Interview with Cat Grant

Jen: This week we welcome Cat Grant to Book Talk. Cat, please share a short bio with us.
Cat: Let's see… I'm blonde, blue-eyed, rather pear-shaped. ;) I live in Monterey, CA with husband and cat. As far as writing goes, I've been doing it on and off since grammar school. Storytelling's always been a passion of mine.

Jen: Tell us about your recent releases and where they are available.
Cat: I have two books out, both published by Lyrical Press. The Arrangement, which was published last May, is my first published novel. It's an erotic romance about a m/m/f ménage a trois. It follows the relationship between Eric Courtland, a high-powered CEO turned US Senator, his wife Allison, an on-air correspondent for CNN, and their lover Nick Thompson, a New York City newspaper reporter, over the course of two years.
My second book, Strictly Business, just came out last month. It's a m/m novella, with erotic and BDSM elements. It's a prequel to The Arrangement, and takes place nine years earlier. It's about the early years of Eric's and Nick's love affair.

Jen: At what age did you discover writing and when were you first published? Tell us your call story.
Cat: Well, I'm e-published, so I didn't get "the call," I got "the email." I spent several months collecting rejection slips on my novel, The Arrangement, when I decided to submit it to Lyrical Press last March. At that point, Lyrical hadn't even opened for business yet. I sent the manuscript off in the morning, then went off to do grocery shopping and a few other errands, and by the time I returned home that afternoon, Lyrical's editor in chief had already emailed me back a contract. I shrieked so loud, my poor husband thought I was being murdered!

Jen: Describe your writing in three words.
Cat: Angsty. Witty. Hot!

Jen: Do you have a writing routine?
Cat: It takes awhile for a story idea to jell for me. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool pantser, so outlines don't really work for me. It has to gestate in the back of my mind for a long time until it's ready for me to apply butt to chair and fingers to keyboard. But when the idea's ripe, I can bang out a first draft fairly quickly. I usually work eight to ten hours a day during the actual writing process.

Jen: What is it about the romance or erotica genre that appeals to you?
Cat: I enjoy writing about adult relationships, and it's impossible to do that without exploring the characters' sex lives. I like exploring intimacy issues. Characters reveal so much about themselves when they're in a vulnerable state, and sex is a great way to show them at their most vulnerable.

Jen: Do you do anything special to celebrate a new sale, contract, or release?
Cat: For my first book, my husband and I went out to dinner. For my second book… well, we'll see. ;)

Jen: Is there a genre that you’d like to write?
Cat: I've been kicking around an idea for a m/m urban fantasy about a demon hunter and a witch, but that's still in the research phase.

Jen: Do you have a favorite character or one that you identify most with?
Cat: I have a soft spot in my heart for Eric Courtland, one of the protagonists in both The Arrangement and Strictly Business--although nobody else seems to! Poor Eric just doesn't get much love from my readers. I think it's because he's a Type A personality--ambitious, driven, results-oriented. He has a tendency to take the people in his life for granted, but once he realizes what he's done, his loving, generous nature comes to the fore. I suppose I do identify with Eric, because where my writing's concerned, I am very much a Type A. When I'm working on a book, I do not want to be bothered by anyone or anything. It's made for some interesting discussions between me and my husband!

Jen: Who are some of your favorite authors and books? What are you reading now?
Cat: I just finished Sherrilyn Kenyon's Acheron, and a lovely historical by Kalen Hughes called Lord Sin (Book One: Rakes of London. I'd love to write an historical someday, but the research would be a killer!

Jen: What's next for you?
Cat: I've got ideas for two more novellas and a full-length novel set in the same universe as The Arrangement and Strictly Business. I want to write the story of how Eric and Nick met in college and fell in love, and then one about how Eric and Ally got married. Those would both be prequels. Then I want to jump ahead ten years from events in The Arrangement, and have Eric, Nick and Ally move back to the US so Eric can resume his political career--and eventually become the first openly-bisexual president. And one of these days I hope to write that m/m urban fantasy as well.

Jen: Where can you be found on the web?
Cat: My website is at: http://www.catgrant.com. And I also have a Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/inbox/#/profile.php?id=1400447380.

Jen: Is there anything you would like to ask our readers?
Cat: Not a question, but a big "thanks!" to everyone for their support. Because of all the great readers out there, The Arrangement hit the All Romance e-books best seller list. Talk about a thrill!

Jen: Thank you for joining us and we wish you well with your new releases and future projects. Readers, Cat is graciously offering up a .pdf of Strictly Business to a random commenter this week. So, ask Cat a question or leave a comment (preferably something more that "please enter me in the contest) and you'll be entered. The winner will be chosen on Friday, October 31 around noon PDT.