Today is the release day of Cat Got Your Diamonds by Julie Chase, a book I read and loved last week!
Today Author Julie Chase joins us to share a bit about the writing process.
Welcome Julie!
KMOT: When you are writing what sustains you? Tea, Coffee, or other?
JC: Coffee. I run on very little sleep, and I go a little crazy with the coffee while trying to pry my eyes open.
KMOT: When you wrote Cat Got Your Diamonds, how long was the writing process?
JC: "Cat Got Your Diamonds was a story that had been developing in my head, behind other immediate deadlines, for a couple of years. I'd started and stopped it a number of times because it just didn't feel right. I'd played with different versions of Lacy in my head. In one version she was a germaphobe. In another, she lived in a little country town. The story finally came together for me during a trip to New Orleans. I knew the moment my feet hit Magazine Street that this was exactly where she belong, and that those were my heroine's people. From that point forward, the actual writing process took about four months. Each of the two sequels have taken roughly three."
KMOT: I truly enjoyed your characters and how main character Lacy seems to float between her parents southern society and trying to lead a working class life, where did that motivation come from?
JC: " Gilmore Girls, probably! I was a dedicated fan of the show when it was on the air, and one of my favorite aspects was the conflict Lorelai put herself in. She wanted no part of her parents' money or status. None. It was a constant struggle for her, denying her roots, and a bit perplexing to me, but fascinating, none the less. I see that in my books, and I've wondered if the Gilmores helped shape my story. Some days I feel I'm shaped by everything. My heroine, Lacy isn't quite as stubborn as Lorelai. She doesn't have a separate life somewhere else. She makes a place for herself, while being herself, in her mother's society. "
KMOT: The theme of this cozy, a gourmet pet bakery/fashion designs for pets really got me excited, do you sew or bake for your own pets?
JC: " I've never learned to sew, but I'm fascinated by those who can, which is probably how Lacy got to be so good at it. I ask my best friend about her sewing all the time. She's a fantastic seamstress, though she won't admit it. I do enjoy baking, but I never feel I have the time to indulge in new recipes, so I dream about that also. Probably another reason Lacy is who she is. I live vicariously through her as I sit at my desk. Though, I do have plans to bake pet treats at Christmas and deliver them to my neighbor's pets along with cookies for their people. My kids are pretty excited about that."
JC: "Well, I'm a stay at home mother of three. I started writing about 7 years ago when my children were small and constantly under my heels. Today they're 13, 10 & 8. I write while they're at school thriving and being happy, then I drive them to sports and extra things all evening. It's a busy life, but it's a full one. I love that quote: "You think my hands are full? You should see my heart." It fits me perfectly. My office floor is covered in poster boards and markers as I type this. I have to make signs for a the concession stand at today's swim meet as soon as I finish this answer. Then, I get to sell hot dogs and pizza to hungry swimmers and their parents until dinner. Busyness aside, I love being a mother and an author. I'd planned all my life to be the former, but the latter sneaked up on me. I'd never given writing a single thought until I was 33 and looking for an escape from the chaos that was my life then. I read a book and voila! For a few minutes at a time, I went somewhere else. I was someone else. When I finished the book, I decided I wanted to do that too. I wanted to give some other person the gift that the author of my book had given me, so I opened Google and typed, "How to write a book." It's been a long road from there, but I'm determined to reach people that I couldn't otherwise and make them smile. I keep trying that every day. "
To learn more about Author Julie Chase please click here.
To order and download your own copy of Cat Got Your Diamonds from Amazon, (which is out today) please click here
Thank you for joining us for a cup of tea and a release day chat with Author Julie Chase. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com
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