Get to Know: Kate Willoughby & All In

Kate Willoughby!

Thanks so much for inviting me to visit the Plotting Princesses. It's always exciting to visit other places, even in cyberspace. Today, I'm really thrilled to announce that Ellora's Cave will be allowing the first book in my Be-Wished series, All In, to be downloaded free through March 18. My hope is that people will have such a great time reading about Mariah and Tucker that they'll want to read the whole series. That's the evil plan, at least. LOL Usually, I hold a drawing for a free copy of one of my books, but today there's no need. Everyone can get their own free copy!

How did you get from your day job to writing romance?  I mentioned to my sister-in-law when I first met her that someday I wanted to be a published author. She introduced me to Romance Writers of America, and the rest is history! It took me 5 years of serious intent and writing, but I did it. Now I’m not sure I can ever stop.

What are your three favorite books of all time? That’s impossible for a booklover to answer! Narrowing it down to three…A Knight to Remember by Jude Deveraux made me cry, twice, even though I HATED the heroine at first! Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is epic, astounding fantasy at its very best. Rejar by Dara Joy is one of a series that I don’t think she ever finished and that’s a damn shame.

Morning, afternoon, or evening person?  Morning, and that’s a good thing, because my day job is as a barista at Starbucks, and I often have to report at 4:15 am. At least there’s coffee readily available when I get there!

Music--with or without? What kind? When I listen to music while writing, it’s usually instrumental. I can’t listen to lyrics, or I start paying attention to the words! Obviously, I suck at multi-tasking. LOL The one exception is opera, because that’s usually in a foreign language!

First or third POV? I like reading both. I’ve only been published in third, but am not opposed to writing something in first sometime. First person is cool because you really get into the character, but on the other hand, it’s trickier to plot because you never venture out of that narrating character’s head.

How's tricks? Do you juggle multiple projects?  Not well. Did I mention I suck at multi-tasking? LOL My muse is not the most cooperative on the planet. I fear and obey her, so when she only wants to work on one project at a time, I don’t argue.

What's harder: beginning, middle, or the end?  I find the middle to be the hardest to write. I’m a pantser, so sometimes I get to the middle and have to figure out what the heck is supposed to happen. Sometimes I go down the wrong path and have to backtrack, but it all ends up right when I get to the last page.

Revisions: Love 'em or hate 'em? I love revisions. I look forward to what my editor’s take on it and what she’s going to suggest to make it fantastic.

How did you come up with that title? Tucker, the hero of All In, is a professional poker player and I played (ha! Get it? Played??? LOL) around with a lot of different titles that either tied in with the poker aspect or the fact that their reunion was due to a wish coming true…In the Cards, All or Nothing, Mariah's Wish, Wishing for Tucker, and the very, very bad A Wish and a Player. Okay, they can't all be gems!

Best advice anybody ever gave you? My parents: Always do your best.

What's your favorite dessert? That’s a toughie, too! I think the chocolate soufflé I had at Emeril Legasse’s restaurant in New Orleans was the best dessert I ever had. However, because I don’t often visit restaurants that offer chocolate soufflés, my grandmother’s peach pie a la mode. 

Here's an excerpt from ALL IN:

Mariah knew Tucker was going to kiss her, wanted him to kiss her, and when he did, she responded as if she’d been in hibernation. Part of her thought, you’re being a sleaze, but most of her didn’t care. The Wish Fairy had come through and Mariah wasn’t going to squander this once-in-a-lifetime chance to fulfill a fantasy she’d been fostering for six long years. Hell no. She slid her arms around his hard body and kissed him back.

His mouth moved over hers and he made a low sound of enjoyment that seemed to reverberate inside her. As he threaded his fingers through her hair, cradling her head, she moaned too. Sensations swept through her. Tucker was here in the flesh, pushing his tongue into her mouth, crowding her against the wall. She wasn’t imagining the spicy smell of his cologne or his strong arms—

Ping.

They both stepped hurriedly apart as the elevator doors opened and a family of four entered. Mariah touched her lips as if she could brush away the evidence, but the parents and kids paid no attention to them. The doors closed again. Tucker coughed and looked at her questioningly, his finger pointing first to the lit lobby button and then to the one reading thirty-five. Mariah bit her lip. 

Find Kate at:  http://kate-willoughby.blogspot.com/  Find All In (free from March 4-18 on Amazon at:  http://www.amazon.com/All-Be-Wished-Book-One-ebook/dp/B002W83DXE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330724701&sr=1-1