#MondayBlogs: Meet Romance Author Cate Tayler!

Romance author Cate Tayler was supposed to be my #WriterWednesday guest for last week, but, well, uh, my website had a meltdown. I’m so sorry, Cate – thank you and everyone for y’all’s patience!

But what better way to liven up your Memorial Day weekend than by bringing you an author of “sassy & sultry romance”?

So without further ado (meaning babbling from me), here’s a bit about Cate and her new novel, Love Me Now!


What inspires you to write?

Much of my inspiration comes from music, believe it or not. I hear a song, or even just partial lyrics, and it will trigger an entire story in me. What that story ends up looking like when all has been written, revised, and rewritten is normally different from what I started with. But it all begins with a lyric or two that resonates with me.

Which type of romance do you love most, and why?

Contemporary appeals to me most. I like to be able to relate to the stories I read, especially if they are set in a location I know well. Favorite tropes of mine are secret baby (but only when the baby is a secret for a good reason, not just because mom is being stupid), fake fiancé/fiancée, and enemies to lovers. But really, any romance that breaks my heart and puts it back together again by the end is at the top of my list.

Name two things people don’t know about you:

This is a tough one, because I think I’m pretty much an open book. But, the majority of people outside my family probably don’t know that I once wanted to be an astronaut, and read the entire official Space Shuttle Manual cover-to-cover in preparation. I was devastated when they retired the shuttles. There went my dream of being accidentally launched into space a la Space Camp, and piloting the shuttle home!

Another thing most people might not know about me is that I have a degree in German, and while I sometimes dream in Deutsch, it’s been so long since I’ve used it, I’ve forgotten most of it.

What fellow romance author do you recommend reading, and why?

Just one? Really? Okay, then I’d have to say Kristan Higgins, because she writes in such a way, you’re crying on one page and laughing your butt off the next. No, wait… I change my mind. Susan Elizabeth Phillips, because she manages to create complex characters whom you can’t help but love and cheer for, even when they’ve done despicable things. On second thought, I’d have to say Lauren Layne, because she writes a perfect balance of sexy and sweet.

[ML says: I see what you did there, Cate. Well done.]


A Bit About Love Me Now:

A sassy good girl. A rebellious billionaire. A pretend proposal. What could possibly go wrong?

Calista Markatos is failing miserably at saving her family’s Greek diner. Without a miracle, her parents will lose everything. And it’s all the fault of a land developer whose big ideas are destroying her family’s livelihood.

Driven by guilt over his brother’s death, Miles Gardner plays the role of dutiful son. But he rebels against his father’s choice of a bride. A fake engagement can help him avoid the marriage trap. All he has to do is convince the Greek goddess to go along with his plan.

She doesn’t have to like him to pretend to love him.Thirty days later, they’ll both get exactly what they want—and maybe something they didn’t know they needed.

Love Me Now can be found at all major e-book retailers. Find buy links at https://books.pronoun.com/love-me-now/


A Bit About Cate:

Cate Tayler is a beach baby, born and raised on the Connecticut coastline. She met the love of her life while serving in the US Air Force, and after extensive overseas travel, they are now raising their four children in the wild suburbs of Maryland.

When she’s not living her own happily ever after, she’s creating them in her small-town romances. Because the world always needs more happy endings!

You can connect with her at her website: http://www.catetayler.com. Follow her on Facebook (AuthorCateTayler), and on Twitter and Instagram as @writercate.


Thanks so much for joining us, Cate! So glad to have you here. 

Writer Wednesday: Meet Julieann Dove!

View More: http://nataliejaynephotography.pass.us/julieThat’s right! It’s Writer Wednesday! Time to PAR-TAY!

And by party, I mean read this whole interview, because learning about authors is way cool.

The weather is stunningly gorgeous here in Virginia today – a true spring masterpiece. I hope you can say the same wherever you are. Speaking of Virginia, I’m delighted to have fellow Virginian and romance author Julieann Dove with us today, sharing about her life as a writer, and giving us a glimpse into her newest book, Waking Amy!

Welcome, Julieann! And away we go…


Business concept. keyboard and crumpled paper on table.What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?

I would’ve liked to be told that no matter what skill set I thought I had, or how I might’ve thought my imagination was good…go take at least two or three writing workshops before submitting anything to an agent. Let’s face it, you get one chance to make an impression, and although I got my fair share of requests, it always came back to a craft problem that enabled me from getting representation.

What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?

Wuthering Heights. I can feel the love Heathcliff had for Catherine. Right down to my bones. The way he wanted her to haunt him when she died. There was such passion between these two characters. I never tire of reading it!

MusicButterflyWhat inspires you to write?

