Welcome To Debbie's Den

Now living in Northern California, Kate has found the time to write some wonderful romances and some absolutely spell-binding romanticas, and is building a loyal and vocal fan base of readers who adore her delightful and sensual characters. Kate's novel "Cowboy In My Pocket" was awarded the 2002 Eppie and the 2002 Quasar awards, along with being nominated for the Independent eBook Awards. (The Quasar is for cover art, and there's a delightful story to the cover of this eBook - you'll find it on Kate's website - the address is below.)

Let’s start with some of the basic questions that we all wonder about – when did you start writing and why?

I started keeping a diary when I was in fourth grade, the same year I had a poem published in the local newspaper. Seeing my name printed for all the world to read was a great incentive! I come from a family of writers, diary keepers and letter writers. I've decided it must be genetic.

How did you approach your first book? And can you compare it with how you approach a new book today, now that you have several successful novels to your credit?

You mean the one I've never sold? (grin) I had started reading romances and really liked them. I actually dreamed a story back in the mid 80's. I got up in the middle of the night and wrote out dozens of pages in long hand. Of course I didn't have a clue about point of view, plotting, characterization...any of the skills that make a story work. I finished it, though, and sent it off to Harlequin where it was rejected, but with a very nice note from the editor. A lot nicer than it deserved, I imagine, since it was poorly crafted. I still like the plot, though, and may rewrite it one of these days.

You were awarded the “Eppie” for Best Romantic Suspense Novel in 2001 for “Honeysuckle Rose”. Was that your first published work, and what did the award mean to you?

That Eppie meant a lot to me. I had actually entered two books in the Eppies that year, Honeysuckle Rose in romantic suspense, and On Wings of Love in contemporary romance. Both books won. It was the most amazing affirmation of my writing, the first time I had entered a published book to be judged by my peers. I'm still very proud of those awards. The second book, On Wings of Love, kind of got lost as far as publicity went, as I had surgery on my shoulder the month it was released and, due to complications, didn't get back to work for many months. I'm really sorry it hasn't done better in sales because I think it's actually a better story than Honeysuckle Rose. By the time I was back into working on promotion and such, Cowboy in My Pocket was due for release and all my energies went to promoting that one.

Since then, you have won several awards, especially for the enchanting “Cowboy in my Pocket” – deservedly so, I might add!!! Has this kind of acclaim had any influence on your writing do you think? Is it in the back of your mind when you plot out a story?

Actually, no. Each story I write is totally independent of anything else, even if it's a sequel. I start each project with a fresh approach and just let my characters take over. I've learned they're usually in charge. I'm merely there as the typist! I have to admit, though, that the awards and the wonderful reviews and fan mail have given me more confidence as an author. I think I'm more willing to take chances with my stories than I was before.

“On Wings of Love” balances a delightful love story with a subtle “message” about our place in the fragile scheme of life here on our planet. Any comments on that?

I feel very strongly about our impact on the environment. The area where I live in northern California has a large aerie or nesting ground of peregrine falcons, so I'm familiar with the fragile existence of these beautiful birds of prey. On Wings of Love sort of evolved around my concern for our impact on the natural scheme of things and the belief that, as authors with the ability to reach a large segment of our society, we have a certain duty to add a subtle message wherever we can. Of course, that preaching is what cost me a contract with Harlequin! I was told by my editor, in no uncertain terms, that they were not interested in "issue" stories. Thank goodness for electronic publishing!

Your heroines are intelligent, sensible and “grounded” career women who have made relatively successful lives for themselves only to have those lives interrupted by the arrival of the hero!! I’m guessing that you find this kind of woman interesting to write about?

Oh yeah! All of my heroines share those traits, but you'll notice the heroes are special enough to make the interruption welcome...at least at some point. Getting there is half the fun.(grin) I don't like reading about women who make stupid decisions. I want to admire the characters in my stories. They may be flawed, but I like to think their actions are based on intelligence and spirit.

And - a logical follow-on to the previous question - how much of you is there in these women?

Bits and pieces, I imagine. We write what we know, which in my case is often my kids! My daughter is the basis for a lot of my heroines. Sarah's 29 now and married with a ten month old baby, but she never hesitated to take chances I wouldn't have dreamed of at her age. She joined the Air Force at 19 and served in Europe for six years. Learned the languages in the countries where she was based (Germany and Italy) and traveled all over the world, often by herself. Kat Malone, a side character in Honeysuckle Rose, is a true rip-off of my daughter, right down to the blond hair and attitude.

You have written very successful contemporary romances and now two wonderful science fiction romanticas. What suggested the idea of romanticas to you?

