In the Author Spotlight & Contest

Cat Johnson

CONTEST: One lucky reader will receive a cowboy charm & rawhide bookmark so make sure to leave a comment along with you email. :)

AL: Hi Cat! Thanks for being In the “Author Spotlight” this week.

CJ: Hi Ann! Thanks for having me.

AL: So, tell us what’s happening with you.

CJ: Well, it’s convention season again. So with the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Orlando in April, and Book Expo America in New York in May, I’m traveling a lot this spring. It’s exciting though, because I host the All Romance eBooks’ What’s Hot in Romance Blog Talk Radio Show and we are taping live interviews on site with authors at both events in my very own custom made recording booth. On top of that is my spring booksigning tour, which is taking me to bookstores in NY, NJ, PA, and CT nearly every weekend. I’ve been pretty busy.

AL: What do you have out for us to read?

CJ: There is always, of course, my Task Force Zeta military romance series. I just love the last release in that series, A Prince Among Men, which is the sequel to Model Soldier and is about my soldier friend’s platoon in Afghanistan, but my most recent release, Rough Stock, is about rodeo cowboys.

That is not as much of a departure from my soldiers as it sounds since one of the characters in Rough Stock joins the Army, and actually, the original kernel of the idea for Rough Stock came from my soldier friend who consults me on the details for my military books. He popped on IM one day and told me that his Bravo Team leader used to be a bull rider, and then asked me if a cowboy turned soldier would make a good story. I was like YEAH! And why didn’t you tell me this before?! So that was the beginnings of the two saddle bronc-riding rodeo cowboys in Rough Stock. I have to thank my soldier friend because Rough Stock has done really well in both sales and with the professional reviewers.

AL: What are you currently working on?

CJ:I had a feeling after completing Rough Stock that it would be a hot book, so I immediately pitched another cowboy ménage story and its sequel to my editor and she loved the ideas. And while researching Rough Stock, I became friends with a real life rodeo cowboy. He helps me so much with the details, I couldn’t NOT write more cowboy books, so right now I am just finishing up final edits on the first of 2 new cowboy stories and I am well into writing the second. The series is tentatively named Studs in Spurs and the first book has a working title of Unridden and the sequel, Bucked, but you know the publishing world and sometimes (often) these things change.

AL: It looks like you like the Army boys and the cowboys…what is it about these men that call to you and beckon such great stories?

CJ: I’m beginning to wonder if I have a boot fetish. Combat boots, cowboy boots, doesn’t seem to matter! But seriously, I tend to write Alpha males. Of course they have a soft side, or a least a soft spot when it comes to the heroine, but who doesn’t love to see the tough guy tamed by love? And military men and cowboys are some of the toughest guys you can find.

In addition to that, I really immerse myself as much as possible in the worlds I research for my books. It’s the only way to absorb the nuances that make them really accurate and believable. I’ve become close friends with a soldier, a Marine and a cowboy. These real men are so wonderful in the way they selflessly help me with my little old romance novels, and I really respect each one for what they do and how they live their lives, it is easy to be inspired by them and model characters after them all.

AL: Of your books, do you have a favorite hero and heroine?

CJ: I don’t have a favorite heroine because quite honestly, I fall in love with all my heroes and I’m jealous that the heroine gets to have them and I don’t! As for the men, as I said, I love them all. Each and every one of them. Who could possibly choose from a lineup so wonderful?

AL: What do you hope for your writing career in the next few years? Any goals that you have yet to obtain that you have set for yourself?

CJ: Of course, like most authors, I would love a contract with one of the big NY print houses, though I do realize that is probably one of those ‘be careful what you wish for’ situations because there is something to be said for being with a smaller publisher. Besides that, my long term, reach for the stars, dream goal is to have one of my books made into a movie or TV series. It doesn’t even have to be a big Hollywood production. I’d be happy with Lifetime Television. I’m easy!

AL: If you had to write yourself as a heroine, what kind of heroine would you be? What would you be named?

CJ: I think I write a little bit of myself into each heroine. And I definitely weave in some real life experiences though I really hesitate to say that since the last two stories I wrote were pretty hot ménages and I don’t want people thinking I’m having a kinky threesome with two cowboys. Honestly, I’m not that lucky in real life. LOL.

