So Many Questions

Hello Everyone,

First, I want to thank the other Harlequin American authors for inviting me to participate in this interview. I had a lot of fun answering the questions. Secondly, please accept my apologies for posting late. I was on deadline for revisions on Taking on Twins, my next release, and couldn't seem to get everything done (darn day job).

Well, here it goes. I tried to pick questions to answer that were the most fun because that's the kind of mood I'm in today.

1) What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten?

A honey bee. I was six, riding my bike down the street, laughing at something my brother said. The next thing I knew...mrumph, hack, cough, cough.

Oh, you probably meant food I've eaten on purpose.

2) What comes first: the plot or the characters?

For me, it's usually a very broad story idea that comes first, and I build on that. For instance, when I wrote His Only Wife, it was when Arizona was having its worst ever forst fire. I was driving on the highway, watching the fire in the distant mountains, and wondered what it would be like to be a wilderness firefighter caught between his job and duty to his family. From there, I begin thinking about the kind of people who would inhabit the story. The plot comes next, but it's bound closely to the characters and from then on, both develop simultaneously.

3) Do you re-read your books once they're in print?

Ugh! No, I don't. By the time my book is in print, I've read it seven or eight or more times. They very idea of reading it again makes me break out in a severe case of hives. However, when I get my author copies, I read the back cover, all the front and back matter, the first couple of pages, and the last couple of pages. Then, I hug the book to my chest, close my eyes and squeal like a school girl.

4) If you were locked in a closet for one hour, who would you want in there with you?

This is an easy question. No one. Between work and family and committments, I get so little time to myself, I'd relish being totally alone for an hour. If possible, I'd bring a good book and a book light.

Which leads to...

5) What book are you reading now?

I just finished Sandra Brown's "Play Dirty" and am ready to read Susan Elizabeth Phillip's latest.

6) Did you ever eat paste or Elmer's Glue when you were a kid?

Yes, both.

7) Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke? If so, which do you prefer?

Yes, I can absolutely taste the difference and only Pepsi will do. I can also taste the difference between paste and Elmer's Glue, and I much prefer paste.

7) Are you working on anything at the present you'd like to share?

Yes, I'm working on something and, yes, I'd like to share (grin). My -- as yet untitled book -- is part of Harlequin American's first ever continuity. How cool is that? The story centers around the Codys, a modern-day western dynasty. My hero, Dusty, is the yongest son and a champion tie-down roper. While he's pure country, my heroine Maryanne, a marketing executive from L.A., is pure urbanite. The books will be out starting in July of 2010. I hope readers will check them out!

Thanks ago for stopping by and checking out my interview, my friends. I would love to give away a free copy of my June release, Waiting for Baby, to one lucky poster here. I'll pick the winner next week.

All my best,

Cathy McDavid