New mother to be – and very busy and ambitious author – Cate Ashwood stops by today. Cate wrote one of my favorite books of the year – Keeping Sweets and followed that up by not just one book, but a three book series, the first of which – Brokenhearted came out a couple weeks ago.  Cate’s here to talk about her new book, writing and even a bit about herself.

Guest Author – Cate Ashwood:

Welcome Cate. This has been quite a year for you. Your first novel Keeping Sweets–which I loved–was released this year, you went to GRL in October and now you’ve got another book that just came out Friday. How much of a learning experience was that?

So much! When I started out, I really had no idea what I was doing. I’d read a couple thousand books, but had never tried writing one. I sat down and wrote and was too scared to let anyone read it, then sent it in, with no clue what would come next.

The publishing process alone has been an incredible learning experience for me. I had no idea how it all worked. There was a lot of Googling that went on this year as I was trying to figure out the whole process.

The second time around, I was much more confident in what I was doing. I had actual beta readers and got feedback before and during my submission. I really think that my writing has improved and I am pretty proud of this series.

Talk about attending GRL for the first time.

It was an absolutely incredible experience! I’ll be honest, the first day I was there, I wasn’t sure if I would be going back next year. It was very overwhelming. There were hundreds of people and they all seemed to know each other. And then we had our Supporting Author signing (which was a very surreal experience). People walked up to me who had read my book. Of course logically I knew that a few people had read it, but to actually have someone tell you that they loved what you’d written? It’s a very heady experience. That was the first highlight. From there, I attended the Q&A sessions, which were so amazing. There were authors there whose work I had been reading since I discovered m/m and they were so down to earth and friendly.

One of the best parts of the whole weekend was getting to meet so many of the people I have become such good friends with online. I may have even cried once or twice, I was so happy and so overwhelmed (in a very good way).

By the end of the conference I had met so many people and had so many wonderful experiences, I can’t wait to go back next year (even if I do have a four-month-old baby in tow!)

Ha! We’ll see. I had grand aspirations of what I’d be able to do once ‘lil q was born. You may need to wait a year or two. 😛

You’ve newest novel–Brokenhearted–was released on Friday. Did it feel different than when Keeping Sweets came out?

I think I was even more nervous for this release than with Keeping Sweets. With Sweets, I kind of assumed that no one would actually read it. But to my surprise, it did pretty well. With Brokenhearted, I let my insecurities get the better of me. I felt a lot of pressure in the days before it came out. I was worried that people would read it and think I was a one-hit wonder. But the night it came out, the excitement level was the same. I think I’ll always be this excited when a new book comes out.

The cover art for this book was stunning.  What was your reaction when you got the final draft?

Thank you so much. I was beyond thrilled with what Aaron Anderson made for me. He captured exactly what I wanted and I’ve gotten some really great feedback on the cover.

Okay, let’s talk specifics; tell us a bit more about Brokenhearted.

Where did the inspiration come from for these characters?

Brokenhearted has been floating around in my head for a long time. Long enough that I don’t really remember where the original idea came from. The story started out as contemporary fiction. It wasn’t supposed to be m/m or even romance at all. The story started with Maggie, the sister. I knew I wanted a story that revolved around family. Originally, the story was about two women, but I stalled out after the first page. Something about it was just off. After a break, I came back to it, changed the main character to Oliver and added Mack. I knew I wanted a kind of rough-around the edges chef and an alpha sheriff.

Your book is set in the Maine, that’s a long way from Vancouver, British Columbia. How did you come up with the setting?

I knew I wanted the story set in a very small town on the coast. Sweets was set in Oregon, so I thought a change of scene would be good; I chose the East Coast. I hope it comes across as authentic, because I’ve never been to Maine, but I have always wanted to go.

The setting was incredibly important to me though, not necessarily geographically where it was, but the feeling of the town. Hope Cove feels like one of my characters to me. It has its own personality.

Your main characters seem to share a common link – little or no family. Is there something special about that for you?

I think because family is such an important part of my life. My parents and my sister and I are incredibly close (almost unhealthily so). And when my husband and I first started dating, it was one of the first things we discussed. For both of us, family comes first and if the other person hadn’t felt the same, it would have been a deal breaker for both of us.

So I suppose that when I’m creating a character, and I want to try to break that person, it makes sense to me to take away their family. It’s one of the worst things I can fathom.

Tell us something interesting that is not in the blurb?

One of the things I love best about this book is the secondary characters. Declan gets his own story in Book 2 and Haydn gets his in Book 3, but there is a kid who is a budding scientist that I love. And Maggie, although she dies before the story begins, is a very powerful character for me. I wanted the reader to be able to get to know her, so I included her diary entries in the book. That was one of the most fun parts of writing the book for me. It definitely brought back some “Dear Diary” memories of my own!

