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| Author Katherine Bone |
Welcome to the Veranda, Katherine. *Pop*Fizz*Pour*
Thank you for hoisting your sails
and inviting me aboard the veranda today, Christine!!! I’ve wanted to stretch
the plank between our two ships for some time now and I’m so glad that our
sailing lanes have finally converged!
Me, too! And if you all haven't noticed by now, Katherine's a HUGE pirate fan. What's not to love about a pirate, right? I can think of a few alpha-licious ones right now. Katherine, how did you end up becoming a writer (when you weren't sailing the seven seas)?
With a compass pointing to what you want most, you can get almost
anywhere, right? It’s been a long journey. Poetry and romance appealed to me
when I was in my early teens. I’ll never forget the joy I felt when my Haiku
was chosen to be published in my Junior High Yearbook. In High School, a
Literature class tickled my muse as I began to write short stories and got
really great grades doing it. A great feeling! Life happened after that:
college, Prince Charming, marriage, Army moves, and children. Meanwhile I
continued to write poetry until the need to write returned in force. When it
did, I sank hook line and sinker into a world of amazing challenges.
I'm so glad you rediscovered your dream and followed your heart. What is your favorite genre to
write?
Hands down (or up) that would have to be historical romance, especially
the Regency period, though I have written, and cast aside for now, half of a
western trilogy and a published contemporary, Lost Treasure, Captive Princess, too.
Ah, deviations from the chosen genre. I understand that desire, too. So many ideas and so little time. When you do sit down to write, are you a plotter or do you
follow the muse?
Hmmm… very good question, one I think I continue to define.
I’m a Heinz 57— aka plantster. I
plot characters, they give me the beginning and end of their stories, and then
the muse and my fingertips do the rest. ;)
I love character driven stories. After you've plotted your characters and written, how do you relax?
The best relaxation I can think of is cradling a cup of hot tea while
watching one of my favorite movies or tv shows, or settling down for a nap with
a cozy blanket and my fluffy cat.
Sounds divine! If you're not watching a movie, what do you read? What are your
favorite genres? Who are your favorite authors?
Historical romance tickles my
fancy, but I read a variety too. I love to read action/adventure/swashbuckling
romance in the vein of Shana Galen, Katharine Ashe, Johanna Lindsey, Julie
Garwood, Michelle Beattie, and Jennifer Ashley.
Diane Gaston, Ann Lethbridge, Carla Kelly, and Julia Justiss, along with
Lynn Raye Harris, M.V. Freeman, and Annie West round out my list. But there are
oh! so many more fabulous writers out there that vie for my attention.
Great list of authors. I've enjoyed reading many of their books. What is your current project?
I’m
currently working on the third book in my Nelson’s Tea Series. The follow up to
the first two books in the series Duke by
Day, Rogue by Night and The Rogue’s
Prize is The Rogue’s Surrender,
featuring the antics of Lord Garrick Seaton, aka Captain Blade, and a very
passionate, angry Spanish senorita named Lady Mercedes Catalina Vasquez de la
Claremont.
Oooh... sounds intriguing. Any new releases?
What a timely
question, Christine! The Rogue’s Prize,
the second book in my Nelson’s Tea Series, is a June 24th release
from Crimson Romance. This book follows Captain Henry Guffald as he seeks to
redeem his military career by rescuing Garrick Seaton from imprisonment in
Spain. What he doesn’t count on is being attacked by a female pirate, Captain
Belle, aka Lady Adele Seaton, with an agenda of her own and an adventurous
spirit only one man can tame.
Wow. Great story. Where do you get your ideas for
your stories?
Oh, Christine, you do know how to bring my passion out into the
open! Where do my ideas start? Research. There’s nothing like researching a
subject, person, or place and discovering a tidbit that the muse can’t help but
snatch onto. For instance, when I was researching Admiral Nelson, I discovered
that he was never without his tea, even on board ship—during
battle. What a fascinating man, yes? So I took that fact a step further… With
the Napoleonic Wars at full throttle from 1803-1815, what if Nelson used ‘tea’
as code for mercenaries, first sons unsuspected by his enemies or the ton, to
rally to his cause when a need arose. And believe me, the need arises quite
frequently, me hearties!
That's so clever. I love how you extrapolated the idea from one tidbit of information. How long were you trying to get
published before you got the “call?”
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| Katherine's Debut Novel. Gorgeous! |
Oddly enough, I got the idea for my first
book when my youngest daughter was only a year old and we purchased our first
computer. I’d read so many wonderful stories to help me survive the lonely
times Charming was away on duty that I felt a strong urge to help other readers
do the same. That was 20 years ago. Though I didn’t write consistently during
that time, I taught myself most of what I knew by reading books about writing and
struggling through the writing process alone. During this time, my four
children were growing up, participating in sports and so on, which gave me
little time to write. It wasn’t until my youngest daughter started High School,
in 2004, that I joined RWA and a year later, my local writing chapter. I’ve
been writing seriously since then and got The Call, an email from Jennifer
Lawler at Crimson Romance on June 11th, 2012. Partay!!! (Someone
tell Jack we need more rum!)
I remember celebrating your release in person. That was so much fun. But how did you celebrate the new
book contract?
When I got the email I was sitting in the beauty
salon getting my hair colored. LOL!!! I wanted to call my hubby and friends so
bad but it’s hard to put a phone up to your ear when dye will get all over it.
