© Astine | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images
My guest today is the awesome Kate Hofman!!! Welcome to For Whom The Books Toll, Kate and I'd also like to thank you for taking time from writing to answer some questions. Kate is also giving one lucky commenter their choice of an e-book from her back list.
Can you
tell us a little about yourself?
I
was born in The Netherlands, and we moved to London, England
(Chelsea) when I was 18. Some years later, I moved to Canada. I
had an interesting career as P.A. to a very bright financier, and
then one day I met a truly fabulous man, Arnold Hofman. We got
married and were blissfully happy until his untimely death, 17 years
ago. One son, Bruce. To
have something to do, I did internet publicity for some writers, and
Nina Bruhns said after a while that I should write. I thought she
was just being nice, but apparently she meant it and kept after me.
One day I sat down before a blank page on Word, and to my surprise I
began to write! That is 56 books ago now, plus some short stories…
Time flies when you’re doing what you love.
Share 5
fun facts about yourself.
I’m not a fun person, trust me!
(Oh, Kate that's not true)
What
was your ideal career when you were a child? (and teenager)
To become a pianist. I was fairly gifted, but you have to be
exceptional to make it in that rarefied atmosphere. It is good if a
person realizes that she won’t be able to be THAT good!
Tell us
about a typical writing day for you.
I
get up when I wake up. Sometimes that is quite late, because at
times I have bouts of insomnia, and then I sleep in a bit. I make
coffee and go to my PC. Answer emails, read again what I wrote
yesterday, and with luck (unless my Muse is vacationing on Mars) I
start to write. I am living here alone, so I don’t have to watch
the clock surreptitiously to make lunch, I eat when I am hungry.
Last thing at night, I print what I wrote that day.
On
average, how long does it take you to write a book?
My first book I wrote in 3 weeks, 123 close-typed pages. I guess I
had a lot of stories to tell. I also wrote longer books in the
beginning, 150thou words was average, and one when I fell in love
with the hero, I made myself stop at 250thou words! I’ve since
reduced that to about 178thou words, but I am still undecided what to
do with this tome. Now, a book takes about 2 months if I have few
interruptions. And mostly they are 50-60thou words.
How
long does it take to write sex scenes?
Are
you kidding? They just happen! If you have to plot them and work
out positions, give yourself some time to think about what you’re going
to write. My opinion, if it doesn’t flow spontaneously, maybe
there"s something wrong with the scene.
Where
do you find writing inspiration?
Anywhere.
When I’ve just finished a book, I always think I’ll take my
time and start another one next month, but then ideas crowd
in—sometimes they crowd in before I’m quite done with the
present book!—and I have to force the new one back until the
present one is finished.
Do you
have a favorite writing snack?
No,
I don’t eat while I write, I keep hydrated though, with orange
juice (or sometimes orange juice with a slosh of Cointreau – try
it! you’ll thank me!) or water. I drink coffee only first thing
in the morning. Late afternoon I prefer to drink tea, and late late
afternoon, a glass of wine. By that time I feel I’ve deserved it.
Do you
have any writing rituals?
No.
I just finish with my emails, read what I wrote yesterday and
start.
Where’s
your favourite place to write?
I
only have one place, my PC desk is set up with that lower tray that
holds a keyboard, and my screen is opposite my face. Next to it is
my printer.
What’s
the best way to get over writer’s block?
Thea Devine, the doyenne of erotic novels, taught me how to get past
writer’s block: Play WHAT IF… Your story is stuck when he
leaves her apartment, say. What if in the elevator he meets a very
giving kind of girl? What if they stop the elevator between floors
and have a huge clinch? What if she runs after him and says, Come
back, you coward? What
if… see what I mean? And something will strike a chord, Boom! And
you will be over the writer’s block.
What
scene for you was the hardest to write and how did you overcome that
obstacle?
