 |
| Cate Beauman, Author ANSWERS FOR JULIE, Book Nine Bodyguards of L.A. County Series |
Cate Beauman returns
to feature her latest romantic suspense novel, ANSWERS FOR JULIE, Book Nine in
the Bodyguards of L.A. County Series. Inspired by FBI statistics on the
likelihood of the return of an abducted child, this just-released novel
features a massage therapist/yoga instructor as a heroine and a bodyguard
returning to a small town where his grandmother just died.
Although romance and
suspense are key attributes of her books, Beauman also likes to create
characters with flaws because “readers can relate to flaws.” She develops
romantic relationships and elements of the story specific to each mystery and
character.
Beauman is now working
on the tenth Bodyguard book, and lives in
North Carolina with her husband, their two boys, and St.
Bernards, Bear and Jack.
Don't miss the excerpt from ANSWERS FOR JULIE following the interview.
Q: I know you like
your heroines to have interesting careers. For ANSWERS FOR JULIE, Book Nine in
the Bodyguards of L.A. County Series, what inspired Julie’s career of massage
therapist/yoga instructor? They seem fairly benign careers and do not
necessarily suggest romantic suspense.
Cate Beauman: I
love for my heroines to have interesting careers. There are so many options to
choose from. Luckily, women can be whatever they want to be. When I think up
careers for my characters, the goal isn’t to have their professions fit the
romantic suspense genre; they have to fit the person I’m creating. Julie’s very
sweet, funny, and pretty laid back. Being a massage therapist and yoga
instructor meld well with who she is as a person. The dangerous circumstances
she finds herself in as the story unfolds won’t have much to do with how she
makes her living.
Q: Tell me about Bakersfield, Washington.
Does the setting help to tell your story?
Cate Beauman: Honestly,
in this instance, Bakersfield, Washington is a figment of my imagination. It’s
rare that I get to create my own settings. Many of the bodyguard stories take
place in cities that actually exist. When I have the opportunity to make up my
own place it’s so much fun. The town gets to be what I need it to be to help
tell my story instead of me having to make my story work around an area that
truly exists.
Q: In past
interviews, you’ve talked about mixing romance and suspense—which is paramount
in your books—in addition to the need to assure authenticity, use humor to
create characters, and make characters as “human” as possible. What else do you
use to help readers embrace your characters so that we want them to succeed?
Cate Beauman: I
think what makes my readers embrace my characters is the fact that they’re
flawed. Everyone can relate to flaws and imperfections because there is no such
thing as perfection. Julie and Chase have made mistakes in their pasts. They
continue to make mistakes throughout the novel. That’s real. Struggling and
growing through tough situations is part of the human condition. Conflict is
key in every story. I like each work of fiction to mirror reality as closely as
possible.
Q: How do you build
the romantic relationships? Do your characters love each other at first sight?
Do opposites attract? Does the suspense increase the romantic interest?
Cate Beauman: It
really depends on each story. Every couple is different—much like they are in
real life. Sometimes people see each other and know they’ve found “the one.”
Other times friendships build into something more. On occasion, some people
think they loathe each other only to realize there was an attraction there all
along. I think suspense has the opportunity to bring a couple closer together.
But the stress can also strain a relationship and pull people apart. I like to
use the circumstances in the story to help me decide which way things will go
for the current couple I’m writing.
Q: What do you
believe are key elements of an alluring mystery—in addition to suspense and
romance? Do you like to include villains? Red herrings?
Cate Beauman: I
try really hard to make each of the stories in the Bodyguards of L.A. County
series different. I’m a big fan of villains, and a red herring certainly can
add a lovely twist in any plot. The couple and the circumstances really help me
decide what elements will add to the mystery in their adventure.
Q: What inspired
ANSWERS FOR JULIE?
Cate Beauman: I
often get my story ideas from watching crime documentaries, but the plot for ANSWERS FOR JULIE came together after I
read some sobering FBI statistics in a magazine about the odds of a missing
child coming home. Unfortunately, many children are lost forever. The wheels
began spinning quickly after that, and a few weeks later, the story was well on
its way.
