An Interview (and a Giveaway) With Kathy Douglass

Please welcome the fabulous Kathy Douglass to the blog today. We're talking about her new release, THE CITY GIRL’S HOMECOMING. The paperback hit the shelves last week and the e-book is available May 1, 2019. We're talking 

Here's a little bit about the book:

Eight dogs, eight cats…and one ornery cowboy!

Megan Jennings just found the ideal temporary home for sixteen suddenly displaced pets. Too bad the farm’s owner isn’t giving the two-legged, former New York attorney the same warm welcome. A city girl broke Cade Battle’s heart and no way the gun-shy cowboy’s trusting in the feelings Megan awakens. But after being orphaned as a teenager, Megan knows she’s finally found her forever family. Can she make Cade believe it, too?

READ A LITTLE, BUY THE BOOK

https://aerbook.com/books/-212098.html?identifier=9781488041990

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1335573860/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-city-girls-homecoming-kathy-douglass/1129979153?ean=9781335573865

  

Nancy Robards Thompson: Welcome, Kathy! I’m so happy you’re here today. How often to you get lost in a story?

Kathy Douglas:  Hi Nancy. Thanks so much for having me.

I get lost in a story all the time. It’s my favorite thing to do. Sometimes I get lost in a story when I’m not supposed to. I tell myself that I’m going to just read for a minute or two. The next thing I know that two minutes has turned into twenty. And going from twenty to thirty is quite easy. I try to be disciplined, but it’s so easy to get swept up into the world of books.

NRT: Tell us about your current release.

KD: My latest book is THE CITY GIRL’S HOMECOMING. It’s the fifth book in a multi-author continuity. The books revolve around a pet rescue in the fictional town of Spring Forest, North Carolina. Although it’s part of a series, my book stands alone.

THE CITY GIRL’S HOMECOMING is about finding family and being willing to trust in love again. My heroine lost her family in a tragic accident as a teenager and longs to feel the love of a family again. She has an open heart whereas my hero has been burned and has closed his heart to love. He has to learn to trust again if he’s ever going to experience the joy of love again.

NRT: Why will readers fall in love with your hero?

KD: Because although Cade’s grumpy, he has a heart of gold. He’s a good guy. He’s the kind of man who cares for his neighbor. If someone is in need, he helps. He also loves his dad and is a great son. He tries to put up walls around his heart, but his true self always comes through.

NRT: Tell us something special about your heroine.

KD: Megan is a giving and loving woman. She’s a hopeful person and although life has dealt her some harsh blows, she hasn’t become bitter. She believes in family and love.

 NRT: How many books have you written? Is there a secret to writing books? Any favorite places to write?

KD: THE CITY GIRL’S HOMECOMING is the sixth book that I’ve published. Before I was published, I filled many notebooks with stories that will never see the light of day. I recycled those notebooks and they’re now living happily as paper towels and paper cups.

If there’s a secret to writing books, I don’t know it. The only thing I know to do is to sit down and do the work. Some days are easier than others and the words just flow. Other days are more difficult and I’m lucky to get any words on the page. But little by little, the words find their way to the page until the entire story is told. I guess the closest thing to a secret I know is to keep writing. Keep showing up no matter how many or how few words you manage to write that day. Eventually you’ll get to type “THE END”.

I don’t have a favorite place to write. I have an office that I use early in the morning, about 5:00 a.m. or so while my husband is sleeping. Later in the day I might bring the laptop to my bedroom and work on the bed. Once the first draft is written, I print it out and put it in a purple three-ring binder. I tried other color binders, but they don’t work for me. Once I’m on the second draft, I can write anywhere. If the weather is good, I sit outside and work. If not, it’s the office or the bedroom.

NRT: Why do you write romance?

KD: I write romance because I love reading romance. I write the stories that I enjoy reading. This may sound a bit odd, but sometimes when I’m working on the first draft, I find myself thinking about the story and actually for a second think it’s a book I’m reading. Crazy, I know. But for that short period of time I want to pick up that book and finish reading it. Of course the only way to do that is to finish writing it.