Music. I can hear a song and write a novel around the lyrics. I wrote my first novel from listening to the song Gravity, by Sara Bareilles. I even titled it “Gravity!” I’ve since changed the title, but I won an award for it, and I have the certificate with the original title. That was neat. 🙂


And now, a bit on Waking Amy:

Waking Amy DigitalAmy Whitfield is blindsided when she comes home and finds a note on the fridge from her husband, Wesley, stating that after four years of marriage, he’s leaving her. Amy was in the midst of trying to spice things up, to bring life back to their boring marriage. It seems now that she was too late.

As Amy sits with her head between her knees, trying to figure out what to do next, a call comes from Mercer General Hospital. The ER nurse is telling Amy’s answering machine that Wesley has been in a car accident.

When Amy arrives at the hospital, she finds her husband in a coma. The doctors say there is no sign of brain damage, and Wesley will eventually wake up. Relieved, Amy sees this as her second chance: the chance to get it right this time. To channel the girl Wesley won’t leave when he regains consciousness… She just needs some help to pull it off. After all, she was voted girl most likely to die a virgin in high school.

Amy would never figure on getting that help from Mark Reilly…Wesley’s doctor! He’s a non-committer, too-cute-for-his-own-good bachelor, and completely the guy Amy begins falling for. It’s a race against time to see who wakes up first—Amy or her husband.

Find Waking Amy on Amazon!


A bit about Julieann Dove:

Passports to world travel Julieann lives in Virginia, yet longs to live everywhere else. It doesn’t come as a surprise that along with her gypsy soul, comes an active imagination. That’s why she loves to write and invent worlds and people, so that she can formulate their happily ever after. Hobbies include cooking new recipes, sewing, and spending time with her cute boyfriend/husband and five fabulous children. Vacations happen in Nantucket or the Carolina beaches—anywhere there is inspiration for her next book. One day she hopes to travel to Italy, drive one of those little cars around the countryside, and speak the language fluently!



Thanks so much for joining us, Julieann! Wishing you great success with Waking Amy!

Aria Glazki’s Mending Heartstrings is HERE! Read all about it!

Aria GlazkiSo happy to welcome Aria Glazki to the blog during her DEBUT WEEK for her new romance, Mending HeartstringsAria and I met on the flash fiction circuit and bonded as romance writers. Today, we’re shining the spotlight on her as she talks writing, the pressures of being interesting as an introverted author, and then gives us the deets on Mending Heartstrings. Wahoo! Thanks for being here, Aria!


Tell us about Mending Heartstrings:

Mending Heartstrings cover smallMending Heartstrings is really about two people who both have reasons to avoid relationships, especially spontaneous ones, who still can’t deny the connection they feel during one lovely night together. But of course, they have to reconcile that interest with obstacles like living thousands of miles away and with their own trepidation, their pasts. So they each have to make the choice—do they even try, do they put in the effort, or do they simply give in to reality, to being practical?

And this is a choice many of us have to make when we first meet someone who interests us: are they worth the effort, and the potential of ending up hurt?

When did you start writing?

In a sense, I began writing short stories and poems back in elementary school. I actually had quite a few creative writing assignments throughout my education, which I think was lucky. I really started studying writing, though, in high school, working with writing prompts and pushing my boundaries. The first time I started a novel was during an independent study writing course my senior year, and then Creative Writing became one of my majors in University.

What inspires you to continue writing when you lose your focus?

writingTaking a break and allowing my subconscious to do the hard work of filtering ideas or breaking through writer’s block often does the trick for me, bringing the persistent voices of the characters and vivid moments which beg to be written to the forefront. If that doesn’t work, my writing group encouragingly badgers me into it.

If you could choose to write from anywhere in the world, where would that be?

I would love to live and write in a flat in Paris—dashing out for fresh pastries (a.k.a. inspiration) and soaking in the creative legacy of the city, with incredible art, culture, and history from all over Europe at most a few hours away.

As a romance writer, how do you decide how hot or not your book is going to be?

sunset in heart handsThe level of heat in my books is decided by the characters—sexually confident and adventurous characters demand more explicit, unabashed heat, whereas more timid or reserved characters are likely to keep their intimacy behind closed doors.  Characters with different approaches to sexuality may bounce from one extreme to the other while finding the sweet spot for themselves as a couple. And of course, some characters’ relationships develop through their physical intimacy, in which case you’ll see those moments as that happens.

Any tips for new writers?

