Cat Grant Wants To Give Away Goodies! Check It Out!

10 Nov 2011 11 Comments

by Lisa in authors, Cat Grant, publishers, Riptide Publishing Tags: Cat Grant, Riptide Publishing

Thanks so much for taking the time to be with us today, Cat. Why don’t we start by having you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I’m a California girl, born and raised. I currently live by the sea in lovely Monterey, California with my cat and way too many books and DVDs.

When did you discover your passion for writing? Was there someone in particular who encouraged and inspired your love of storytelling?

It was my late husband who encouraged me to start writing for potential publication when I became disabled in 2004. I’ve written off and on my entire life, but never thought I’d ever be professionally published. His belief in me got me through four solid years of rejection.

What was your first book and how long did it take for it to be published?

The Arrangement came out in May 2008. Took me over a year to write and another year to sell.

Is there a particular sub-genre in which you enjoy writing more than others? (i.e. paranormal vs. historical vs. contemporary)

Male/male is my favorite, with m/m/f ménage a close second.

Do you prefer writing in the 1st or the 3rd person? What advantages do you see in writing in one vs. the other?

Oh, I’ve written both 1st and 3rd – a couple of times in the same book! In fact, my new m/m contemporary Once a Marine is told from one 1st person POV and one 3rd. Some readers don’t care for 1st person, but I absolutely love it. There’s no better way to draw readers into a character’s head.

How long does it generally take for you to finish a manuscript?

Obviously that depends on how long of a manuscript it is. But I can usually bang out 50K in a month.

How much creative input do you have in the cover design for your books?

I fill out the cover art form and try to give the artist as much detail as possible. Riptide Publishing’s cover artists are terrific in that they keep the author in the loop every step of the way, whereas with other publishers, sometimes you’re stuck with whatever the artist comes up with.

Do you write full time? If not, how many hours per day do you attempt to dedicate to your writing?

I don’t look at the time factor as much as the word-count factor. My minimum word count is 1,000 words per day. I’m pretty slow until I get past the 10K mark, then I can usually do two to three times that every day.

Do you typically outline your plots before you begin the writing process, or do you write in a more freestyle fashion?

Oh, freestyle, definitely – which doesn’t mean I don’t plan out my stories. I just don’t outline. It completely kills the magic of writing every time I’ve tried.

How much do your characters resemble you and the people you know?

I usually model my characters (physically, at least) on whatever actors or musicians I currently have a crush on. Cole and Marc from Once a Marine were inspired by Alexander Skarsgard and Darren Criss.

How much do you draw upon your own life experiences in your writing?

Well, family seems to be an important theme in my writing – more specifically, dysfunctional families, which I have TONS of experience with.

What has been the most difficult topic you’ve ever approached in your writing?

Probably PSTD, which I explore in Once a Marine, and to a different extent, in Appearing Nightly.

Of all the characters you’ve created, do you have one in particular who stands out among the others as a favorite? If so, who and why?

I would have to say Eric Courtland, the hero (or maybe I should say, anti-hero) of my Courtland Chronicles books. He’s difficult to like sometimes, but I simply adore him.

When someone reads one of your books for the first time, what do you hope they take away from it?

I hope they’re entertained and feel they got their money’s worth.

Are you surprised by the ever growing female fan-base of Male/Male fiction?

Not really. I wrote slash fan fiction for many, MANY years, so I knew there was a huge untapped audience for male/male fiction, should it ever go commercial. And thankfully, it has!

When did you begin writing in the Male/Male genre? What about it interests you the most?

I started out writing Classic Trek fan fiction (Kirk/Spock) way back in the 80s, then I segued to X-Files (Mulder/Krycek) and Smallville (Clark/Lex). So it’s been awhile. Making the transition to writing commercial m/m fiction was relatively simple.

What was the best piece of advice you’ve ever received with respect to the art of writing? How did it change the way you approach your craft?

Treat writing like a job – show up every day, whether you feel like it or not.

Will you share three things you’ve learned about the business of writing since your first publication?

1. You have all the time in the world to write your first book, but after that, the clock starts ticking. If you want to make it as a published author, keep a steady stream of work coming.
2. Don’t let bad reviews get you down. Learn what you can from them and move on.
3. Eyes on the prize. Keep writing. Stay focused on the work.

If you were to offer a word of advice to a new author just starting out, what would it be?

Everyone will try to discourage you. Don’t listen. Keep writing, keep sending out your work. Don’t quit!

Do you generally have the titles of your work planned before you begin writing, or does that occur later on in the writing process?

Depends. I’m about to start a new story, and I have no idea what to title it. Other times the titles have come to me with no problem.

What is the question you’re most frequently asked by your fans?

When’s your next book coming out?

What is your most memorable fan experience?

I just got back from Authors After Dark in Philadelphia, where I was surprised how many readers recognized me. Every day I had people coming up to me and squeeing, which was… a bit bizarre. I’ve been to other conferences where nobody even said hello to me, so this kind of reception was completely unexpected. Now I know how famous actors feel!

Digital media—the e-reader/tablet computer/Android apps—is changing the way people access and enjoy books. What pros and/or cons do you see surrounding the business of e-publishing? How do you see digital media evolving in the years to come?

When e-readers reach the $99 price point, everybody will have one. That’s what happened when VCRs and DVD players came out. Give it another year or so, and e-readers will be as commonplace as cell phones.

