What
makes my work different from other books in my genre? I think it’s my voice
that’s unique to me. It’s just like my fingerprint. No one else has it. I have
a perspective on life, and love, and relationships that’s unique to me. It’s
not that the stories are that different, i.e., a small town with character and
quirky characters, a hero and heroine I root for to fall in love and become
better people because of this new person in their life.
I
like writing about ordinary people under extraordinary circumstances–the loss
of a child, estrangement from a family member, a fall from grace–and show how
they resolve these issues and improve their relationships. Perhaps not
perfectly, but better and deeper than they were at the beginning of the story.
Before
I ever start a book I create a story board. My story board is two sided. On one side I have pictures of people that
remind me of my characters. On the other side is a map of my fictional town,
streets and businesses, and pictures of plants and animals in the area. My
board is nearby whenever I’m writing.
My
writing process varies because of my day job as a photojournalist. It’s rare I
get large blocks of time to just write fiction, so when I find an hour or two I
jump on it, whether it’s first thing in the morning (my preference),
mid-morning or late afternoon. I don’t have the luxury of choosing when I get to
write these days.
When I
write a new book, I write a rough draft from start to finish first, then the
real work begins. I go through many, many edits before I finish the book.
During this process I search for stronger words and turns of phrase that are
new and fresh. I also add more depth to the characters, and I flesh out the
setting.
This is
the longest part of the process for me by far. Once this is done, it’s ready to
go to the editor, then more edits when I get it back. It goes back to the
editor a second time, I make the final edits and it’s finally ready to publish.
Nothing leaves my desk until it’s the absolute best I can make it.
With every book, I strive to give my readers a few tears,
some laughs, romance and an ending that warms the heart.
What does an inquisitive reporter, a dedicated cop, and a band
of geriatric mystery sleuths have in common? The desire to see justice
done!
Tossed from her position at a prestigious San Francisco
newspaper, C. J. Pulaski returns to her hometown of Conspiracy in disgrace.
She's hit rock bottom and will do anything to find her next big story and get
her career back on track. In desperation, she even joins her father's Trench
Coat Brigade, a wacky group of seniors with a penchant for solving mysteries.
Nate Cole has left the LAPD after his partner is killed in the
line of duty to take the job of police chief in Conspiracy. Small town living
suited him just fine and he was content until he has to solve a thirty-five
year-old murder, keep the Trench Coat Brigade in line and deal with a spunky,
outspoken reporter. Now, Nate suspects there might be something missing from
his life—C.J.
Leave Me Breathless just
got a new cover, and in celebration, I’m giving away a print copy of the book.
To get your name in the drawing, all you have to do is comment on this blog.
Other
books by Kate:
You can also find her at:
Kate Curran has
spent long hours behind the lens of a camera, wading through cow manure, rice
paddies and orchards over her twenty-year career as a photojournalist
specializing in agriculture. One day, leaning on corral fence, ankle deep in
cow manure, Kate paused to consider if this was the life she’d envisioned when
she’d been young and idealistic. Definitely not, and while she enjoyed her
career as a photojournalist, she was ready to spread her wings and make a leap
into something new—contemporary romances. Ironically, her books still carry an
agriculture thread in them, some more than others.
Kate’s favorite
things: cuddling by the fire, ice cream, fresh baked scones, mochas, and
finding outdoor activities for every season, whether it’s swimming, skiing,
mountain biking or a quiet stroll through the woods.
Happily married
for over thirty-five years, she and her husband have two grown sons, a new
granddaughter and a menagerie of animals—a black lab who thinks she’s human, a
house cat that looks part bobcat, and half a dozen cottontails roaming freely
on her property. Kate loves—and writes—deeply emotional, feel good stories. She
gets her inspiration from movies like While You Were Sleeping, Return To Me,
music, and from her own happily-ever-after. Her favorite place to plot out
novels is swinging in a hammock on a warm spring day.
Also writing
under Kathy Coatney, Kate has written a series of children’s books, From the Farm to the Table and Dad’s Girls.