So I did the next best thing. I sent texts!!! I also took my picture in the
mirror at the beauty salon to chronicle the look of happiness on my face for
posterity sake, (never mind I looked a mess). A few days later, my family and I
celebrated with dinner out and rum!
That sounds just like you! The Text Queen :-) Do you have an agent?
I’d love
to have an agent in the near future but no, I don’t have an agent right now.
I’ve got a new series I’m developing so I’m hoping to submit to agents very
soon though!
Wonderful, Katherine. What advice would you give
aspiring writers?
This is the best part of being a published writer—pumping
up other writers!!! First, never doubt your own writing style or voice. Believe
in yourself, even when those rejections start coming in, and they will. Second,
hind sight is 20/20, isn’t it? I look back now and I’m actually thankful for
those rejections and bad contest scores/comments, though I wasn’t at the time. Third,
my writing and ability to handle the publishing industry has been buoyed by the
bridges and friendships I’ve built to help me get across the chasm. Reach out
to other like-minded souls. They will be your life lines. Fourth, at times it
will be hard to stay positive, but believe me, it gets easier. Five’s the
charm: the main thing to remember is “never, never, never, never, NEVER give
up.” (Winston Churchill must have been a pirate. That’s a fabulous signal flag
if I’ve ever seen one!) Remember: don’t achieve to believe, me hearties. Believe to receive. It’s in your belief in yourself and your stories
that you’ll find success.
I love that phrase Believe to Receive. I'm going to write it down and add it to my quote board.
What encouragement can you give
writers who face rejection?
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| Katherine's second novel-Another Hit! |
Rejections deflate egos. Your ego doesn’t have to
make you do the hempen jig. Banish your ego from the room. Remember you aren’t the one being rejected,
though it often feels like you are. The story, the characters, the plot or lack
of it, isn’t resonating with the editor/agent/contest judge. If you receive a
form letter, set it aside and vow to improve your voice. If the comments are
hard on you, set them aside and then return a few days later when your brain
has processed the information and you can honestly look hard at what you can
improve. Overlook the rest. For instance: I was once told by a judge, “Even
Jesus asked why.” If you think that was strange, you should have seen the rest
of the contest entry. Let rejections strengthen your will, not weaken it. Remember pirates love to pirate and
writers love to write. Never quit! Never surrender!
Ah, "let rejections strengthen your will" is a perfect way of approaching this part of the industry. Once you battled back the Rejection Demon, what's the most difficult part
about writing for you?
Arrrr!!! That would be writing the middle of the book. I
always seem to get becalmed at about chapters 7-9. After that point, my sails
seem to pick up wind and then before I know it, I’m sailing to that coveted
horizon… another finished book. On the flipside, the best part of writing is
editing! Oh yes, I adore the editing stage, my friends. That’s when research
plays a great part in layering in levels of wit, verve, action and adventures
galore. That’s when the characters come alive to the point that I want to be them!
Revision is where I find the heart of the story, too. What is the most surprising
thing you discovered after you received the call?
Time disappears. Strange,
isn’t it? It’s like being caught in Davy Jones’ Locker, unable to tell the
passage of time—until it’s too
late. (Hand flail!) When you’re unpublished you dictate how much time you spend
on a book. That changes in a heartbeat when you sign that first contract. Before
you know it, deadlines loom, panic surges and there are lots of sleepless
nights involved. (Actually, if you had a better navigator on board, you might
not stress out over deadlines. Hint!) But even through the chaos, there’s a
giant learning curve and an insatiable appetite to improve the craft and your
storytelling skills. And more importantly: you’re actually getting your stories
out to readers everywhere!!!
I'll have to remember to keep my navigator on Sail Full Speed Ahead, Katherine. Excellent advice!!
Thank you for allowing me to be a
guest on your veranda, Christine! I appreciate your kindness and such a great
interview!
One last thing, me hearties. Close
your eyes. Are they closed? (Well, if they’re closed you can’t read the rest of
this paragraph. Pirate!) Seriously now, imagine yourself achieving success.
What is it you will do when you get The Call from that agent or editor? Imagine
your name on the front of one of your books. Focus on this!!! Contemplate how
you can get from point A to point B. Do what you can to improve your craft.
Learn. Learn. Learn. Do whatever it takes to finish your book. And as Beverly Barton once told me, “Simplify. Simplify.
Simplify.” I don’t promise an easy road, but I can promise you’ll get there if
you NEVER quit.
Cue Ace Ventura… “Al-al-al-al-righty-thennnnn.”
Keep your eyes on that horizon!!!
Simplicity is the key for sure. Thanks so much for visiting the Veranda, Katherine. May your sails always have wind billowing them as you go forward in your publishing career!
Katherine Bone lives in the South where she dreams of the power, passion and persuasion of rogues, rebels and rakes and the happily ever afters every alpha male deserves
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| Katherine's 3rd Book Release! |
The Rogue's Prize
Lady Adele Seaton has been raised in a family profited by a lucrative smuggling business. Though her parents wish otherwise, she would no sooner give up the call to rove than marry. But obtaining independence is a challenge when her brother faces a hangman’s noose. Planning to save him, she captures an English ship. But things go awry and she is dragged home in disgrace, forced to ally herself with the one man with the power to anchor more than her ship— her heart.
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