13 Jul 2015

The List by Kate L. Mary

The List by Kate L. Mary
Published by: Lyrical Press
Publication date: May 26th 2015)
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

The List. Twenty things every girl must do before she turns twenty. . .
Body piercing
Get drunk
First kiss
But thanks to her crazy, over-protective father, Annie Roth is way behind schedule. Good thing it’s her first semester of college, because Annie is more than ready to start checking off items. . .
Fake ID
Skinny dipping
Road trip!!!
Where it gets complicated? Ryan and Chris. Best friends. Both sweet, funny, totally hot, and totally into Annie.
But there are some things on The List that Annie only wants to do with Ryan. . .
Lose it
Get Heart Broken
Fall in love

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Hi Kate! Do dreams ever inspire your writing? What did you last dream about? 
Based on how often I dream about zombies, I’d say it’s the other way around and my writing inspires my dreams. I tend to dream about a zombie apocalypse or killer tornados more than anything else.

When did you first start writing? And when were you first published?

I wrote on and off in high school, but once I started college life got in the way. Writing was something I always intended to do though, I think I just needed to wait for the right time and story. I finally started a couple years ago, right after my family moved to California. I had four little kids and didn’t know anyone, and my husband was gone a lot. I suddenly found myself with a lot of free time I needed to fill.
I published my first book myself last summer, and now only a year later I have six books out, a short story in an anthology and at least four more books coming out this year (I’m hoping for more, but finding the time to get the editing and revisions done can be tough). It’s been a crazy year!

What is it about 'chick lit' that appeals to you the most? Do you read other genres?
While it’s not the main genre I read, it’s nice to pick up a good romance every now and then. There’s something relaxing about escaping into the lives of other people for a little while, and reading about a brand new relationship reminds me of the days when I first started dating my husband. It’s a fun time to revisit.

Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
THE LIST is the first contemporary romance novel I’ve written, but I had a really great time molding the story and characters. I wanted to write something that was both fun and emotionally intense because that’s the kind of book I like to read, the one that will make you both laugh and cry, something that will make you root for the heroine while also wanting to slap some sense into her at times. In THE LIST, Annie is a naïve and sheltered young woman who sets off for college all ready to experience life for the first time. She makes a lot of stupid decisions—which is something we’ve all done—and leans some hard lessons, but in the end I think she grows as a person in just the right way.

What inspired you to write it?
To be honest, I wasn’t having luck getting any editors or agents to notice my other books (post-apocalyptic/dystopian/speculative fiction) and I knew that contemporary romance never goes out of style. So, I decided to give it a shot. I set it in Charleston, SC, which is one of my favorite places in the world.

Who designs your covers?
My publisher takes care of all that.

What's your favourite 'chick lit' book that made it to the big screen?
I’m not really a big fan of chick movies, but I do have a soft spot for A Walk To Remember, and seeing that sweet book played out by two actors I happen to really like is something very special.

What were the last two books you read?
Persuaded by Misty Dawn Pulsipher which is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion (one of my favorites) and Letting Go, the new adult debut by Jessica Ruddick. Both were great, romantic reads and a nice way to pass a Saturday afternoon.

Where do you write?
On my couch in my living room. With four kids it can get loud in my house, but I’ve learned to tune out the chaos.

Tell us a random fact about yourself.
I’m insanely obsessive compulsive, which at times can be a disadvantage, but when it comes to writing it’s actually a good thing. When something grabs my attention—like a story I just have to write down—I usually can’t focus on anything else until I’m finished. It gets so intense that there have been times when I’ve managed to get the entire first draft of a book done in just a week.

Who would play you in the movie about your life?
Jennifer Lawrence because, like me, she is super-cool and funny.

Tell us an interesting fact about where you live.

My husband is a pilot in the Air Force, so the place I live and the place I call home are never the same. At the moment we live in a small town in southern Oklahoma, but my husband and I are both from the Dayton, Ohio area (birthplace of aviation). Eventually we plan to move back to that area and stay for good, but we still have a couple years to go.

What are your (writing) plans for the future?
Write as much as I can while I enjoy doing it. I’m not going to focus on anything other than making myself happy.

Tell us one thing that's on your bucket list.
To go to Europe with my husband. We’ve been married for 13 years and both been to Europe on our own, but never together. It would be nice to be able to take that trip together.

What do you listen to whilst writing?
Depends on what I’m writing really, but I am a big fan of Christina Perri, Birdy, Ellie Goulding and A Fine Frenzy. My tastes are kind of all over the place, though.

Who (or what) did you want to be when you were a kid?
When I was really little I’m sure I wanted to be something else, but from high school on I wanted to be a writer. The problem was finding the time to do it. I was in college, then I got married, then I had kids. My husband is in the Air Force so he was gone a lot, and finding time to write when I always had a baby (or two) who needed something wasn’t easy. When I finally started writing though, it all seemed so natural and easy that I felt like I’d been doing it forever. And I haven’t slowed down since that first day I wrote thirty pages while my husband was at work!

Kate L. Mary is a stay-at-home mother of four and an Air Force wife. She grew up in a small town just north of Dayton, Ohio where she and her husband met at the age of twelve. Since their marriage in 2002, they have lived in Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and California.
Kate enjoys any post-apocalyptic story – especially if zombies are involved – as long as there is a romantic twist to give the story hope. Kate prefers nerdy, non-traditional heroes who can make you laugh to hunky pieces of man-meat, and her love of wine and chocolate is legendary among her friends and family. She currently resides in Oklahoma with her husband and children.
Be sure to check out her bestselling BROKEN WORLD series, now on the top 100 book in dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction on Amazon.
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1 comment:

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