It’s a pleasure to welcome author Katrina Coll to talk about her new book
An expat Aussie, Katrina lives in rural Ireland where the countryside really is forty shades of green. She is a keen cook, which is why she’s becoming a reluctant runner with the support of the family dog, Beetlejuice.
Thank you for joining us- tell us about your new book A Match Made for TV which released 16th September.
Ria De Lorenzo is a damn good doctor. Or was. Burnt out before she’s begun, a three-month paid vacation as the medical consultant to a reality TV show is just what she needs to recover her mojo.
Cancer survivor and headline grabber Griffin Stromberg is desperate to reboot his ultra-macho image. Typecast by years of fame, showcasing his softer side with a picture-perfect relationship should do the trick. Until Ria breaches show protocol and gets Griff’s fake girlfriend disqualified.
Now Ria’s only hope of clocking out of reality is to check in to a fantasy by becoming his new partner. Griff, however, wants their relationship to be the real deal, not one of his infamous life-hacks.
Can a man renowned for taking shortcuts prove he’s ready to commit to a forever relationship? Or will reality bite once filming is over?
Note: This is a steamy romance, which includes swearing and steamy bathroom sex.
Oh, sounds great! Are you writing anything else?
My work in progress returns to the world of reality tv with a reunion romance. My couple are paired on a bake-off—one is a chef, the other a cook. The fallout from past betrayals is massive but they have to work through their past for a much bigger reason than a tv show.
We will discuss your writing, but first some quick-fire questions.
Late nights or early mornings? Late nights. I am not a morning person.
What’s for breakfast? I often do overnight oats in jars with yogurt and fruit.
Night out or Netflix? Netflix on weekends. Weeknights I write.
G &T or Tea/coffee? While I do love a pink gin and elderflower tonic (*Foodie alert), I cannot do without decent coffee.
Perfect weekend? These days it’s any weekend when I get out the house.
What did you want to be when you grew up? An author.
What is for dinner tonight? Can you cook? It ended up a roast rack of rosemary lamb with Catalan-style greens, roasted root veggies, and baby new potatoes. For a bit of fun, here’s a pic:
What brings you joy? Lifts your spirits, chases away a down mood. Taking the dog for a walk always cheers me up.
Your hero? My nanna. She’s a total legend.
If you could choose three people (living or dead ) to invite for a dinner party, who would they be and why? They’d have to be living because I’m prejudiced against zombies. Actually, I’d just love to be able to hold dinner parties again…
Do you have any non-writing related interests? I’m re-learning the piano (thanks lockdown!) and I’m going for my second black belt. (The first was a loooong time ago.) What would surprise people to know about you? If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise!
Life lessons-what do you wish you’d know earlier? Persistence is more important than intelligence.
Questions about Writing. What is your writing process like? Iterative. I write, re-write, write, edit. It is not efficient but it’s how my brain works.
Do you have any other projects are in the works? I have two paranormal romances waiting to see the light of day, a medieval romance (currently shelved), and the sequel I mentioned.
Have you ever resuscitated a project you’d shelved? What helped it work better the second time around? I have some stories on life support so long it’s embarrassing. The bake-off book is one example. I wrote a version before A Match Made for TV but realised that while I had tension, drama and attraction, the relationship never built. Now I build the relationship first.
If you were to genre-hop, which genres would you most like to try writing? Fantasy and historical.
What writing resources have been most helpful to you? The most singularly useful text was Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes. But collectively, it’s been by joining writing organisations like the Romance Writers of Australia.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the beginning of your writing/publishing journey? I wish I’d had critique partners sooner instead of trying to do it all solo.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing? I’m still at the stage of fitting writing around my work.
What inspired your new book? My love of cooking. And the Aussie TV show the Cook and the Chef.
What is the most difficult part about writing for you? Getting new words down and keeping them.
Did you do any research for your current book? I have a chronic need to research, so yes.
Best writing advice/ Worst writing advice you ever received? Finish the damn book has to be the best.’
“A writer is a person who writes every day” is the worst.
Best money you have spent as a writer? Buying Scrivener.
What are you reading now? Playing it Safe by Amy Andrews. And the next book on pre-order is The King’s Cowboy by Madeline Ash.
What books or authors have most influenced your writing? I’m looking looking forward to hearing what readers say about my style.
Favourite book/story you have read as an adult? Current fave is The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.
Favourite book/story you have read as a child? Almost everything by Diana Wynne Jones.
You can catch up with Katrina here.
Web https://www.katrinacoll.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KatrinaCollAuthor
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/katrinacollauthor/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.ie/KatrinaCollAuthor/a-match-made-for-tv/
BUY LINKS:
Here’s the publisher link (best value as on sale): https://www.evernightpublishing.com/a-match-made-for-tv-by-katrina-coll/
https://books2read.com/A-Match-Made-for-TV
Sonia Bellhouse- Author. 