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- About CathyI hail from: I was raised in Olathe, KS. I am a Kansan by nature–stubborn, loyal, independent. I now consider Virginia my home and think I have adapted well to the Southern way of life (although I’ll never be a good cook!) My family: Children, two dogs, a cat, and two horses. They keep me busy, busy, busy. My favorite quote: From Debbie Macomber, “Attitude is the key . . . each one of us is as successful as we make up our minds to be.” My most embarrassing moment: I have many. I’m gullible. If you have a good practical joke, I’m the one to play it on. I would dress for a costume party as: Wanda, the Good Witch. O to be perpetually pleasant! But notice that she didn’t put up with any nonsense from the Munchkins. The most dangerous thing I have done: Marry a man I’d known less than a month. He made me laugh (and looked good in uniform). Kevin passed away almost twenty-five years to date he asked me to marry him. It was a great marriage. We both enjoyed a good laugh and I respected his compassion and generosity of spirit, two qualities…
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Lessons I’ve Learned Along the Way
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I started seriously writing in 1991. This coming May 2016, I will have been at this profession for twenty-five years. That’s a good milestone. So, here are a few things I’ve learned over the years. I’ll add more as I consider them: No one will believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself. Few of us are asked …
Read MoreAlan Alda, Dead Cats, and Making Story Matter
I heard Alan Alda speak last Saturday night. He was charming and fun. He grew up in Vaudeville and knows how to tell a story. What I wasn’t expecting was a bit of plot development insight. Referring to Aristotle’s observation that a story has “a beginning, a middle, and an end,” he observed that so does a dead cat. …
Read MoreAdvice on Author Readings? Go!
It isn’t unusual for authors of other genres to read their work at book signings. However, in Romance, we haven’t done it that often until Hope Tarr, Maya Rodale, and others started Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC. Now there are a host of Romance genre reading programs, many using the “Lady Jane” in the title, around the country. The first …
Read MoreTrademark Me: Be Love
Some people go for tattoos; others for significant jewelry—and use them to create symbols that define their lives. I’ve done one of the two. I’ll let you decide which. However, recently, I found myself mulling over the idea of a definitive statement for me. What truly defined me? What principle has guided everything I have done in my life, …
Read MoreWhat to Say to a Veteran
This was first published on foxnews.com November 12, 2012. It is currently being used by the Palliative Care Unit of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital on their certificates honoring the service of their patients: Thank you for stepping forward when others step back. Thank you for placing yourself between us and danger. Thank you for delaying plans for college, marriage, and …
Read MoreMaxwell’s Thoughts About Endings—
I received a request for general rules on how to end a good, loving story. Or any story for that matter. Although I HATE writing rules, here are my thoughts. Good endings wrap up loose ends. All questions should be answered. When I start your book, you and I have a pact: I’ll read to the end; you’ll tie …
Read MoreBook Report: CAN’T WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING MORE PLEASANT? “A Memoir “ by Roz Chast
I have an aged parent. I’ve also been losing aged parents that I love very much for the past several years. Worse: I’m turning into an aged parent, and I don’t know how I feel about that. My goal is to live my life fully—but, you know, I’m slowing down. Fortunately my sense of …
Read MoreThe Men on Romance Covers . . . Yes, They are Real
“That is Paul Marron in your cover art,” she said holding up the inside cover illustration from IN THE HIGHLANDER’S BED—and that is how I was introduced to Sheree or, as she is better known on FB, S G-s Tieh. I love meeting people when I travel for events. I adore my fellow romance readers. We come from all walks …
Read MoreBusy, Busy
I’m busy. I’m writing plus preparing to head out for Avon Books’ first KissCon in San Rafael, CA. The second will be the next day in Seattle, WA. But let’s face it, all of us are always busy. Living a full life calls for connection with friends and family, with our hobbies and communities. Though sometimes …
Read MoreFive Things About Life I have Learned Writing Romance Novels
I need to be around readers, especially those who love the Romance genre as much as I do. It is easy to trivialize what I do. Reading for pleasure in a world full of problems? Ha! But then I connect with readers who value feeding the imagination, who believe reading makes their individual worlds …
Read MoreComing Soon!
