Katie Lane: Cowboys, Billionaires & Funny
In the summer of 2011, I read a feature story in the local paper about debut romance author Katie Lane. Since the book editor for the paper wasn’t a fan of romance, I was intrigued. Sooo, I one-clicked Going Cowboy Crazy. By the end of page one, I was Katie’s biggest fan. Her combination of humor, heartache, and sexy keeps me up all night! Yes, she’s one of those authors.
You’ve said you were at the point of giving up on your dreams of publication when you received the call. Can you tell us about that?
I don’t know if any writer ever truly gives up on their dreams of publication. But there was a point when I had decided to put my dreams on hold. My husband had been carrying the financial burden, and it was time for me to get a real job that paid me money. So that night, I said a prayer of thanks to God for giving me the opportunity to pursue my writing dream, and the next day, I planned to go job hunting. But before I could, the phone rang and I was offered a deal. Isn’t life wonderfully crazy like that? You can imagine the whooping and celebrating that went on.
That first book, Going Cowboy Crazy, put you on the bestseller lists. Your humor made me a Katie Lane addict. Where does the funny come from? Have you considered doing standup?
<happy blushes> Thank you so much. My mother was the funniest person in the world—Lucille Ball funny. She could crack me up with just one kooky look. I try to channel her when I’m writing humorous stories. And no, I don’t think I could do standup comedy. I would get too hurt if people didn’t laugh at my jokes. I much prefer to be funny in my books, then if I bomb with the reader, I never know. And speaking of my Deep in the Heart of Texas series, I have a new story about the crazy town coming out June 1st. My Big Fat Texas Wedding! Here’s a quick sneak peek:
Everything’s Bigger in Texas . . .
Super Bowl Champ, Austin Reeves rolls into his hometown of Bramble expecting a big ol’ hero’s welcome. Instead, he gets the big ol’ cold shoulder from a bunch of pissed off Texans. Completely baffled, he turns to the only person willing to talk to him—the shy girl he knew in high school. But that shy girl has become a hot woman with a fetish for riding crops . . . and soon, Austin will be begging for a long, hard ride.
Mia Cates is ready to get over her crush on Austin—especially when he’s about to tie the knot with another woman. But when he struts back into town with his lazy smile, she’ll find herself playing a game of touch football that could lead to a broken heart . . . unless, she can get up the courage to lay claim to her star quarterback and have her own Big Fat Texas Wedding.
You seem to be a natural born storyteller, on paper and in real life. Seriously, I could listen to your stories forever. Could you tell us about the first story you wrote in elementary school and where the heck you got the idea for it?
My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Hart, wanted the entire class to write a story from an inanimate object’s point of view. She gave us the object she wanted us to write about, and I got a woman’s skirt. I just started writing, and the story of a skinny woman who buys a big skirt came together. When I read the story aloud and came to the part where the skirt falls off and the woman shows her underwear, the entire class laughed and I was hooked on writing.
Tell us about your new series, the Overnight Billionaire. Where did you dream up the idea of joining those delicious men with the lingerie company, French Kiss?
Most of my ideas for books start with a question. For the Overnight Billionaire series, the question came after my daughter and I had just watched an episode of Duck Dynasty. Jokingly, she said, “What about writing your new series about the Duck guys?” Something clicked in my head. What if three southern, hillbilly brothers inherited a lingerie company like Victoria Secrets? The rest is history.
One last question. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve done for research?
I don’t know about unusual, but the funniest thing I did for research was go to this country bar in Odessa, Texas. The owner came out, and when she found out I was writing a romance book, she sat down and told me the naughtiest stories about the bar patrons. Of course, I would never write about real people. <clears throat> But it was so much fun sitting there and getting to listen. I discovered that people love to tell their stories.
Thank you, Katie!
~ ~ ~
A Billionaire After Dark
With endless wealth comes irresistible temptation . . .
It’s an undisputed fact that Nash Beaumont is the hottest of the Beaumont brothers. His slow, sensual smile charms every French Kiss employee-and tempts every woman to buy the company’s lingerie. But beneath Nash’s raw charisma is a dark, kinky side that he struggles to control . . . a side that may be exposed by one lovely-and unexpectedly adventurous-woman.
Reporter Eden Huckabee needs a story. And when she discovers Nash’s dirty little secret, she thinks she’s found it. But Eden doesn’t count on Nash turning the tables on her-or that she will fall so deeply for this unbelievably sexy, one-in-a-billion Beaumont.
~ ~ ~
Katie Lane is the USA Today bestselling author of the Deep in the Heart of Texas, Hunk for the Holidays, and Overnight Billionaires series. Katie lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and when she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, traveling, and cuddling with her high school sweetheart and cairn terrier Roo. You can contact Katie at: www.katielanebooks.com, Twitter @ktlane3, or Facebook.com/katielaneauthor
This post first appeared at The Contemporary Romance Café.