I
have never found a scene too hard to write. I just write and if I
don’t like it, I write the same scene differently. I have found
certain letters of condolence hard to write. But that’s real
life, not romance.
What’s
your biggest writing achievement? Why?
I think subconsciously we always feel that the book we have just
written or are about to finish is our best book. It isnt always
true, and it takes time to pick out this or that book as head and
shoulders above what one usually writes. My problem with that would
be that I wouldn’t want the other books to be out, if they didn’t
measure up. You see what a problem that is?
How do
you celebrate a new book?
Nothing
much, usually the next book is already clamouring for attention.
But I usually feel a book is really finished when I print a whole
row of asterisks below the last phrase.
****************************** like
that.
Can you
tell us about your current book, Bored
in Barcelona.
What
made you write ‘this’ story?
I
was idly toying with the idea of a young woman going on holiday and
being bored with the city she finds herself in. Bored
in Barcelona leapt
into my tiny mind. Yes, but how to get that title into the book?
Ah, wait now, if she was sufficiently fed up with her thin time in
Barcelona, and wrote to the back page of her favorite magazine? And
signed the letter, Bored
in Barcelona. Yes,
fine, but what would this bring about? Oh, justaminnit, how about
the magazine owner has a friend, a stunning Spanish …um, writer.
Yes, a writer. Of serious fiction. And he meets her and thinks
Wow, an answer to my dreams, and then he finds that she denigrated
Barcelona, which he loves….By
time I had written that much, I also had to find a way of them coming
together, and…. Please read Bored
in Barcelona, and tell
me what you think of it.
What do
you think makes a good story?
Sometimes the most boring-sounding details will turn out to make a
very good story. It is what you make of the bare bones. If you
waited around for a good story, you would write very few books. One
time all I had was an idea that the widowed mother of my heroine went
to London England, and became enamoured of a 29-year old Greek
tycoon. And I thought what if the girl flew to London to spend some
time with her mother, and the 29-year old tycoon’s brother had had
the same idea and was waiting to speak to the mother about his far
too young brother? And the heroine thinks this man is the 29-year
old tycoon, and lets him have it. That was all I had, and it became
CIRCLE OF LOVE, an 86thousand word book that will be part of my first
3-novel bundle eBook, “LOVERS”. It’ll come out some time in
August.
What’s
the hardest thing about writing and how do you handle it?
I
don’t find anything hard about writing. I just sit down and
write.Sometimes
my Muse is stubborn and will not show. Tough, then I decide to work
on the book’s structure, and as I am working on that, I get an idea
how to drag my Muse back by the hair.
If you
could bring one of your characters to life, which one would it be and
why?
You
know, I think it would be Rafael de Córdoba, my hero from Bored in
Barcelona. He has everything, looks, stunning virility, and he
writes those high-brow books, so his mind is of an exceptional
quality. Oh yes, I would like to meet Rafael in the flesh!
If you
could have dinner with 5 people, who would you choose and why?
I
would definitely invite P.D. James, because I love her mystery
novels featuring Adam Dalgliesh, and I admire how she parses out
little bits of information about him.
And
I would resurrect Luciano Pavarotti, so he could sing “Nessun
Dorma” for me.
Oh,
and let me not forget Vladimir Ashkenazy, who plays Chopin the way I
suspect Chopin himself played his music.
And
I would love to have my handsome grandson Jamie, whom I love so much.
He has the bluest eyes with incredible curling lashes, and a golden
voice. I will let him sing his own choice for me.
And
my granddaughter, Laura, who is a joy as a person and to behold.
Ink-black shining hair, a perfect complexion, green almond-shaped
eyes, a beautiful mouth, and a dry sense of humour. Yes,
that would round off my five special people very nicely.
(Great choices, Kate.)
If you
could travel in a time machine, would go back to the past or to the
future?
Definitely the future.
What
does your family and friends think about your writing erotic
romances?
