I'd like to welcome the lovely Katy Evans, to the blog today to celebrate the exciting release of Manwhore from Gallery Books, the first of a hot new series!
Welcome to Books à la Mode, Katy! Let's get this interview started.
Will you please share a brief introduction with us?
Katy Evans grew up with books and book-boyfriends until she found a real sexy boyfriend to love. They married and are now hard at work on their own happily ever after. Katy loves her family and friends, and she also loves reading, walking, baking, and being consumed by her characters until she reaches “The End.” Which is, hopefully, only the beginning...
It's amazing to get to feature you today! Readers, here's a bit about the book, which hits shelves tomorrow:
Is it possible to expose Chicago’s hottest player—without getting played? The New York Times bestselling author of Real brings you the first in a sexy new series.
This is the story I’ve been waiting for all my life, and its name is Malcolm Kyle Preston Logan Saint. Don’t be fooled by that last name though. There’s nothing holy about the man except the hell his parties raise. The hottest entrepreneur Chicago has ever known, he’s a man’s man with too much money to spend and too many women vying for his attention.
Mysterious. Privileged. Legendary. His entire life he’s been surrounded by the press as they dig for tidbits to see if his fairytale life is for real or all mirrors and social media lies. Since he hit the scene, his secrets have been his and his alone to keep. And that’s where I come in.
Passionate. Intense. Exhilarating. Steamy. Modern.
How did you arrive at writing romance? Are there any other genres you’d like to try your hand at, or any you want to stay away from?
I started out as a voracious reader, reading everything I could get my hands on, and ultimately finding my true love in romance. It's the genre I read most, but not the only one. I love thrillers too, and women's fiction and young adult. I'd definitely write anything along the lines of what I like to read! They do say you should write what you love and I think the only way you can truly sit hours on end, writing, is when you're writing something you're truly passionate about.
Although my favorite genre to write in is currently contemporary, I would probably try any genre as long as there was a central romance in the story. I love challenging myself and trying out new things so I definitely see myself testing another genre in the future.
What was the inspiration for the book?
I went to a signing in Chicago, and there, I saw this picture on TV about a very handsome playboy. I didn't catch his name but I was so intrigued I couldn't stop wondering about him, who he was, if he was really such a player, and that's where Malcolm Saint began.
As a huge fan of first lines, I’d love to hear the first line of Manwhore. Could you give us a brief commentary on it?
I walked into Helen’s office this morning certain she was going to fire me.
Here we have my heroine, Rachel, walking into her boss's office expecting the worst. Her magazine is in dire straights and the cuts have been brutal. But instead of being fired, she gets an assignment. HIM. Malcolm Saint. The most notorious playboy billionaire in Chicago. And that's where things get very, very interesting. And steamy. :)
So intriguing! Tell us about your road to publication, such as how you first queried, unexpected challenges, and things you picked up along the way.
I've written books all my life. I queried, entered contests, wrote for pleasure and for publication, always with my eyes on the "line" I wanted to write for and the rules which seemed inherent to a romance being published by that line. It wasn't until self-publishing took off that I opened my eyes to the possibilities of sharing my work without limits, rules, anything at all. So with that in mind,
Real (my debut in 2013) came to full fruition. With the guidance of my friend Monica Murphy—who walked me through the steps of self-publishing (getting an editor, a cover, etc.)—I finally took that step into the world of self-publishing, a step that has ultimately led me here.
Are the characters from your book based off anyone you know in real life? How much else of your actual life gets written into your fiction?
My characters are fiction, but my books are a blend of both fact and fiction. Though I find my characters in my imagination, they generally come to life out of an inspiration that happens in real life, or a song that touches a chord. They give life to real longings, desires, fears, things that I myself or friends of mine have encountered.
Which character from Manwhore was most difficult to write?
They were all a blast, but Malcolm Saint, the hero, is very elusive—deliciously so—and therefore he was hard to peg down. I just let him unfold as he wanted and I'm glad I didn't force him into a box because he turned out to be so much more than I, or Rachel his heroine, expected!
What do you consider your biggest strengths and weaknesses as an author?
I am not a plotter and sometimes, this gets me into trouble. I start letting the story get away from me sometimes and it takes a lot of time to rein it back to where I want or need it to be.
As for strengths, I seem to have a NEED to write truly powerful connections between the main characters—the kind of connection you wait your whole life for. The kind of love that sweeps you away and marks you deeply. I LOVE reading about these soulmate connections so it's only natural these are the kind of love stories I want to write. Intense and unapologetic, kind of an all-or-nothing kind of love.
Name the top five novels that have made the biggest impact on your life or on your writing.
Oh! I love so many, but let me limit myself to 5:
Tryst by Elswyth Thane
Bared to You by Sylvia Day
Twilight by Stephenie Meyers
Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught
A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux
What’s the greatest thing you ever learned?
That I'm still learning and don't know it all. :)
How do you react to a negative or harsh review to your books?
Oh it hurts! We all want to share things that we love and want them to be loved back. In the beginning, when I debuted, negative reviews hurt so much I couldn't write for days. But now I've grown wiser. After several books, you take whatever helps in a review (the good and the bad ones) and release whatever is hurtful and keeping you from getting back to doing what you love—which is writing. No book is for everyone. Not everyone will connect to the same things. The themes I liked and explored in my story which gave me so much may not do the same for someone else, and that's all right. I'm still grateful to be read.
Such a great outlook! Blog babes, click "Read more" to find out Katy's random favorites, what makes her book stand out from every other romance written, as well as the most interesting comment she's received about her books. We're also hosting a giveaway for a finished copy of Manwhore, so you don't want to miss that either!
Never Too Late