So anyway, I always wanted to have a really fun name, like Laurel. I guess I would name myself that. Laurel would be a sassy, tough, take no bullshit type of heroine…which is pretty much like me in real life on a good day (when I’m not stressed out about a deadline or something!)

AL: Now that we know what kind of heroine you are and your name, why do you fall in love with the hero?

CJ: Laurel would fall in love with the hero because he loves her for who she is, faults and all. He allows her freedom and independence but is also always there to support and protect her… The perfect hero is a modern man with a medieval chivalrous streak. And of course he would be hotter than hell, incredible in bed and have eyes only for her. LOL. I guess the heroine in me wants a hero with it all! Good thing this is fiction, huh?

AL: In your next life, if you came back as a critter, what would it be? (I might know the answer to this one already…)

CJ: You are probably correct in your guess. No question about it. As I look around my bed at all my many cats lying in various positions of total relaxation and snoring, I know for sure, I want to come back as a cat.

AL: If you could have any car in the world; would it be a slow rider, or one that the wind has to hurry just to keep up with you?

CJ: I already own my dream car. It’s a black Thunderbird convertible and I love it. The V8 engine is amazing, though I have to watch my speed because it is easy to be breaking the law and not even realize it because it is so fun to drive. And it is so gorgeous I get comments from men, women and children alike.

AL: Please share a favorite quote with us.

CJ: Well there are the usual philosophical quotes that I truly believe in, such as the before mentioned “Be careful what you wish for”. But as far as quotes for entertainment value and cleverness, I particularly love one quote from Rough Stock. The heroine, April, has just confessed to her gay male best friend, Ben, that she had a summer-long, threesome relationship with two saddle bronc rodeo cowboys and Ben says, “If you choose men who think 8 seconds is a long time, perhaps you do need 2 of them.” I love that line!

AL: Thank you so much Cat for sharing with us today. I hope the questions were fun, or at the very least made you ponder for just a bit. LOL!

CJ: Yes, and thank you! I had a great time and thanks again for inviting me.

AL: If you'd like to find out more about Cat and her work, please visit:

http://www.catjohnson.net/

www.myspace.com/authorcatjohnson

FEATURED TITLE:

BLURB:

Bronc riders Mason and Clay have shared both good times and bad, but they never expected to share their boss’ daughter, April. Can two friends love one woman, body and soul, without it destroying them?

The heart wants what it wants. For April that means not choosing between the two cowboys she loves, no matter how wrong it may seem inviting them both into her bed. But can the relationship survive when life sends the three lovers in opposite directions?

Filled with hot sex, passion, and realistic characters, and set amid the world of rodeo where life is lived eight seconds at a time, Rough Stock sends author Cat Johnson galloping full speed into the tantalizing realm of ménage romance.

EXCERPT:

“I’ve thought about us being together…like that. The three of us.”

She stared straight up at the ceiling as she let that bomb drop on them both.

For once, even Clay was speechless. All Mason heard come out of his friend was a soft shocked wheeze of air at April’s comment. She’d said it so casually, as if she hadn’t just blurted out the most outrageous, tantalizing thing Mason had ever heard in all of his eighteen years.

He realized just how close their three faces were. So close, that when she turned her head slightly on the pillow, her breath tickled his nose. Her hand came up to pull Mason’s head even closer. She kissed him softly on the lips.

Then, as Mason’s heart pounded with the possibilities, April turned her head and planted the same soft kiss on Clay. Only Clay wasn’t as polite, or perhaps not as shocked, as Mason had been. It took barely a second before Clay tangled his hand in her hair, tilted his head and kissed her deeper, just inches from Mason’s face. He watched his two best friends kiss, amazed, aroused, confused…

As their tongues tangled and Clay let out a small moan, Mason began to wonder what the hell to do. Should he leave? Stay? Join in? Mason moved on the bed, sitting up, unsure until April blindly grabbed his denim-clad thigh with one hand and held him there. Her touch sent shockwaves through his body, directly into his now rock hard erection.

She broke the kiss with Clay and turned her head back to him. In the dim light, Mason saw her lick her lips before she leaned in. Then the tip of that tongue he’d watched dart out of her mouth just seconds before, was parting his own lips. Her mouth was hot and wet and tasted of toothpaste.

His eyes still open so he wouldn’t miss one moment, Mason saw Clay’s hand snake around from behind her to cup April’s breast through her t-shirt.

If Clay wasn’t fighting this, Mason sure as hell wasn’t going to.