A native Ohioan, Cathryn K. Thompson has always had a passion for drama and
the arts. She is a lover of languages, a Toastmaster, and a former dance
instructor with a brown belt in Kenpo karate.
What genre(s) do you write?
I write Contemporary Fiction/
Romance with a bit of humor, drama, and soapy goodness thrown in for good
measure.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I am definitely a pantser. I find
that when I just tell the story without thinking about it, I can knock out
several thousand words at a time. The minute I stop to worry about an outline
or a proper arc, I panic and freeze up. It feels unnatural to me. Those things
are of course very important in a final draft, but I find it’s better if I just
get everything down and adjust for structure afterward. I think it’s easier to
tell a story from the heart, not the head.
What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of
your stories?
I hope that when a reader finishes
the story, they think of the characters as friends that they hate to leave
behind, friends that they can’t wait to visit again.
How long have you been a writer?
There has been a writer lurking
under the surface for quite some time, but it was never something I
acknowledged until recently. I wrote my first piece of General Hospital Fanfic
as a sophomore in high school. I didn’t know that’s what it was at the time. I
just knew that my play called “Opposing Forces” was inspired by my favorite
soap characters. My next big writing project was during my freshmen year at the
University of Toledo. I wrote a mystery/suspense about a girl who discovers one
of her teachers has been involved in an assassination attempt and gone into
hiding. I wish I still had copies of those stories, but they’ve been lost to
history. I became a teacher and didn’t give writing much thought until November
1, 2011. My husband challenged me to join him for NaNoWriMo and that’s how Lily
was born.
How much time did it take from writing your first book to
having it published?
Just over two years.
How do you come up with the titles?
“Once in Love with Lily” is
actually a piece of dialogue from the book. From the very beginning I knew that
this line was going to be one of the final lines in the book, but I chose it as
the title because of the potential for multiple references within the story. It
sets the mood, but doesn’t necessarily give anything away.
Has your life changed significantly since becoming a
published writer?
I now have a creative outlet for my
over-active imagination and an excuse for talking to myself. I call it dialogue
development. J
Do you work on one project at a time? Or do you multi-task?
For the most part I try to complete
one project at a time. I don’t like to have too many unfished things dangling.
But when I feel blocked or just need to change gears, I will write a blog post
or a piece of fanfiction just to spice things up.
Please tell us 5 miscellaneous facts about yourself.
Is this like that game, two truths
and one lie and you have to guess which one is true?
- I’ve never been
to Paris.
- I’m a terrible
driver.
- I love musical
theater and anything Disney.
- My favorite TV
show of all time is the Golden Girls. I own all 7 seasons.
- I’m easily
moved. I’m probably the only woman alive who’s cried during episodes of
Shark Tank and Chopped.
Please share with us your future projects and upcoming
releases.
I’m working on the sequel to Lily.
I think some fans are anxiously awaiting that one and there is a third part to
the story as well. Lily has a lot of things to sort out before we find out if she
gets her happy ending. There are still many more secrets to be revealed about
several of the characters. I also have an idea for a non-Lily contemporary
romance inspired by some a friend’s recent experience with on-line dating and “forbidden
love”. I won’t divulge too much more just yet.
You can find Cathryn K. Thomas here:
@catkthompson (Twitter)
Lily Josephson is a choreographer living
in LA with her long-time husband, movie mogul C.S. George. She has settled into
a comfortable, predictable, and fabulously wealthy lifestyle. Thanks to her
husband’s connections and resources and the help of modern technology, she
manages to maintain a successful career as a Hollywood choreographer, despite
the fact that she hasn’t danced in front of a live audience in over seven years
due to a tragic accident that nearly left her paralyzed.
When Lily’s brother calls seeking her
help with his fledgling Broadway show, the idea of returning to New York and
the live stage seems almost impossible. Even if she can ignore emotional and
physical scars left by the accident, she will still have to convince the cast
to put their faith in her and her untraditional methods. Unfortunately, her
no-nonsense husband, more interested in protecting his investment in the show
than protecting her feelings, doesn’t leave her any choice. Upon arrival in New
York, she runs into Tony, the one person from her past she never intended to
see again. Suddenly, the thought of professional failure pales in comparison to
dealing with the man who walked out on her and all but destroyed her over a
decade before.
A series of twists sends Lily and Tony on an
intercontinental journey, filled with humor, romance, and betrayal. Old secrets
are revealed and new ones created as the two of them begin to unearth the
shards of their broken relationship. Torn between the husband who has given her
the world and the man who once was her world, Lily must weigh the importance of
faith, trust, and commitment. She must choose sides between love and passion
and moral responsibility and decide if recapturing the past is worth risking
her future.
Enjoy an excerpt from ONCE IN LOVE WITH LILY
He watched her face as her lips curved
into a gentle smile. The November wind whipped through her long dark hair.
Seeing her sitting there like that gave him pause, and his thoughts drifted.
* * *
It was April. They were sitting on
the quay with a bottle of wine, bread, and cheese. It was dusk, and the glow of
the setting sun on the Seine was a sight to behold. The Eiffel Tower stood
proudly in the distance over his left shoulder. The grandeur of the Notre Dame
loomed in front of him just across the river. Still, Tony was more impressed by
the object of beauty to his right. He studied Lily in the waning light as she
told a story of something one her classmates had said or done. He couldn’t
quite follow the story, but not because he wasn’t interested in what she had to
say. He just happened to be more interested in her face at the moment.…
When they first met, he
thought she was a pretty little girl, but that day he saw before him an
exquisite young woman. Her skin was flawless, her large brown eyes soulful, and
her lips—full, luscious. They practically begged to be kissed.…
She’d finished her story
and was looking at him as if she were waiting for him to say something. He only stared back.
“Tony?”
“Hmm? What?”
“I asked you what you
thought. You haven’t answered.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“You look… so beautiful
tonight.”
“Tony, please,” she said,
smiling shyly and lowering her eyes.
The spring breeze blew her
hair across her face. He reached over and gently brushed it out of the way with
his fingers, tucking it behind her ear and slowly tracing his way down her jaw
line with the backs of his fingers. Her
gaze met his. For the first time he saw a different look in her eyes. His hand
still under her chin, he tilted it ever so slightly upward. Her lips parted
invitingly. His moment had finally arrived. He only had one shot at making
their first kiss perfect. Depending on her reaction, it might be their only
kiss. He leaned in and kissed her gently, slowly, savoring her lips. It was
everything he could have imagined and more.…
* * *
“Tony,” Lily said, dragging him back into the
present.
“Hmmm? What?”
“What were you thinking about?”