Take courses or workshops, and join writing groups with more experienced writers. Really pay attention to what other people are saying—but then sort through the pieces that ring true for you in your writing. After graduating with a Creative Writing degree, I was entirely demoralized with regards to writing. I sincerely thought I could never be an author, but a couple of years later, a story idea wouldn’t let me go, and now here Mending Heartstrings is. So don’t allow the opinions of even “experts” to discourage you from writing if that’s your goal, just ensure you’re learning everything you can from their perspective and advice.

Any tips for old writers?

MusicButterflyBreak out of your genre! Constantly writing in the same genre can easily become formulaic, even across story lines, and while this can be quite successful commercially, it doesn’t allow for any growth as a writer. Eventually, writing essentially the same thing with different faces must get old, so try creating something that can’t possibly follow the path you’re used to and see what you can learn from the experience.


 Impossibly Interesting At All Times

We authors may not like to admit it, but fascinating content doesn’t stream endlessly from our fingertips—not for our books, not for our social media accounts, and not for blog (or guest) posts we write.

So many writers and authors are introverts at heart, preferring to keep to themselves. Some people, of course, are naturally outgoing and engaging and truly do seem fascinating with every comment they make. They set the bar impossibly high for the rest of us.

static1.squarespaceThe pressure to be interesting at all times is perpetuated by much of the advice circulating the internet. And to that end, “fake it ’til you make it” is a pretty good motto. Projecting confidence encourages others to assume you actually know what you’re talking about. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite help you figure out what to say, which can leave you writing about the impossibility of constantly producing engaging content.

So what’s the most interesting thing about me? In my eyes, probably the characters in my books. Their lives, their relationships, their adventures and struggles and triumphs—all much more interesting than I am. Let’s face it, there’s a reason I’m not writing a memoir! Moreover, readers are quite lucky that most of an author’s content is edited and revised before being published. Believe me, you don’t want to see previously drafted options for this post.

Despite the struggle of coming up with a stream of fascinating content, and the occasional desire to pull all our hair out, authors continually return to the keyboard, reach deep down, and write something new, hoping you’ll find it interesting. Not because it’s our “job” or a requirement of book marketing, but because—introverted or not—we like engaging with all you lovely people who share one of our biggest passions: books.

One of my biggest hardships, personally, is always feeling like I’m talking at people. So let’s turn this monologue into a dialogue. Tell me, what’s the most interesting thing about you? And if you have questions for me, definitely feel free to ask in the comments!


 And now … Mending Heartstrings:

Mending Heartstrings cover smallCover design by: Christa Holland at Paper & Sage (paperandsage.com)

Publication date: February 9, 2016

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27873304-mending-heartstrings

Book blurb:
Kane’s a country singer who’s tangled with too many deceitful women. He’s learned his lesson: girls are for flirting and fun; emotions are for his music. But after spending a night with an earnest woman unlike any he’s known, he can’t force her out of his mind. So he goes in search of the woman he knows only as “Elle.”

On her last night in Nashville, the staunchly pragmatic Sabella found herself in a situation more suited to a romance novel than reality. Swept away, she ignored her rigidly self-imposed rules, succumbing to the fantasy just this once. But she knows real-world relationships have nothing in common with their fictionalized portrayals. When Kane unexpectedly shows up at her Portland apartment, she must choose between the practical truths she has learned and the desire for a passionate love she has struggled to suppress.

Despite the distance, Kane’s tour schedule, and their meddling friends, both are drawn to the chance for a romance neither quite believes is possible.

Buy Links: 
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A9PUFZ0
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A9PUFZ0
Amazon CAN: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01A9PUFZ0
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01A9PUFZ0
B&N: barnesandnoble.com/w/mending-heartstrings-aria-glazki/1120854319
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/605278
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/mending-heartstrings/id1072179639

Author bio: 
Aria’s writing story started when her seventh-grade English teacher encouraged her to submit a class assignment for publication. That piece was printed, and let’s just say, she was hooked!

Since then, Aria has run a literary magazine, earned her degree in Creative Writing (as well as in French and Russian literatures), and been published here and there. Though her first kiss technically came from a bear cub, and no fairytale transformation followed, Aria still believes magic can happen when the right people come together—if they don’t get in their own way, that is.

Other than all things literary, Aria loves spending time with her family, including her two unbearably adorable nieces. She also dabbles in painting, dancing, playing violin, and, given the opportunity, Epicureanism.

Social media links: 
Website: http://www.AriaGlazki.com
Twitter: http://Twitter.com/AriaGlazki
Facebook: http://Facebook.com/Aria.Glazki
Goodreads: http://Goodreads.com/Aria.Glazki
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Aria-Glazki/e/B00DHUXFY8

Don’t Miss the Giveaway!

Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/af6a4b3c12/



Thank you so much for joining us, Aria, and we wish you great success with Mending Heartstrings