My
grandson Jamie encourages me by word and deed, reading what I write
and discussing it with me. Bruce, my son, asks from time to time
whether I could perhaps write mysteries, then he wouldn’t feel so
embarrassed when his friends ask what his mother writes, and he has
to say, sensual romance.
How
important is reader feedback, good or bad, to you?
Of
course I am always glad to hear from readers, but in my opinion it
would be a mistake to let it influence my writing. I write as I
write as I write. I write what I know, and it comes naturally.
Writing what someone else thinks I should write would NOT come
naturally, and I would be surprised if such books sold, because the
spirit would be missing.
(An enlightening answer)
What is
your greatest temptation?
Goofing
off when there is opera or a piano concerto on the tv. Usually, I
watch the news, but I don’t care for sitcoms, except the Golden
Girls—I adore Blanche! Apart from that, I don’t watch tv,
except as I said, if there is an opera or a piano concerto on, and
an occasional violin concerto.
What is
your greatest weakness?
Dark Lindt chocolate!
(Yummy!)
What’s
the best advice you can give to an aspiring author?
Write,
write, write. Don’t show your early writings to ANYone, most
people are not competent to judge, and it will be quite some time
before a professional can be persuaded to spend time reading the
mss. of hopefuls.
I
wrote for five years in seclusion, and when I had amassed 25 books in
that time, a friend said I should send one in to DCL and I did, and
they accepted it there and then. I was so lucky, because usually we
writers don’t handle rejection well – well, who does! When
you get something accepted, I hope you will be lucky and find an
EDITOR, and not a Book-doctor, who will shape YOUR work to the
requirements of the publisher. No way. Be protective of your own
work, and don’t let others manhandle it. I would rather withdraw a
book from publication than have someone else eagerly write their
version of MY writing! Belleve me, if you’re any good, someone
will notice you sooner or later, and let’s hope it will be sooner.
And
do your research. How boring are writers who look up words in a
dictionary, thinking that the foreign language is simple – not so!
They are usually conjugated, and when you look up a word and write it
in your text, chances are that you are using an infinitive of the
verb for a conjugated form. This makes the writer look ridiculous
and a bit stupid.
If
you want to write about a foreign location, you can make do with
research, but don’t google a little map and take a few place names
at random, that is a big no-no. You have to invest some time to get
the feel of the place! Then look at photos, sometimes you will find
that the earth is reddish, you should mention that. See what I mean?
Either write what you know, or be sure to do your in-depth research.
(Excellent advise.)
How do
you relax?
Amazingly, I relax when I’m writing.
What is
your favorite all time book?
PALIMPSEST by Gore Vidal.
Fun
Questions
Pepsi
or Coke?
I hate fizzy soft drinks
(LOL)
Chips
or pretzels?
Neither
Chocolate
or vanilla?
To eat: Dark chocolate, Vanlla ice cream.
Mountains
or beach?
Beach
Favorite
color?
Olive Green
Favorite
ice cream?
Vanilla
Casual
or dress up?
I always dress nicely when I sit down to write. If
casual means a worn out t-shirt and shapeless shorts, then I don’t
want to know.
Early
bird or night owl?
Night owl.
Cook
outs or restaurant dinners?
Restaurant dinners
Blurb:
Cynthia Wynne writes a disenchanted email to her favorite monthly magazine, telling them how bored she is in Barcelona. When the owner of the magazine shows the email to Rafael de Cordoba, world-famous writer of serious fiction, he becomes incensed.
When Cynthia and Rafael meet, the instant flare-up of interest is quickly doused when he realizes that she is the woman who wrote disparagingly of Barcelona, which he loves and where his parents live.
Later, he softens his stance, and their interest in each other deepens, but when she tells him she is pregnant with his child, he is upset and incensed.
He had an infectious illness as a boy, and as a result was pronounce infertile.
Cynthia points out that she has never lied to him, and insists that the child she carries is his.
How can Rafael equate his trust in Cynthia with the doctor's prognosis of long ago? Will his head rule, or his heart?