NRT: When did you know you were a writer?

KD: Ooh. That’s a hard one. I spent many years writing and submitting before I finally sold my first book to Harlequin Special Edition. I guess I really knew I was a writer when I signed my first contract.

NRT: Are you an early bird writer or a night owl?  Do you try to keep a solid routine or is every day different?

KD:  I’m definitely not a night owl. I like to consider myself a middle of the day writer. In the early hours, I try and look at email, play around on social media, and reread the previous day’s words to kind of ease into the day. Occasionally I’m able to write good words, but most of the time not. But as the day progresses, I hit my stride. I’m generally done by late afternoon. If I’m on a roll, I might continue writing into the evening, but if not, I just shut it down. When I’m working on my second or third drafts, I might work later.

I try to keep a routine, but it might change from time to time, depending on where I am in the process. I don’t outline any more than is necessary for the proposal that’s required to sell the book, so the first draft is usually harder for me. There are times when I don’t have a clue what’s going to happen next. When that happens, I just stop writing for the day. But miraculously, the next day I know exactly what to do.

NRT: How do you celebrate when you finish a book?

KD:  I dance around the house. (I call it dancing even though others don’t agree.) Then I generally take a couple of days and clean up. The closer I get to the end of a book, the less inclined I am to clean or cook or anything. I am really focused on finishing. So, when the book is done, it’s laundry and cleaning. And I reward myself by reading.

NRT:   What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream (or whatever dessert you love)?

KD: I love Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. It is my favorite ice cream. My mother loved butter pecan ice cream and I like that, too. Whenever I eat it, I think of her.

NRT: I know exactly what you mean. Certain foods make me thing of people I love. Those are good memories. Are you ready for the Speed Round? Just say the first thing that comes to mind.

*          What’s the first book you remember reading?  I grew up in a house of readers. My mother and father were always reading. My siblings always had their noses in books as well. I recall having many books read to me before I could read. Hop on Pop, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, and Go Dog Go are some of the titles I remember. I don’t know which book is the first I read on my own, but the one that made the biggest impression on me as a kid was Frederick Douglass Freedom Fighter.

*           What's your favorite cartoon character? My favorite cartoon character is Snoopy. I am a big fan of Charlie Brown cartoons. I watch A Charlie Brown Christmas every year. And I love Snoopy, Come Home, A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown.

*        Where’s your favorite place to read? My favorite place to read depends on the weather. If it’s a warm, sunny day, I like to read on the front porch. When it’s cold or late, I like to read in my bedroom. But to be honest, any place I have a book and time to read is a good place.

*        What sound or noise do you love?  I love the sound of a baby laughing. Baby’s laughter is just so sweet and filled with joy.

*         What’s your favorite movie of all time? My favorite movie is Wuthering Heights. I was very young when I saw it on television for the first time. I watch it every time it comes on TCM. My dad loved that movie and whenever I watch it, I think of him.

*        What’s your favorite season? My favorite season is summer. I love the warm weather and the longer days. And all that bright sunshine.

*         Coffee or tea? Tea

*         Beach or mountains? Beach

*        Cats or dogs? Dogs

*         Savory or sweet? Sweet

NRT: Kathy, this has been such fun! Congratulations on the new release and thanks so much for being here today.

1      CONNECT WITH KATHY DOUGLASS:

Contact: https://kathydouglassbooks.com/contact/

Website: https://kathydouglassbooks.com/

Facebook: Author Kathy Douglass

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathydouglass7

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kathy-douglass

Goodreads:  Kathy Douglass

Newsletter Signup: https://kathydouglassbooks.com/newsletter-sign-up/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kathy-Douglass/e/B01LXACZUE/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

UP NEXT :

My next book is A BABY BETWEEN FRIENDS. It’s my sixth Sweet Briar Sweethearts book and features Joni Danielson and Lex Devlin.