Have you ever based characters on anyone you know?

Oh God no! I would be terrified they would read the book and see themselves in it. That being said, I have borrowed little details from real life. The omelet that Oliver makes for Mack at the beginning of the book is my sister’s favourite from a little restaurant called Sarabeth’s in New York and the trip up the coast that Evan takes with Bran in Keeping Sweets is a trip I’ve made with my husband every year since we started dating.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

I have to pick just one? I guess it all goes back to the characters for me. I love creating the characters, and I love writing the beginning of the novel when you’re just getting to know them. I feel like I’m meeting them for the first time too. It’s exciting.

What’s your least favorite?

I don’t really have a least favourite… even the stuff that I hate (like writing blurbs and synopses) I really love. The most difficult for me is the sex scenes. I can’t even really tell you why, I just have a hard time with them. It takes me three times longer to get through a sex scene than any other type of scene.

Since there is always another story to tell, what are you working on now?

Too much! If I had another 48 hours in my day, every day, I might get them all written. The next two books in the Hope Cove series are coming out soon—Book 2 on December 9^th and Book 3 January 6^th. 
I have a book Skylar M. Cates and I have co-authored called Five Ways a Boy can Break Your Heart that is due to hit the shelves sometime in February as well. That one was so much fun to write.

On my WIP list is the sequel to Keeping Sweets (Colt’s story), I have a couple of New Adult books planned, one of which is a paranormal. I’ve never done paranormal before, so we’ll see how that one pans out. It may never see the light of day.
I also have a five book series planned out (and partially written) that follows emergency service personnel: paramedics, cops, ER nurses, and social workers. So far I’m really excited about it. EMTs are what drew me to m/m romance in the first place, so it’s nice to be writing about them.
On top of that, I have a few more co-authoring projects planned, one with Skylar, one with F.E. Feeley and a third with Raine O’Tierney.

It’s going to be a busy year, but I am really looking forward to it!

Year? You forgot about a certain wee little one that’s coming.  This sounds like a bit more than a year’s project.  🙂

What have you read lately that most people haven’t read but should?

I read Carter Quinn’s Out of the Blackness a few weeks ago, and I fell in love with his characters. I cried six or seven times in the first two chapters, but the heartbreak was totally worth it. Definitely worth reading.

Besides that one, I am fortunate enough to beta read for a few very talented authors and I’ve gotten some sneak peeks at what is coming out soon, and there are some really amazing stories hitting the shelves in the next few months.

Skylar M. Cates’s Guy from Glamour is worth picking up for sure. It’s beautifully written and has strong familial elements (which is always a plus for me), and the characters just pull at you.
LJ LaBarthe’s Archangel Series is fantastic. I honestly don’t know how she does it. There are multiple storylines all woven together and nothing is left out. There are about a million characters and all of them are defined and distinct. Liam and Baxter are my favourite and she finally sent me their book to read. It’s awesome.

Will Parkinson and K.C. Wells have the next installment of the Collars and Cuffs Series coming soon—Someone to Keep Me. I love this story. LOVE. These two authors have a real talent for absolutely destroying their characters before building them back up and piecing them back together. It’s not something you’ll want to miss.

F.E. Feeley’s novel Objects in the Rearview Mirror is another great one. It has paranormal elements, but the heart of the story is one of heartbreak and healing. It’s really wonderful.

If you could meet any writer, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

I think I may have almost met my quota of meeting favourite authors this year after GRL, but there are still a list of people I would love to meet. I’m so looking forward to eventually meeting those that I wasn’t able to this year at GRL. There are a handful of authors I speak to almost daily that I still haven’t had the chance to meet in person.

What’s a fun – non-writing – day for you?

This might be a little bit cheesy, but usually twice or three times a month, my husband and I have a date day. He works a lot and away from home, so he’s only home around 6-8 days a month. When he’s here, we go out for dinner and catch a movie together. It’s simple, but one of my favourite things to do.

Besides reading and writing, what else do you enjoy?

Does editing count? I love beta reading. I know it’s related to reading and writing, but it’s one of my favourite things. I love being able to give a writer feedback on what they’ve written, and getting sneak peeks at upcoming books isn’t too shabby either!

Thanks for being my guest, now it’s time to plug your work.

Blurb:

Oliver Parrish has been alone in the world since he was born. So when Sheriff Owen “Mack” Macklin shows up on his doorstep to deliver the news that Oliver’s sister has died, he’s beyond surprised. Still, Oliver returns with Mack to Hope Cove, Maine, hoping to get to know the sister he never knew he had. As he tries to snap these new elements into his solitary life, he’s not sure how they might fit.

