Thursday, February 17, 2011

Interview with mystery author Kate George!


Congrats to June! You are the winner of California Schemin. Please look in the comments section for Kate's email so she can send the e-book to you.

Please welcome mystery author Kate George! Kate would like to give away an e-book copy of her book so be sure to leave your email in the comments section so she can get a hold of one lucky visitor.


Lia: Hi Kate! It's great to have you here. Tell us about your latest release.

Kate: First I want to thank you, Lia, for hosting me here. It’s very kind of you to agree to interview me.

My latest release is a mystery called California Schemin’. It’s much tamer than your usual books, in that it’s not erotica, but it’s still a fun read. Here’s a short synopsis:

Bree MacGowan is pretty sure she knows who killed the senator’s wife; she just doesn’t know how to prove it. On top of that, a federal agent has her under wraps in the enemy’s camp. He doesn’t want, or need, Bree's input. What he wants if for her to stay put. In fact, undercover agent, Richard Hambecker, is the kind of guy that makes Bree MacGowan crazy. He’s an arrogant, pigheaded, can-do guy that thinks he knows everything and doesn’t have to tell anything. And he’s trying to keep her alive. Not that she doesn’t want to be alive, it’s just that she’s perfectly capable of keeping herself alive, thank you.

Being a self-sufficient, problem solving Vermont girl, Bree’s used to taking care of her own problems. Just because some Ex-Army Ranger has gotten her mixed up in murder doesn’t mean she’s obligated to behave herself. Bree figures it’s her job to get as far away from Mr. Hambecker as possible, turn in the murderer and reclaim her boyfriend and her life. But the murderer isn’t going to be easy to catch, her life is in a shambles and the boyfriend isn’t sure he wants to be reclaimed. It’s mystery with a side of laughter.

Lia: Sounds fantastic. How would you describe your heroine?

Kate: Bree MacGowan is attractive but has trouble keeping boyfriends. Her animals tend to come first and chaos has a way of following her. But she is full of Spunk, likes men more than she should and is never short on companionship. When trouble finds her, as it always does, uses her brains and audacity to give trouble a run for its money.

Lia: I like her already. Do you have a common theme in the books you write?

Kate: I don’t have a common theme, per se, but I do write to make people laugh. So my books tend to be on the humorous side, and full of the vicissitudes of life.

Lia: I love a story with humor. Tell me something about your hero. Does he have any scars or tattoos? Where are they? Is there a story behind them?

Kate: Beau Maverick has a tattoo on his forearm; it’s a picture of his high school girlfriend. He tells people it’s a picture of his mother when she was young.

Richard Hambecker is a former Navy Seal. He has the Navy Crest tattooed on his chest and a number of other tattoos on his body that represent successful missions. He won’t say what those missions were.

Lia: Ooh, interesting. I can tell a lot about the characters just from those descriptions. Is there anything special you do to get in the mood before writing a scene?

Kate: I often will play a set of music to put me back in the story if I haven’t written for a while.

Lia: Do you have a favorite writer you’ve read over and over?

Kate: Jennifer Crusie. She’s the queen of snark and one of the best writers I know of.

Lia: Jennifer Crusie is one of my faves, too. So funny. Have you ever lived out any of your scenes?

Kate: Unfortunately trouble has a way of following me too. So whenever Bree is in trouble you can bet that I’ve had that problem too. Not the dead bodies, I’ve been fortunate to avoid those. But tickets, and cars sliding off the road – stuff like that happens to me all the time.

Lia: Well, I'm even more intrigued. Can't wait to find out just what trouble Bree gets in to. Here's Kate's bio and directions to find her books. Hope you'll all check them out!



Award winning writer, Kate George, is the author of Moonlighting in Vermont and California Schemin’ (due out March 1, 2011). She lives in Vermont with Dogs, kids, and currently, snow. You can reach her at http://www.kategeorge.com/. Her books are available at http://www.mainlymurderpress.com/, www.amazon.com or can be ordered from any bookstore.

13 comments:

Kate George/Bodacious Betty said...

Hi Lia,

I'm around if anyone wants to ask questions! Thanks again for hosting me.

Kate

Lucy March said...

Hey, Kate! I'm wondering, what made you want to write murder mysteries? Do you have a favorite mystery author who inspired you?

Alastair said...

Hi Kate!

I love the trailers that you cut together for California Schemin' on YouTube -- what inspired you to make them, and what do you enjoy most about the process?

Can't wait to read the book! :)

Lia Slater said...

Kate, it's wonderful to have you on my blog. Looking forward to reading your work!

Welcome to all the visitors.

Lia

Sofie said...

Hi Kate,

Humour and a heroine who loves animals sound like a winning combination. Like Alastair I'd love to hear more about the trailers.

Kate George/Bodacious Betty said...

Hi Lucy,

Well to tell the truth I didn't realize I was writing a mystery when I wrote Moonlighting in Vermont. I thought I was writing some form of Chick Lit. I just knew that I'd discovered Janet Evanovich and could relate to her humor. So I developed my story in that way. It was MUCH later I realized I'd written a mystery.

It's not surprising really... I grew up reading mysteries. Christie, James, Keene, Stewart, I read them all.

Kate George/Bodacious Betty said...

Hi Alastair and Sofie,

I'd been seeing book trailers on blogs and stuck under people's signatures on emails and was thinking I should make them. And when I realized there was free web based software that was easy to use I decided to give it a try.

The hardest part is finding images. I go to the stock photo sites and buy inexpensive images, but often they don't look the way my imagination says they should. Sometimes I photo shop them to add and element or change something, but sometimes I just have to bite the bullet and deal with the fact that my original concept won't work.

OR, in the case of the cover for California Schemin, I take photos myself and either shop them to work, or shop them over a stock photo.

I've been artsy fartsy all my life, working in one medium or another - trailers are just another way to express my creativity.

The fun part is shopping the photos, the better I get at it the more fun it becomes. Oh, and choosing the music. That part is fun too...

June said...

Hi Kate - The book sounds great. I love romance combined with thrills. I was wondering what made you decided to plant your Vermont gal in a California story. Have you spent much time in that part of the country?

Stephanie said...

Hi, Kate-
So, chick lit turned into a murder mystery? That sounds like a good story:) I can't wait to read this one.

Lia - what a great interview!!

Kate George/Bodacious Betty said...

Hi June,

I was born and raised in California, left for a while to live in Canada and then went back again. California is a natural place for me to set stories because I don't have to do any research!

Hi Stephanie! Thanks for stopping by...

Kate

thea said...

Love the cover! Of course I'll buy your book, it's got a lot going for it and it's right up my reading alley.

Lia Slater said...

Congrats to June, who is the winner of California Schemin! June, please reach Kate at sixmcgeorges@gmail.com

Thanks!

June said...

Thanks Lia and Kate. That is so nice of you. I'll be in touch.