PREVIOUS RELEASES: (Provide a link to your book list, if possible):

https://kathydouglassbooks.com/books/

 

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Kathy is offering a copy of her first Sweet Briar Sweethearts book, HOW TO STEAL THE LAWMAN’S HEART. The giveaway is open  to U. S. only.

Answer the following question in the in comments below to be eligible to win Kathy's prize:

What is your favorite book?

***********************************************************

Kathy Douglass came by her love of reading naturally - both of her parents were readers. She would finish one book and pick up another. Then she attended law school and traded romances for legal opinions.

After the birth of her two children, her love of reading turned into a love of writing. Kathy now spends her days writing the small town contemporary novels she enjoys reading.

Kathy loves to hear from her readers and can be found on Facebook or her website kathydouglassbooks.com.

A PUPPY IN MY CHRISTMAS STOCKING AND A CHANCE FOR YOU TO WIN BOOKS

Luna Belle on her way home.

Santa came early and brought us a corgi puppy. Meet Luna Belle, our sweet, red and white Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

She’s such a blessing because we’ve wanted another corgi since we lost our girl, Samantha in October

2017.  Since late 2017 and 2018 was a time of great change – adapting to a new home in a new state (we moved from Florida to Tennessee) and getting in sync with my husband’s retirement – plus, we did a fair amount of traveling this year. With all that on our plate, we decided to wait until life settled down.

Then, it was a matter of locating a puppy and waiting for the pup to be old enough to be away from its mother. Everything finally came together last week.

In so many ways, having a puppy in the house is like having a newborn. It’s like childbirth, too. The joy of having this little being in our lives makes us forget the pains of puppyhood – the frequent trips outside on the journey to housetraining. The experts say a puppy can hold it one hour for each month she is old. Luna is two months old. You can do the math…that means we’re taking trips outside every two hours. I have to give her credit, after her “last call” at night, the little thing is making it through the night for about six hours. That’s such a blessing.

Our Samantha lived to be almost twelve years old. We got her when she was three months old. For the life of me, I can’t remember the

Samantha in her Christmas sweater

housetraining process. All I remember is that she was easy.  Granted, Sammy was a month older than Luna when we got her, but I swear, I don’t remember her having accidents in the house. Selective memory?

Not gonna lie, our first week with Luna has brought some challenges. I’ve had to rethink my writing routine. Where I used to have long stretches of uninterrupted time to do my pages, now, I have to work in sprints between puppy “outings.”

Also, northeast Tennessee experienced a winter storm the likes of which the area hadn’t seen in ages. Our neighbor, who was born and raised here, says he hasn’t seen this much snow since he was a boy. We got nine inches, which made that first week of house training…interesting.

But Luna is so worth it. She loves the snow. She’s already developed a personality that is a wonderful mix of sweet and cuddly and adventurous and playful.

Luna

Something my friends have asked is why we didn’t adopt a rescue. That’s a great question. We tried several times to adopt rescue corgis, but they were placed just as soon as we submitted our application (we were always behind a long line of applicants). It’s wonderful that so many people are open to bringing rescues into their families. Since that wasn’t our path this time, we will continue to donate to the ASPCA and support our local shelter.

Thank you, Santa, for bringing our little Luna to us. Dear readers, what is on your Christmas/holiday list? I’ll give a bundle of Christmas books to one reader who comments below.

*********************************************************************************

National bestselling author Nancy Robards Thompson lives and writes in Tennessee, but her imagination transports her all over the world. She has found Nirvana doing what she loves most – writing romance and women's fiction full-time. She's sold more than 40 books, which critics have deemed, “…funny, smart and observant.”

Let's connect:

Website: NancyRobardsThompson.com

Facebook: Nancy Robards Thompson Books and Nancy Robards Thompson Author

Twitter: @NRTWrites

Instagram: @nancyrthompson

BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/nancy-robards-thompson

Make A Date With Harlequin Special Edition For A Chance To WIN!