His life is shaken up further as he falls in love with the irresistible town of Hope Cove, and with Mack, its equally irresistible sheriff. But when he receives devastating news about his sister’s cause of death, Oliver doesn’t know whether to stay and fight for love and a good life, or cut his losses and run.

Buy Link:

Ebook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4358

Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4359

Excerpt:

He turned to see Mack walk into the kitchen.

Oliver snickered. “I could have brought it out to you.”

Mack shrugged. “There’s something about eating it right from the dish that makes it taste so much better.”

He opened the cutlery drawer and pulled out a dessert fork. He walked over to Oliver, and reached around him to spear some perfectly softened apple and flaky crust. He was close again… too close. His body was less than an inch from pressing against Oliver’s.

Using his other hand to catch crumbs he offered Oliver the first bite, bringing the fork to his lips. Oliver looked at Mack. There was a dark hunger in his eyes. Oliver couldn’t breathe. He obediently opened up, wrapping his lips around the fork and doing his best not to choke on the bite of pie.

“Good?” Mack asked. His voice was low and gravelly. Oliver didn’t trust his own. He nodded.

Mack reached around him again, this time bringing the forkful to his own mouth. He moaned low. “So fucking good.”

Oliver stood mesmerized, held against the counter by Mack’s larger frame, pinned in place by the hunger simmering in his eyes. Mack placed the fork on the counter and tipped Oliver’s chin up to look at him.

“Most beautiful fucking gray eyes….” Mack trailed off. Oliver swallowed hard, and then Mack’s mouth was on his, pressing firmly against him, claiming him. The kiss was hard and punishing, demanding his submission. Rough stubble abraded sensitive skin as Mack licked against the seam of Oliver’s lips. Oliver opened to him willingly, kissing him back with complete recklessness. He had wanted this from the moment he had seen the handsome sheriff on his doorstep.

Mack moved closer, eliminating the margin of space that had existed between them. Their bodies were flush together, Mack grinding his hips against Oliver’s, Oliver melting against him as they kissed.

He could feel how hot, how hard Mack was. His hands were moving, pushed up under Oliver’s shirt, tracing along the smooth skin of his back, wandering to his sides. Then they were gone, pushing the dishes to the side before he grabbed Oliver, lifting him and dropping him down on the counter with force. His mouth never stopped moving, kissing, claiming him. His right hand lifted, carding through Oliver’s hair, pulling him closer, anchoring their mouths together.

They kissed for what felt like an eternity. The moment of hesitation that Oliver had experienced was barely a distant memory as Mack kissed him into oblivion. They broke apart, gasping to catch their breath. Oliver looked at Mack, his lips swollen and pink, his pupils dilated. They stayed like that, just staring at one another with looks of awe mirrored on their faces. Oliver’s cock was straining painfully against the fabric of his jeans, and if the ridge in Mack’s was anything to go by, he was feeling the same.

Fuck, he was turned on.

Mack moved toward him again, but Oliver’s conscience returned from its brief vacation and he pulled back.

Mack stepped away. The cool air of the kitchen moved between them, chilling the heated air they had created.

Oliver’s gaze trained on the floor. He couldn’t look. Couldn’t bring himself to watch the expression on Mack’s face. Whether it was one of disgust, confusion, or desire, Oliver couldn’t handle it.

“It’s getting late. I should get to bed,” he said, almost inaudibly.

“Oh… yeah… uh…. Sure, yeah. G’night, man.”

Oliver waited until he heard Mack’s bedroom door close before he hopped off the counter and escaped to his own room.

He collapsed on the bed and lay back. His heart still hadn’t slowed, and now his mind was racing, trying to catch up. What the fuck had just happened? Through Oliver’s muddled memory, he seemed to recall Mack initiating the kiss. He had, right?

It just didn’t make any sense. Oliver tried to remember what Mack had said right before, but all he could remember was the heat of Mack’s body, the intoxicating smell of his skin. Was it something about his eyes? Yeah. Something about gray eyes. Fuck. Maggie had had gray eyes.

Suddenly everything seemed to click into place. He missed Maggie. He loved Maggie. In some convoluted way, Oliver had become a second rate stand-in for the girl he had lost.

The realization left Oliver feeling cold and empty.

Bio:

Cate Ashwood wrote her very first story in a hot pink binder when she was in the second grade and found her passion for writing. Her first successful foray into romance writing came five years later when she wrote her best friend, who was experiencing a case of unrequited love, her own happily ever after.

Cate’s life has taken a number of different and adventurous roads. She now lives a stone’s throw from the ocean, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband and two cats. Her life is filled with family and friends, travel, and, of course, books.

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.cateashwood.com

Blog: http://cateashwood.blogspot.ca/

E-mail: cateashwood@gmail.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cate.ashwood

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cateashwood