Q&A with Katy Evans
Posted by Goodreads on January 16, 2017
From an underground fighting circuit to the Oval Office, a Katy Evans love story isn't complete without a little ruthlessness and a lot of ambition.
Last year the Real author introduced us to presidential candidate Matthew Hamilton and feisty campaign worker Charlotte Wells in Mr. President. (Evans would like to remind readers that she wrote this before the primaries, so no, she was not inspired by the recent election.)
Both Matthew and Charlotte are back—and in Washington, D.C.—in the sequel, Commander in Chief. The second installment in the White House series raises the stakes. Charlotte wanted to play a part in history, not nab a starring role. As she and Matthew fight for control over their careers and their hearts, the promise of scandal and ruin looms on the horizon.
Evans answers your questions about the months of research that went into Mr. President and Commander in Chief, the "flesh-and-blood" man who seems to share the most traits with her heroes (sorry, he's definitely taken!), and the not-so-great romance books that gave her the courage to write.
Ennamorata: To the talented as hell Katy Evans: Do you have big plans for the White House series? More books?
Katy Evans: I do have plans for the White House series. I have a third book I'll be working on—a standalone with a new mysterious hero—that takes place during Matt's presidency. I'm very excited to dive into it!
Carol: You are my default comfort author. I feel safe in your hands, surrounded by wonderful characters, reveling in the stories that completely absorb me. So who does that for you? Who is your "default comfort author"?
KE: Thank you so much! I'm truly honored. I have to admit I love reading my old favorites. They're the authors who introduced me to romance and take me back to that "place"—Jude Deveraux, Julie Garwood, and Judith McNaught.
Cheri: I have been a guest at the White House, and I think you were spot-on about each of the rooms! How did you go about researching everything for Commander in Chief?
KE: How fortunate and exciting for you! I've only visited the White House once in my life; the experience was unforgettable. So unforgettable that here I am, writing political romances years later! For both Mr. President and Commander in Chief, I spent about three months doing research, watching documentaries, reading, and flipping through thick tomes full of presidential images. I became quite enthralled with politics and the political world.
Andrea: What or who inspired you to become an author?
KE: I became a voracious reader at 13. I devoured the Sweet Valley High books and then graduated to the romance section at my bookstore. I never looked back! Those amazing stories made me want to create my own, but it was reading a romance I didn't quite enjoy that made me think, "Hey, I could do this, too!" So the books I loved gave me the passion, but the ones I didn't gave me the courage.
Lilly: Your books are intense and really awesome! How long does it usually take for you to create a book, from the moment you get an idea for a story to the release?
KE: Usually I take about three months writing a book—but some books take less time and some take more. Mr. President and Commander in Chief took about nine months because of the research I did. Other books like Real and Womanizer took only about a month. The process is the same with every one, though. First comes the idea. Then I sit on it for a week or two. Once it's burning me up, I plunge into the pages!
Tirozh: Once I start reading one of your books, I can't stop until I finish it! If you could meet any of your characters in real life, who would you choose?
KE: I'll say Remy because he was my first hero. He holds a special place in my heart, but I do admit that I fall in love with all my heroes and heroines. For the entire time I write their books, they're mine and I'm theirs.
Rohina: The compatibility between your characters—from the way they speak to the way they act around each other—is amazing and different from so many other book couples I have read. While I enjoy all your characters, your male protagonists rule my heart. Who inspires your male leads?
KE: I love to hear when readers fall for my heroes because I tend to develop an insane love for them, too! I can't say I have a single flesh-and-blood inspiration for my heroes, except that I notice some of them have traits that I love about my husband, Mr. Evans!
Fay: What's the process of picking a cover for your books?
KE: I usually start the process of looking for an image once I'm finished with the book. By then, I have a clear sense of the story and characters. Usually while scouring the sites, one particular (and perfect!) image will jump out at me. Then I contact one of my favorite cover designers and send it their way. Getting to see the cover design is always such a thrill!
Renata: Did the recent presidential campaigns and election inspire your White House story at all?
KE: I started Mr. President before the primaries last year, and as all the names of possible contenders were thrown around, I kept wishing JFK Jr. were still here with us—and running. I grew up loving him and always found him to be oh-so-sexy and charming! So he became my muse for Matthew Hamilton in Mr. President.
Lee: Can you tell us a little bit about your first story? Not the published one but the first draft you ever wrote in your literary life.
KE: I was 15 and very determined, and I wrote three whole chapters of The Emerald Lady. It was a historical romance about a highwaywoman with emerald eyes and flaming red hair (just like the heroines I admired in the books I read), and it was pretty awful. But I thought it was wonderful! I'm pretty glad I was a bit naive at the time because it kept me writing until I became better.