Have you read my novel MADDIE FORTUNE’S PERFECT MAN? For a limited time, you can enter to win it and more than 250 other fantastic Harlequin Special Edition paperback romances.

All you have to do is follow me and other great Special Edition authors on BookBub! ✨✨✨✨

You can enter the contest by clicking HERE

For every Special Edition author you follow on BookBub, you’ll get one entry to win. If you follow all twenty-six of us, you’ll have twenty-six chances to win.

Good luck!

When you’re done, leave a comment to let me know you’ve followed. I’ll choose another name from those who comment on this post to win a $10 Amazon gift card. Winner announced in the comments on October 18.

On Cowboys, Mickey Mouse, and Ryan Gosling...

Hello! I’m thrilled to finally be part of the Get Lost In A Story blog. It took me a while to officially get started. When Angi invited me we were about two weeks away from our daughter’s wedding, and I was wrapping up a book. I asked Angi if I could come on board after things settled down.

I live in Orlando. Less than a week after I turned in the new manuscript, Hurricane Irma left us without power for eight days. I’m not complaining after watching what the people in the islands and Puerto Rico are suffering. My heart goes out to them. In comparison, my week of “camping out” was a minor inconvenience. Still, it was beginning to feel like I’d never get here. But here I am, just in time to introduce myself and tell you about my brand new release, THE COWBOY WHO GOT AWAY. It’s book twelve in my Celebration, TX series for Harlequin Special Edition.

Before I share the story blurb with you, I wanted to tell you a little bit about myself so we can get to know each other better.

I’ve lived in Florida most of my life. Before we settled here, we lived several different places in the midwest, the south and Europe because my father was in the Air Force. It was my mother’s dream to live in Florida. So, once my father left the Air Force, he made a point of making her dream come true. See, I’ve been surrounded by heroes my entire life.

I sold my first book in 2003. Since then, I’ve sold 39 books.  Before I started writing full-time, I worked as a newspaper reporter and in public relations. While I was in college, I had the opportunity to work on the set of a couple of movie productions, and I was a stand-in on the set of The All-New Mickey Mouse Club -- the show that spawned Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, and Keri Russell. They filmed the show at Disney MGM Studios (as it was called at the time). I started out there working as a temporary free-lance public relations rep for the show's production company during the grand opening of the Disney Studios (Okay, I'm dating myself here). I was the handler for two of the Mouseketeers and I escorted them to their media appointments. I had so much fun that I wasn’t ready to leave when the assignment was over. They asked me to stay on as a stand-in. So, while the Mouseketeers were in rehearsals and working with tutors to keep up with their school work, I would wear a Mouseketeer name tag and stand-in so the production crew could do the camera blocking. It was a blast, but I wouldn’t trade being a romance writer for all the Mouseketeers in the world – not even Ryan Gosling all grown up. Well…on second thought, let me get back to you on that one.

Just kidding! I’ve been happily married for nearly twenty-five years.  Anyway, before I get myself into trouble, here’s the blurb for THE COWBOY WHO GOT AWAY:

From homecoming crowns to wedding rings...

Hunky bull rider Jude Campbell seems to have the world by the proverbial horns. But when the world champion returns to Celebration for his high school reunion, he's confronted by the ghosts he'd worked so hard to forget. Not to mention the high school love who got away…

Bridezilla wrangler Juliette Lowell is as gorgeous and genuine as she was as Jude's homecoming queen. And the spark between them burns as bright as ever. But Jules still smarts from Jude's betrayal years before. And as successful as he seems, Jude's struggling with the prospect of hanging up his spurs. But with his queen, Juliette, by his side, maybe this homecoming will take once and for all… 

If you’d like to get a feel for the book through music, here's a link to the playlist for THE COWBOY WHO GOT AWAY:  http://bit.ly/2k1TITS  The right music always helps me set the tone for my stories.

Now, it’s your turn. Tell me about your favorite job (past or present) and I’ll give one person who comments a tote bag full of books.