They are SO much fun to write! I love a good, sexy romance. Sexy s/f is even more fun, but they're not easy to find. I actually wrote Lionheart, Book 1 of the StarQuest Series, hoping to sell it to Secrets. I got the idea of the lead character from the old Beauty and the Beast TV series. After a less than satisfactory experience with the Secrets editors, the book sat for a couple of years. I heard about Ellora's Cave and submitted Lionheart to them. The story met with an unbelievable response from readers so I wrote Book 2, Night of the Cat. That brought in even more readers, which lead to Book 3, Pride of Imar. I'm almost done with it now and it should be released soon from Ellora's Cave.

Obviously science fiction and alien worlds are a long way from contemporary America in setting and mythology. How did you go about creating Mirat and its residents? Was there any research involved or is it totally imagined?

I'm not sure where Mirat came from. I was writing the story and it was just there, so I guess I'd have to say it's all imagined. As far as the sex scenes, which are really graphic, I've read all of Nancy Friday's books on women's sexual fantasies. With those on my research shelf I'll never run out of ideas!

What do you think it is about the leonine and sensual Mirat hero that has struck such a resounding chord in your enthusiastic readers? (Yes – myself included – grin.)

They may be bestial in appearance, but my Lions of Mirat have a true code of honor, they adore their women, they are able to mentally link with their partners during the sex act so they know exactly what to do and when (and isn't that every woman's fantasy?) and they love completely and without reservation. Both Sander and Garan are more human, in many ways, than their human counterparts. Essentially, I think I've taken the quintessential romantic character and given him the physical attributes of a large feline, so not only is he the perfect lover, he's also forbidden. I think they're very sexy, yet lovable at the same time.

Do you find it a challenge to write those wonderfully inventive and incredibly passionate love scenes between the Mirat males and their mates?

A challenge? I LOVE writing those scenes! The hard part is the plot in between...the fun thing about writing fantasy romantica is the chance to let your imagination literally fly. I don't worry about an editor telling me to tone something down or rewrite it so as not to offend anyone. When I write a scene I am concerned might be offensive, I post it to the Ellora's Cave readers list at YahooGroups and let the readers critique it. I just did that recently. My newest book in the series has a fairly graphic rape scene and I wanted to make sure it wouldn't offend anyone. I posted it to the list, got a lot of wonderful comments and some great suggestions, and rewrote it accordingly.

Please, please, Kate, tell us there are more “Star Quest” novels on the way...

Definitely. The one I'm working on now, though, is different. It's Sheyna's story. If you've read Night of the Cat, you'll remember Sheyna is Garan's sister, a Lioness of Mirat. Sheyna comes to earth on a healing mission and ends up being kidnapped, along with Malachi Franklin, the rebellion's healer, by a totally perverted battalion commander for the World Federation. The book is the story of their relationship, but it also brings back Mara and Sander from Book 1 as well as Jenna and Garan from Book 2. I may end the rebellion here, but not the series. I'm still waiting to see what happens!

You publish with two ePublishers - Hard Shell Word Factory and Ellora’s Cave. Do you think that there are many crossover readers – moving from romance to romantica and vice-versa? Is your fan mail more from one genre or the other?

Fan mail is definitely heavier with the romantica. I love the letters and have made a lot of friends among my readers. I've taken their suggestions to heart—in fact, Sheyna's story is the result of the requests from a number of readers who wanted to see her with her own book. I hope they're not disappointed. As far as crossover readers, I believe there are more moving from the EC list to my Hard Shell books than the other way. I'm not sure why that is.

Would you guess whether there are any substantial differences in writing for an ePublisher as opposed to a more traditional print publisher?

Very much so. I'm not restrained by marketing-driven guidelines such as you have with the print houses. Epublishing allows me to write "out of the box." Also, the books come out shortly after they're written, rather than a year or two down the line.

I noticed recently that you’ve signed up to write some “quickies” for Ellora’s Cave. Can you tell us about that?

This is such a fun project! A bunch of the authors were trying to think of a way to "give back" to the fantastic readers who really love our books, and someone came up with the idea of a "theme driven" series of erotic quickies (pardon the pun!) that we would write and post for free on the list. The readers give us the setting, the characters and the props and each author takes it from there. So far, the stories have been absolutely fantastic, really hot and appear to be very much appreciated by the fans. They're really getting into it and coming up with some great characters. From a writer's point of view, it's a marvelous exercise in creative thinking, and since they're "supposed" to be short, they're fun to write. (A few EC authors are incapable of the "short" concept, and are essentially producing full-length books for free) ...if anyone is interested, they just need to join the Ellora's Cave readers' list at Yahoo Groups.