Buy Links:
Blurb:
At a party, Bill Castellano, a mystery writer, meets Marie Boudreaux, an actress, and sparks begin to fly. He invites her to come with him to Ocean Breeze, Fl., where he introduces her to the CEO of an Advertising agency, who offers her a job in a new campaign, acting opposite famous model Jamie Christopher.
Marie and Jamie play well off each other, but Bill becomes uneasy watching their professional embraces. Confused by his feelings, he returns to Florida--for his book, he says, but is Marie deceived? Will Bill be able to come to grips with his feelings, and if he does, will Marie take him back?
Buy Links:
Blurb:
Amadeo, the Conte di Sant'Angelo, has met Heidelinde Muller, an advertising designer, on a ski trip. He wants to know this fascinating woman better. Their friendship grows despite interference from their mothers and persistent old flames.
When a trip to his villa in Tuscany ends badly, he whisks her away to the warms sands of Ocean Breeze, Florida.
Pushed to the limit by more intrusions into their private life, they enter a sham engagement. Can Amadeo persuade Heidelinde that he wants the engagement to be 'real'? Will the be able to overcome the obstacles placed in their path to happiness?
Buy Links:
Blurb:
Lover's Meeting by Kate Hofman--Hoping against hope, Andrew returns to Ocean Breeze, Florida after being gone five years, looking for the one woman he should have never let get away.
Buy Links:
Blurb:
When Cristiano discovers he is the next ruling prince of Concordia-a small principality between Italy and Austria-he is dismayed, liking his life as an art dealer in Florida. His mother tries to force him to accept, but he will not listen. His dilemma becomes more serious when he falls in love with Sophia, owner of several flourishing boutiques.. Will Cristiano change his mind once he spends some time in his new country, and will Sophia support him?
A distant cousin who covets the Concordia throne tries to drive Cristiano away by various sneaky plots. Will he succeed or will his schemes sharpen Cristiano's determination to be a good prince to his people?
My review for Golden Heir is
here.
Buy Links:
Blurb:
Prince Ricardo, who hides his royal birth from his friends, meets Maya at a dinner party and is intrigued by her. When she discovers he is a prince, she is dismayed, but in spite of her feelings, sparks fly. When duty demands that he return to Santa Cruz de Borbon, he invites Maya to come with him.
Several aristocratic women do their best to gain Ricardo's interest, but he wants only Maya. The courtiers object furiously to Maya, doing their best to drive a wedge between the lovers, forcing her to fly back home.
Will Ricardo return to Ocean Breeze and Maya? And even if he does, will love be enough to bridge the gap between them?
My review of Love Match is
here.
Buy Links:
Bio:
Born in The Netherlands, we went to live in London, England, when I was eighteen.
BFA – Art History, Major. Interior Design, Minor.
Moved to Montreal, Canada. (I figured I might as well be paid for being fluent in French). Married Arnold Hofman, a truly fabulous man. Owned and operated an art gallery for twelve years. Widowed ten years ago. Became friends with Nina Bruhns, who urged me to write.
I did as I was told, and in the next five years I wrote two dozen books. I figured that’s what it would take to learn to write. And I was wrong!
Rose Brungard took pity on me and gave unstintingly of her own expertise, sending long teaching e-mails, which helped me a lot.
I also owe my grateful thanks to Thea Devine, who taught me to play “What If” when the writing isn’t going well.
And more recently, I have been given generous help, encouragement and advice by Jennifer Mueller, a wonderful writer, who also provided the stunning cover art for all my books published by Romance At Heart. I owe you all so much.
Here's where you can find Kate:
Thanks again, Kate for being here today! Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win an e-book from Kate's backlist. You have until Sunday Sept 15, midnight EST to comment.
And I hope you'll stop be next Wednesday and read all about the fabulous Cara Carnes, one of the Cabal of Hotness Authors.
