KATIE ROSE
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I met Katie at my first book signing ever. She was at Waldenbooks in Christiana, Delaware, on April 17th of this year. She was so nice. I had picked up A HINT OF MISCHIEF the day before, and bought a copy of A CASE FOR ROMANCE while I was there. I got both copies signed. I told Katie about RBL Romantica, and later that evening I e-mailed her an invitation to come visit us. She wrote back that she thought our site was a riot. What better praise?! She had told me at the book signing that she would be at CR!99, so I was looking forward to meeting her again since she had agreed to do an interview for our newsletter. I have read both of her books and enjoyed them a great deal. If you haven't read her books yet, I recommend that you hurry out and get them both.
With delightful wit and a delicious talent for the unexpected, Katie Rose brings us a sensuous tale of the wicked, wild West and the very proper Bostonian who travels there to solve a murder--only to become embroiled in ... A CASE FOR ROMANCE! Of all things Emily Potter hoped would happen when her long-lost father reappeared, this wasn't one of them: She's just inherited the bordello he owned in bawdy, booming Denver--and worse, he was gunned down in cold blood in the parlor. But instead of getting faint, the lovely armchair sleuth from the civilized East is determined to unmask her father's killer, employing the infallible logic of her hero, Sherlock Holmes. Yet Holmes never had such a complicated case ... or the sexy, distracting shadow of the Reverend Thomas Hall, who seems unusually interested in the abandoned house of sin--and Emily's every move.
Emily suspects the "preacher" knows more about gunslingers than the Good Book ... and begins to wonder whether he was involved in her father's murder. All she knows is it's hard to keep her mind on deduction when Thomas seems intent on seduction ... and the matchmaking ghost of the bordello's shadiest lady insists on providing elementary lessons in feminine wiles. But as logic gives way to passion, Emily forgets to protect both her vulnerable heart, and her life.
From the delightful new voice of Katie Rose comes a totally unique historical romance: a clever and utterly irresistible tale of New York City in the "Age of Innocence," where a lady who talks to spirits discovers just how heavenly passion can be when you add ... A HINT OF MISCHIEF!
Jennifer Appleton and her charming sisters offer the matrons of Victorian Manhattan a great deal of comfort with their séances. That is until Gabriel Forester shows up at their door slinging accusations of fraud at Jennifer. He is convinced that the trio of women has swindled his grieving mother, but he soon finds himself embroiled in a devilish game of seduction where he and Jennifer must learn to ignore the ghostly voices of the past ... and listen to their hearts.
A Hint of Mischief is the winner of ROM-COM's Reviewer's Choice Award and The Colorado Romance Writer's Award of Excellence!!
NOW PLEASE MEET KATIE ROSE ...
Donna: Please tell us a little about yourself - about your family, education, job, hobbies, etc.
Katie: Let's see ... I'm a single parent with an 18 year old daughter who is about to go to college! (Sigh!). I am a corporate account representative for Hewlett Packard during the day, and write romance on nights and weekends. I am a graduate of Temple University with a BA in Journalism.
Donna: How did you start writing? Why romance?
Katie: I started writing as a child, and won an award for an essay in 8th grade. When I went to college, I had a wonderful teacher who gave me two great pieces of advice: write what you love, and keep your day job until you're making enough money to pay for your salary and benefits.
I began writing romance because that's what I really enjoyed reading. I also like elements of mystery and adventure, and try to incorporate them into my books. I write the kinds of books I want to read and can't find!
Donna: How long did it take to write your first book? Was the second book easier?
Katie: My first book took about six months because I was home with my daughter. The second book was easier in some ways, harder in others. I felt confident that I could write, but scared because I had a multibook contract and now had to do it! It now takes about nine months to write one, just as long as a baby. I've written ten books altogether, eight under the name Colleen Quinn. A HINT OF MISCHIEF and A CASE FOR ROMANCE are the first two Katie Rose books.
Donna: Will you always write historical novels?
Katie: Probably. I've tried writing other genres, but I keep hearing that my voice is historical! I'm not really sure that's a compliment ...
Donna: You have used a paranormal theme in both your books. Do you have a special interest in this field?
Katie: Absolutely. I really believe there are more things in heaven and earth than we can see. I lost a sibling as a child, and my brothers and I firmly believe he is often with us. I think our existence consists of many experiences and this world is just one of them.
Donna: Do you ever use real life situations and or experiences when writing your books?
Katie: Yes, especially heroes! I like using real people as characters - I think they make a book more compelling. The book I just started will be another romantic mystery concerning the disappearance of a race horse. I own an American quarter horse, and hope to use some of the stable stories in this book!
Donna: What do you read for pleasure? Any favorite authors?
Katie: I love lots of books, especially Teresa Mederios, Linda Cajio, and Constance O'Day Flannery. I also read outside the genre, like Patricia Cornwall and Grisham.
Donna: What is next? Any hints?
Katie: I just finished Winifred's story for Bantam. Winifred Appleton is the 2nd sister in A HINT OF MISCHIEF. Winifred always wanted to be a lawyer, and the hero, Charles Howe, suggests she apprentice with him. Everything is fine until they wind up on opposite sides of a case. It will be called COURTING TROUBLE, and should be out in 2/2000.
Donna: Any advice to any of the aspiring authors at RBL Romantica?
Katie: Persistence is everything! I know wonderful writers who quit, while those who make it keep trying no matter what.
On behalf of RBL Romantica, thank you Katie for being in our New Author Spotlight. Please come and visit us as often as you like.
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