Welcome, today we are happy to have Kate Douglas here, to answer some questions, so thank you Kate for taking time to let us get to know more about you and your books.
Kate can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Well, I’m a wife, mother of two, grandmother of four (so far!) and an author. That about sums it up. My husband and I recently celebrated our 35th anniversary and we’re still having a blast together, so I can honestly say I’ve been very lucky at love. (I knew the day I met him that we’d end up married, which makes it easy for me to write those “love at first sight” stories.) He’s just retired and we’re getting settled into our home in the mountains. He handles the bulk of the housework and is doing a lot of remodeling while I just stay up here in my office on the third floor and write. I love hiking and gardening and cooking and all those things I used to have time for, but with the writing schedule I’ve been on for the past couple years, my stories have become my life. It’s been a lot of fun, though, and I must admit I’ve got a really entertaining fantasy world!
How did you get started in your writing career and what made you decide to become a romance writer?
I still remember reading my very first Harlequin Romance in 1976: Leopard in the Snow by Anne Mather, and the literary light bulb went off in my head! I loved the story and thought maybe I could write “one of those”—some day. I’ve always been a writer—I started out doing commercials for a little country western radio station in 1971, worked as a newspaper reporter, wrote public information booklets and that sort of stuff all through the seventies and eighties, but I still had the dream of writing romances. One night I actually dreamed a story and I started writing it the next day, in longhand on one of those big yellow legal notepads. I still have those original pages somewhere. I entered the typed version in a writing contest in the mid-1980s and figured I’d be published within the year after I won first place. Obviously that didn’t happen, but I didn’t give up. I tend to be fairly stubborn, and luckily I handled rejection well, because I’ve got twenty years’ worth of letters from editors who passed on my books! I was actually first published with ebooks from Hard Shell Word Factory, but I didn’t make the leap to New York until Kensington bought Wolf Tales.
Who was the hardest character to write about and why?
That would be Keisha Rialto, in the first Wolf Tales book. Keisha is the victim of rape and assault. When I write a character, I really try to get into their heads, in essence, BE them. Keisha was tough because she was so real for me. I don’t LIKE to be the victim…neither did Keisha, but it was really difficult for her to find herself after the attack. She’s grown stronger with every book and will always be my favorite. In Chanku Journey, the novella coming out in Sexy Beast III in September, she emerges as one of the strongest characters in the entire series. Truly a metamorphosis from the traumatized victim in the first book.
You have a new paper book out Wolf Tales IV can you tell us about this HOT HOT book?
Readers of the Wolf Tales series have gotten to know a lot of my characters really well, as they reappear throughout the various stories. Tinker McClintock was introduced in Wolf Tales II and I’ve had a huge demand for his story. He’s one of the quieter members of the Chanku and the only African American male so far. His personal history has left him with a few issues, mostly having to do with acceptance. He is given the job of introducing Lisa Quinn (brother Baylor introduced in WTIII and sister Tala in Chanku Fallen/Sexy Beast II) to the life of Chanku, but he has no idea how hard he’s going to fall for her. Lisa works at a wolf sanctuary in Colorado, but there is a problem with wolves disappearing. Tinker gets caught up in the danger threatening Lisa and calls Lucian Stone and Tia Mason in to help and the story really takes off. One lesson Tinker learns is that in the pack, the alpha bitch rules, and Lisa has no problem taking charge!
What would say are the greatest elements in writing your type of books?
While my books are highly erotic with lots of very graphic sex scenes, they’re also the most emotional and romantic stories I’ve ever written. If the letters I get from readers are an honest response, I have to say the emotional connection readers make to my characters would be the strongest element in the series. My goal is to make my reader care enough about what happens to a particular character that they can accept the different facets of the characters’ sexuality. Wolf Tales is all about acceptance, honor and integrity. My characters love one another, regardless of sex or race. Because of their telepathic abilities, there really are no secrets among them. In many ways, their polyamorous relationships within the pack set up an ideal situation—there is no jealousy among the Chanku. Merely a desire to love, honor and protect.
Do you have any special music or snacks you eat while writing?
Ice water! I drink gallons of ice water when I’m writing…not sure why. Maybe because the stories are so hot?
A little bird told me you have 3 more books contract to write can you give us some information on this?
This is definitely exciting! And it’s actually three more novels AND three more novellas, so I’m going to continue to be very busy for awhile. I’m currently writing Wolf Tales VI and the new contracts will take me through Wolf Tales IX. At this rate, I’m going to need to brush up on my Roman numerals!
Can you give us the list of your books and which one to read first?
I like to remind readers that the novellas are all very much a part of the series, and all my Wolf Tales are tightly connected. Characters and plots reappear throughout the books. I try to make all the stories complete enough for them to stand alone, but I know they make more sense when read in the following order. Also, I like to remind readers that most of my books are available in public libraries—it gets expensive when they’re trade paperbacks. They’re also available as ebooks:
Wolf Tales
- Sexy Beast—Chanku Rising
- Wolf Tales II
- Wild Nights—Camille’s Dawn
- Wolf Tales III
- Sexy Beast II—Chanku Fallen
- Wolf Tales IV—July 07
Coming soon:
- Sexy Beast III—Chanku Journey (September 07)
- Wolf Tales V—January 08
- Sexy Beast IV—Chanku Destiny (March 08)
- Wolf Tales VI—July 08
- Anthology—novella #6 (September 08)
Plus three more novels and three more novellas in anthologies, dates to be determined.
Wow Kate you have been busy! What was your favorite class in High School?
English and creative writing, what else? Also art. I was a cartoonist for almost seventeen years—I did a weekly educational cartoon strip and a couple of educational booklets for the American Mosquito Control Association with a character named Skeeter Mosquito. It was a lot of fun!
Did you play sports or did you have any clubs you were a member of?
There really were very few sports offered for girls when I was in high school—remember, this was the mid 1960s, long before Title 9. I was involved in a number of academic clubs on campus as well as student government.
What is your favorite movie that you could watch over and over?
Dirty Dancing! I love the music and the dancing is just SO sexy! It’s a great story and I DO watch it, over and over and over.
Which actor would you pick to play your hero in Wolf Tales IV?
You’ll think I’m nuts, but I have no idea! I very rarely see movies and I’m not familiar with a lot of the newer actors. I found a photo of an absolutely beautiful model on line, and he “is” Tinker for me, so I can’t imagine any actor playing him. Tinker’s looks and character are also based partially on an old friend who is a Marine pilot. He’s the original “tall, dark and handsome,” and with that military bearing, strikes an imposing figure, but he’s got four kids and is the world’s greatest dad. Tinker is like that—big and powerful, yet with a heart of gold.
Kate where can readers find your books, and how can they contact you?
All of my Wolf Tales books are still available in just about any large chain bookstore and many independents as well. They’re also for sale online at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and all the others I can think of, and discounted through the Kensington website at www.kensingtonbooks.com. Distribution on this series has been excellent, so they’re pretty easy to find.
Are you working on a new book right now?
I’m finishing up the final pages of Wolf Tales VI, which should release next summer. This has a few new characters in it, but it also finally tells Oliver’s story. Oliver has been a peripheral character throughout the entire series—he is Anton Cheval’s servant and personal assistant, but there is a lot more to Oliver than I ever dreamed. I honestly didn’t think he had a story until I realized he wouldn’t leave me alone. Once I started writing about him, I discovered there was a lot more to Oliver than I ever imagined, and this book has absolutely taken over my life!
Kate, thanks I really enjoyed doing this interview!
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