Interview with Catherine Bybee + Not Quite Mine Review

Welcome to my stop on Catherine Bybee's virtual book tour! I'm pleased to be interviewing Catherine today, and I'm also sharing my review for Not Quite Mine. Please help me welcome her to the blog by leaving a comment, letting us know that you stopped by!

Hi Catherine and welcome to Storm Goddess Book Reviews! Congratulations on your newest release!

Tell me about yourself, and your writing.

I surprise my readers when I tell them I didn’t like my English Lit classes in school. Creative writing in college, on the other hand, I loved. I wanted to be an actress…but waiting tables was entirely over-rated. So I went to school to become a nurse. Yeah…notice nothing about books yet?

Then six years ago, I was injured in the ER and I found myself at a crossroads. I’d always loved reading, especially romance, and finally had the time to actually write a book. So I did… followed by another one and another one. It’s all about romance for me at this point. I want a HEA and I’m willing to create it!

How long have you been writing? How many published books do you have, and what genres?

I’ve been seriously writing for about five years. I jotted down short stories as a kid, but never finished anything until five years ago. I have 14 titles as of now. Several shorter stories, and eight full-length paperback books.

Do you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, do you ever consider straying outside your genre?

I write contemporary, paranormal, and time travel romance. I love mixing it up. I’ve nibbled on Erotic, but will leave that genre for those who do it better than I. Pun intended.

Are you a plotter or do you write from the seat of your pants?

I’m a pantser!

What is a typical writing day like for you?

I start by clearing out my inbox of email, checking with my assistant about what needs to be done in terms of tours and promotion. If I have a book in edits that takes priority. If not, then it’s onto writing after a cup of coffee and maybe a trip to the gym. Thought that gym thing doesn’t happen as often as it should. *wink* I write every day. When I’m on a deadline I have a word count of 3,000 to achieve. Some days I write more, some days less. It just depends on the story.

Who do you love to read? Favorite authors, favorite books?

Romance! I’ll try any author, if I like ‘em I’ll read them again…

What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year?

I’d like to see my name BACK on the NYT’s and USA Today Bestseller List. That would take some structural changes within their policy at the NYT’s and USA Today. But you never know. My sales, and the sales of many of my fellow Montlake Authors exceed some of those on those Bestseller list, but until these lists loosen their rules, we don’t make the list. *sigh*

If you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be?

To move things with my mind.

If you could keep a mythical/paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?

I haven’t created a pet yet that I’d keep as my own, and can’t remember one from a book to suggest.

Tell us a little about your latest release.

Not Quite Mine is Katie and Dean’s story. My readers met Dean and Katie in Not Quite Dating. Katie is a rich heiress to a hotel empire and has everything she could possible want…excerpt the man she’s always loved.

But alas…this is a romance novel and my readers going into the book know there will be a HEA, but that journey is met with many twists and turns that will hopefully delight and keep my readers turning pages.

What is something that you absolutely can't live without? (Other than family members)

Books.

Could you ever co author a book with someone? If so, who would you choose, and what would you write?

I would happily co author a book with Nora Roberts, but I doubt she’d be game. As for what we’d write… We could come up with something!

If you could spend a day with anyone from history, dead or alive, who would it be, and what would you do? What would you ask them?

Nostradamus. Cuz that man held the secrets to the universe and I wanna know what made him tick!

What are some of your other hobbies outside of writing?

Traveling!

What is something you've always wanted to do, but haven't done yet. Why not?

My bucket list is to travel abroad. I’ve hit most of the US, parts of Mexico and Canada… and a few islands. But I want to visit Europe, and if the tensions calm, many other places on the globe.

If you were on the staff to have a book adapted to movie, what would you pick?

My time travel series.

What is a talent you wish you had, but don't?

To play the piano… though I’ve never taken lessons, so who knows.

Favorite color?

Dark, to hide the extra pounds. *wink*

Weather: Hot or cold?

Hot in summer. Cold in winter.

Favorite place to read?

Outside on a warm day, or curled next to a fire on a cool one.

Favorite meal

Pasta, hence the dark colors to hide the pounds.

Favorite non-alcoholic drink.

Water

If you could travel anywhere and do anything, no limits or money holding you back, where would you go?

Scotland 

Blurb: Gorgeous hotel heiress Katelyn “Katie” Morrison seems to have it all. But when she crosses paths with Dean Prescott—the only man she’s ever loved—at her brother’s wedding, Katie realizes there’s a gaping hole in her life. After the ceremony she gets an even bigger surprise: a baby girl left on her doorstep. Determined to keep the newborn until she learns who her mother is, Katie has her hands full and doesn’t need Dean snooping around…especially when his presence stirs feelings she thought were long gone.

Dean Prescott knows Katie is lying to him about the baby. He shouldn’t care what the woman who broke his heart is up to…and he most certainly shouldn’t still be aching for her. Yet Dean can’t ignore the need to protect Katie—or the desire to be near her every chance he gets. But when he and Katie solve the mystery surrounding the baby, their second chance for happiness could be shattered forever.

Review Rating: 4 LIGHTNING BOLTS

Review:  Not Quite Mine is a well written contemporary story about second chances.  This is the second book in the trilogy, and while I have not read the first one, Not Quite Dating, to me it seems like reading them out of order is just fine. I didn't feel like I missed too much by not knowing the first story.

Katie Morrison is about to get a few eye openers. She comes face to face with a man from her past, and what she doesn't expect is how her deep feelings for him are resurrected.  Add in a few parts mystery when a baby is brought into her life and she has some choices to make. Katie has had a lot of growing up to do, and in Not Quite Mine, she deals with the reality of her situations. 

Dean Prescott...what can I say about him? Sexy, strong, and very loyal to Katie. He's never fully gotten over his feelings for her and when he's around her all control is lost.  

The story is well written. It's witty, fun, fast paced and full of emotion, drama, and a bit of soul searching. I'm going to have to go back and read Not Quite Dating, and then when the next one comes out, i'll be all over it! I enjoy the author's writing style and voice. It stands out and makes the books easy to read, and the characters are well defined.  If you enjoy a great contemporary romance, I definitely recommend Note Quite Mine. 

BIO: 

New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee was raised in Washington State, but after graduating high school, she moved to Southern California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the novels Wife by Wednesday and Married by Monday. Bybee lives with her husband and two teenage sons in Southern California.

CONTACT

WWW.CATHERINEBYBEE.COM

CATHERINEBYBEE@YAHOO.COM

CATHERINEBYBEE.BLOGSPOT.COM

TWITTER.COM/CATHERINEBYBEE

   Barnes & Noble