How about the target audience? Do you have a picture of an “ideal reader” when you write, or are you simply telling the tale that is in your mind?

I wish! Unfortunately, though the stories just pop into my head, once begun the characters take over. I've had a horrible time with Pride of Imar because I had sort of figured out what I wanted the book to be about, but Sheyna, the Lioness of Pride Imar and my heroine in the story had a totally different concept. She won. The book is much darker than the first two and I hope my readers won't be disappointed, but I really didn't have a choice in the manner. She just took over.

Whether set in the glorious Rockies or a faraway galaxy, your stories celebrate the strength and joy that comes from loving someone else completely! Any comments?

I am, and always will be, a romantic at heart. I've been married to a terrific guy for over 30 years, I'm an incurable match maker and I live for the happy endings. However, I don't believe any woman can be happy until she loves herself, and that requires strength of character and a belief in her own abilities. My woman characters are all strong, many are control freaks, and none of them let the hero push them around, but they love with all their hearts and are loyal to the max.

I have learned that you enjoy photography (and I encourage our readers to stop by your website and see the great photos of Rufus!). Can you tell us a little about your photography? Hobby or obsession? (And where’s the line between the two? (grin).)

Since I just spent the evening going through over 300 photographs of the latest Civil War re-enactment, that's sort of a touchy subject! Actually photography is something Doug (my husband) and I have shared throughout our marriage. He loves the technical side of it, I just like the pretty pictures (grin) but between the two of us we do get some amazing shots. We've spent more than one December morning freezing our butts off to get just the right photos of mist on the local lakes, which I imagine puts it somewhere in the obsession category. It's a shared hobby that also brings us income, as we have sold quite a few photos over the years. It's something we do together and, since our styles are so different, something we enjoy without feeling competitive.

Given your writing and your photography, would you say you have a better-developed creative gene than other people? And does your ability to visualize through photography lap over into an ability to visualize your characters?

I hope so. I studied art in college and spent seventeen years as a cartoonist. I've always enjoyed art. However, I have multiple sclerosis and it affects my small motor control, so drawing became more of a chore than a pleasure. Photography allows me the creative freedom without the frustration. I've always had a good eye for setting up a photo or a drawing, and I think it helps me to "see" my stories as I write them. I occasionally do book covers for Ellora's Cave, and that allows me to incorporate both my photography and my creative abilities.

On a more general note – do you have a “typical” writing day? How disciplined are you when it comes to your writing?

LOL! I'm such a flake about a lot, but really have become quite disciplined with my writing. (Since I've been at it for over 30 years, I imagine it's about time!) When I am really into a project, it's nothing to spend a good eight hours at my computer. I have a wonderful office at home and it's usually where you'll find me between the hours of eight and five. This past weekend I put in two days of straight work in which I wrote 12,000 words. That's a lot, as my daily average is usually closer to 3000. I am lucky enough to write full time, which for me is usually four full days a week of serious writing and revision.

What can we look forward to from the talented pen of Kate Douglas? Anything you’d like to try but haven’t yet?

As I told you, I'm working on Pride of Imar, Book 3 of the StarQuest Series. Also have another one started, Bold Journey, which will be the story of Jenna and Garan's son. I've got a mystery at Harlequin Intrigue which, if they buy, will need revision, (it's got a beta hero...they want alpha!) a screenplay on hold for Cowboy in My Pocket, a racy contemporary romance called 68 + Climbing, a sequel to Cowboy and half a dozen other projects percolating in my brain. I can't imagine running out of story ideas and I love doing exactly what I do now. Of course, that could always change!

And finally, are you prepared to deal with some major rivalry between Rufus, household dominator pup, and the “worlds most perfect grandson”? (Congratulations and a big smile)

Actually, it's horrible! We have to lock Rufus in the bedroom when the baby is here because he's "got issues" and he's jealous of Luca—he actually growls at the baby. Rufus was badly mistreated at some point in his life and we certainly don't want to traumatize him any more, but the only time they get along is if Luca is in the high chair and there is food falling to the floor. At that point, Rufus becomes Luca's best friend. You can see the world's most spoiled grandson at www.katedouglas.com/luca. Believe me, there's nothing worse than a gramma with a website!

It’s been my pleasure to share this time with you, Kate, each book of yours that I read brings more and more questions to mind – it was a tough job selecting which ones to use!! I hope that our readers will treat themselves to at least one of your romances, and certainly a “Star Quest” novel, because I know if they do, they’ll be as hooked as I am.

Thank you so much. I thoroughly enjoyed myself (who wouldn't getting to rattle on about themselves!) and loved your questions. Now I need to get back to work. Sheyna and Malachi are working on a really hot bedroom scene and I certainly don't want to miss it!