Last year the Real author introduced us to presidential candidate Matthew Hamilton and feisty campaign worker Charlotte Wells in Mr. President. (Evans would like to remind readers that she wrote this before the primaries, so no, she was not inspired by the recent election.)
Both Matthew and Charlotte are back—and in Washington, D.C.—in the sequel, Commander in Chief. The second installment in the White House series raises the stakes. Charlotte wanted to play a part in history, not nab a starring role. As she and Matthew fight for control over their careers and their hearts, the promise of scandal and ruin looms on the horizon.
Evans answers your questions about the months of research that went into Mr. President and Commander in Chief, the "flesh-and-blood" man who seems to share the most traits with her heroes (sorry, he's definitely taken!), and the not-so-great romance books that gave her the courage to write.
Katy Evans: I do have plans for the White House series. I have a third book I'll be working on—a standalone with a new mysterious hero—that takes place during Matt's presidency. I'm very excited to dive into it!
Carol: You are my default comfort author. I feel safe in your hands, surrounded by wonderful characters, reveling in the stories that completely absorb me. So who does that for you? Who is your "default comfort author"?
KE: Thank you so much! I'm truly honored. I have to admit I love reading my old favorites. They're the authors who introduced me to romance and take me back to that "place"—Jude Deveraux, Julie Garwood, and Judith McNaught.
Cheri: I have been a guest at the White House, and I think you were spot-on about each of the rooms! How did you go about researching everything for Commander in Chief?
KE: How fortunate and exciting for you! I've only visited the White House once in my life; the experience was unforgettable. So unforgettable that here I am, writing political romances years later! For both Mr. President and Commander in Chief, I spent about three months doing research, watching documentaries, reading, and flipping through thick tomes full of presidential images. I became quite enthralled with politics and the political world.
Andrea: What or who inspired you to become an author?
KE: I became a voracious reader at 13. I devoured the Sweet Valley High books and then graduated to the romance section at my bookstore. I never looked back! Those amazing stories made me want to create my own, but it was reading a romance I didn't quite enjoy that made me think, "Hey, I could do this, too!" So the books I loved gave me the passion, but the ones I didn't gave me the courage.
KE: Usually I take about three months writing a book—but some books take less time and some take more. Mr. President and Commander in Chief took about nine months because of the research I did. Other books like Real and Womanizer took only about a month. The process is the same with every one, though. First comes the idea. Then I sit on it for a week or two. Once it's burning me up, I plunge into the pages!
Tirozh: Once I start reading one of your books, I can't stop until I finish it! If you could meet any of your characters in real life, who would you choose?
KE: I'll say Remy because he was my first hero. He holds a special place in my heart, but I do admit that I fall in love with all my heroes and heroines. For the entire time I write their books, they're mine and I'm theirs.
Rohina: The compatibility between your characters—from the way they speak to the way they act around each other—is amazing and different from so many other book couples I have read. While I enjoy all your characters, your male protagonists rule my heart. Who inspires your male leads?
KE: I love to hear when readers fall for my heroes because I tend to develop an insane love for them, too! I can't say I have a single flesh-and-blood inspiration for my heroes, except that I notice some of them have traits that I love about my husband, Mr. Evans!
Fay: What's the process of picking a cover for your books?
KE: I usually start the process of looking for an image once I'm finished with the book. By then, I have a clear sense of the story and characters. Usually while scouring the sites, one particular (and perfect!) image will jump out at me. Then I contact one of my favorite cover designers and send it their way. Getting to see the cover design is always such a thrill!
Renata: Did the recent presidential campaigns and election inspire your White House story at all?
KE: I started Mr. President before the primaries last year, and as all the names of possible contenders were thrown around, I kept wishing JFK Jr. were still here with us—and running. I grew up loving him and always found him to be oh-so-sexy and charming! So he became my muse for Matthew Hamilton in Mr. President.
Lee: Can you tell us a little bit about your first story? Not the published one but the first draft you ever wrote in your literary life.
KE: I was 15 and very determined, and I wrote three whole chapters of The Emerald Lady. It was a historical romance about a highwaywoman with emerald eyes and flaming red hair (just like the heroines I admired in the books I read), and it was pretty awful. But I thought it was wonderful! I'm pretty glad I was a bit naive at the time because it kept me writing until I became better.
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Andrea
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Mar 19, 2017 08:48PM
Thank you Katy Evans for this awesome Q&A and Thank you for answering my question....!!! I love your books & I can't wait to read more them....!!!
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