, a story with characters springs to life.
Your current series The Dark Ops Novels are amazing and I’m glad to see that they are continuing. You’ve also introduced the Alpha Brotherhood series. Do you have any plans to write more to your Wingman Warriors series?
Interesting question! That’s a lot of series over the years – also including my Special Ops series for HQN and my other Harlequin Desire series (Landis Brothers and Rich, Rugged & Royal). It would be difficult to revisit every series each year. So I enjoy very much when the characters from different series can cross paths. You never know who you might run into when you pick up my latest. I don’t mean to sound secretive, but I do have some very fun things in the works that involve lots of books!
Who is the Hottest Hero you’ve ever written and why?
Wow, that’s a tough question. I think “hot” has a different meaning to everyone, depending on the situation. There are so many qualities that can make a hero attractive. For example, I like Jose’s sense of humor (FREE FALL) but I also appreciate Conrad Hughes’ brooding intensity (ALL OR NOTHING). I think that’s one of the exciting things about romance novels, exploring those traits that make a hero hot, rather than just focusing on the appearance.
You ask tough questions! LOL! I believe creating a heroine the reader can identify with is one of the most important elements of a romance novel. So regardless of the heroine’s profession or background, I try to find a trait in her personality that makes her relatable. For example, I wrote a story for Silhouette Bombshell and the heroine was a kick-butt, fearless test pilot. I am the biggest scaredy cat you’ll ever meet. So I put a lot of thought into something that would make that heroine appeal not only to the kick butt types of females, but also to the less daring types like me. The reader soon learns that heroine (Josie in PURSUED) has a collection of Beanie Babies and she’s totally addicted to macaroni and cheese as comfort food when she’s feeling blue.
I am currently writing the 5th book in the Alpha Brotherhood series – featuring Elliot Starc, a Formula One driver.
When can we see your next book on the shelves?
I have a number of books on the shelves over the next few months:
On February 26, 2013:
THE EXECUTIVE’S SURPRISE BABY, a 2-in-1 reissue with STRANDED WITH A TEMPTING STRANGER by Brenda Jackson, Harlequin
“Dog Tags” in LOVE BITES, an anthology reissue w/Lori Foster, Brenda Jackson, Verna DePaul, Jules Bennett and myself, HQN
March 2013: FREE FALL “Elite Force” #4, Sourcebooks
April 2013: PLAYING FOR KEEPS, “Alpha Brotherhood” bk 3
What advice do you have to aspiring authors wanting to enter this business?
Read, read, read the genre you’re targeting. And don’t chase trends. Write what you love.
Thank you so much for asking, Jeanne! I am a dedicated volunteer at my local animal shelter where I also serve on their board of directors. I would like to encourage everyone to check out their local shelters or rescues for their next pet. While I adore my mutts, I understand that people have reasons for leaning toward particular breeds. Many don’t know that on average 25% of animals in shelters are purebreds. Whether you want a puppy or adult, purebred or mutt, you can search for animals in a shelter near you on Petfinder.com http://www.petfinder.com/ . The search engine allows you to enter search criteria such as your area code, preferred age or breed of animal. There are so many treasures out there just waiting for a family to love!
Thanks Cathy for taking time out of your busy day to be interviewed as a guest on my blog. I know that you have deadlines to meet and a precious grandchild to cuddle.
Thank you, Jeanne, for the interview! And for folks who wish to chat with me, I can be found online at:
Website: http://catherinemann.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CatherineMannAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CatherineMann1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/catherinemann/
Oh! I forgot to mention that Ms. Mann has agreed to give away a copy of UNDER FIRE to the lucky commenter to this blog.