When you have the chance to sit down and enjoy some quiet reading time, what sorts of books are you most likely to pick up? Who are your favorite authors?

I’m usually reading research material in my downtime. As much as I adore my colleagues, I simply don’t have time to keep up with what everybody else in my genre is doing.

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?

I was a full-charge bookkeeper before I got published. Most boring job in the whole world! I hope I never have to go back to it!

Aside from writing, what else do you enjoy doing? Do you have any hobbies?

I watch TV and go to the movies a lot. Never know when an idea will literally leap off the screen at you.

If time travel were possible, what time period(s) would you most like to visit? Why?

Elizabethan and/or Regency England. Although I’d be sure to bring plenty of antibiotics with me!

If you had the opportunity to sit down to dinner with one famous person, either past or present, who would you choose and why?

Michael Fassbender. Because he’s a brilliant actor on the brink of stardom, and I’ve got a HUGE crush on him.

If we were to look around the desk where you sit to write, what would we find there?

I’ve got my book covers tacked up on the wall over my laptop, a couple of Impressionist prints, a couple X-Men First Class promo posters, my printer, a box of Kleenex, my iPad, my phone… lots of stuff.

How would you describe your sense of humor? What makes you laugh?

Oh, I think everything’s funny – or ironic, at least. It’s the rest of the world that doesn’t get the joke.

Do you have a favorite personal mantra, quote, or saying that describes your outlook on life and the way you approach each day?

Nothing in this life comes free. If you’re not willing to work for it, you don’t deserve it.

Do you speak more than one language? If so, which one(s)?

I used to speak fairly fluent French twenty-odd years ago. Now I’m lucky if I can follow French language movies without subtitles!

Of all the modern conveniences, which one would you most likely say you couldn’t live without?

The water heater and the flush toilet.

Do you have any new projects coming up you’d care to share with us?

I’ll be working on a hot m/m BDSM book with Rachel Haimowitz this winter, as well as a story for Riptide’s rentboy submissions call. That should keep me pretty busy!

Thank you again for spending some time with us, Cat. Will you tell us where we can find you on the Internet?

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cat-Grant/123354784391947
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CatGrant2009
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1912055.Cat_Grant
My website: http://www.catgrant.com/

And we’d love if you’d share a favorite excerpt from one of your books with us.

Here’s a short scene from Once a Marine:

No sooner had Cole scrambled to his feet and started unbuttoning his fly when there came a loud crack-pop outside, and the room flickered with bright white light. Pure panic kicking in, he dropped to his knees and crouched down low, covering his head. He trembled all over, adrenaline surging through his veins at another near-blinding flash.

“Hey,” came a voice from right above him, gentle fingers closing over his shoulder, rubbing his back. “Don’t be scared. It’s just lightning.”

A familiar rumble echoed in the distance, followed by another a few seconds later. Thunder, not bombs. Instantly, he realized he was in his own living room. Not Baghdad or Fallujah, with artillery shells raining down around him. Oh, holy fuck. If there’d been enough space under the couch, he would’ve crawled into it gratefully. Good thing the room had gone dark again. Maybe Marc wouldn’t notice how fucking mortified he was.

“S-Sorry,” he murmured, wincing at the apology, even though this one was definitely warranted. Shivering, he took Marc’s hand and let him pull him back up on the couch and tug the blanket over him. “I never wanted you to see me like that.”

Marc’s arms went around him, holding him close, one hand sliding up to stroke his hair. A simple gesture of kindness and comfort, yet it came that close to breaking Cole in half. Is this what he’d been reduced to—accepting someone else’s protection, when that was supposed to be his job? He dragged in a shaky breath, one after another, until the worst of it passed.

“Take it easy,” Mark murmured. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. You’re not the first Marine I’ve dated, remember?”

“Even so, I thought you would’ve been out the door by now.”

“Give me a little credit. I don’t scare that easily.” They sat back together with Marc’s head on Cole’s shoulder again, one hand tracing idly over his chest. Warm, steadying and reassuring. Exactly what he needed. “Does this kind of thing happen often?”

“Not as much as it used to, but… well, it’s not like I can control it.” He sighed and tried to relax, but even with Marc touching him, there was nothing stirring below his belt. Figured. After what’d just happened, he’d need a forklift to get it up again. “Talk about killing the mood, huh?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“But I wanted you to have a good time.”

“Do you hear me complaining?” Marc chuckled. “Nothing wrong with saving the best for later, right?”

“You mean, I didn’t mess this up so bad you never want to see me again?”

“Will you stop trying to second-guess me? God, you Marines are all such fucking control freaks.” He sat up straight. “Listen, Thanksgiving’s next Thursday. Why don’t you come over to my place? I’ll cook us dinner, and we can spend the whole afternoon and evening together. And all night too, if you want. No pressure either way. Unless you already have plans.”

“Other than catching up on my sleep?” Cole smiled. “Nope, no plans at all.”

Leave a comment on Cat’s interview before 11:59pm Eastern time today (11/10/11), and you’ll be entered for a chance to win your choice of one of the following titles:

Allegro Vivace
Sonata Appassionata
The First Real Thing (Icon Men #1)
Appearing Nightly (Icon Men #2)
A Fool for You (Icon Men #3) or
Entangled Trio