About Cate Beauman
Cate
currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, their two boys, and St.
Bernards, Bear and Jack. She is the author of the international bestselling and
award winning romantic suspense series, Bodyguards
of L.A. County. Before her
career as an author, Cate worked in special education for 12 years.
“I’m
a pretty lucky girl; one day I woke up and my entire life changed. I saw the
light, so to speak, and decided I was going to be a writer. Now, five years later, I’m working on my
tenth novel! I remain so very grateful for the support and success that I have
had.”
About
ANSWERS FOR JULIE
Julie Keller relishes the simple things: hot chocolate on
winter nights, good friends she calls her family, and her laid-back career as a
massage therapist and yoga instructor. Julie is content with her life until
Chase Rider returns to Bakersfield.
Bodyguard Chase Rider isn’t thrilled to be back in the town
where he spent his childhood summers. His beloved grandmother passed away,
leaving him a house in need of major repairs. With a three-week timetable and a
lot to do, he doesn’t have time for distractions. Then he bumps into Julie, the
one woman he hoped never to see again. Chase tries to pretend Julie doesn’t
exist, but ten years hasn’t diminished his attraction to the hazel-eyed stunner.
When a stranger grabs Julie’s arm at the grocery store—a
woman who insists Julie’s life isn’t what it seems, Chase can’t help but get
involved. Julie and Chase dig into a twenty-five-year-old mystery, unearthing
more questions than answers. But the past is closer than they realize, and the
consequences of the truth have the potential to be deadly.
Excerpt
“Good
night.” She turned on her side as Becky left and snuggled into her covers,
listening to the music from downstairs while she stared at the white lights
twinkling on the baby Christmas tree she and mommy had decorated for her room.
Noah’s excited voice carried from his room, and her eyes drooped in the warmth
and comfort of her bed. Her mind drifted to the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who, and
her eyes flew open when her bedroom door creaked shut. She didn’t like her door
closed.
Sitting
up, Alyson relaxed when she realized she wasn’t alone and looked at the woman
dressed in a black coat and hat, Becky’s friend who liked to come and play with
her and push her on the swings at the park.
“Hi,
Ally,” she whispered, stepping farther in the room, looking over her shoulder.
“Hi.”
She yawned. “Did you come to play with me?”
“Whisper,”
the woman said, glancing over her shoulder again.
She
smiled. “Okay.”
“Do
you want to come with me? We could go to the park.”
Alyson
glanced out the window at fat snowflakes falling in the dark, pushed off her
covers, and stood. “I have to ask my mommy.”
“She
said it’s okay, but we have to hurry and be very, very quiet.” The woman moved
to the bed, grabbed two teddy bears and laid them down, pulling the blankets up
and over the stuffed animals. “It’s a secret game.”
Becky
and Noah’s voices were muffled through the wall, and Alyson pressed her hand to
her mouth, suppressing a giggle. “I like secret games.”
“Me
too. Come on.” The woman took something from her pocket with gloved hands and
unfolded it, laying a piece of paper flat at the foot of the bed.
“What’s
that?”
“A
note so your mommy will remember I took you to the park.”
“I
only want to play for a little while. I’m going to see Santa with mommy and
Noah.”
“Just
for a little bit,” the woman assured with a smile. “Let’s hurry.” She lifted
Alyson and bundled her under the pink and purple blanket Grandma Porter made
for her when she had been a teeny, tiny baby.
“I
need my boots and coat.”
“I
have some for you at my house.”
“Okay.”
The
woman walked to the bedroom door and stopped, holding a finger to her lips.
“Shh.”
Alyson
grinned and said “Shh” back.
The
woman stepped into the hallway and out the French doors that opened to the
large balcony Alyson and Noah weren’t allowed to play on and hurried down the
long sweep of stairs.
Alyson clung tight to
the woman taking her to the park. She stared back at her huge brick and pillar
house lit with hundreds of Christmas lights as Becky’s friend ran with her into
the shadows of the street.
Amazon Author Page
Social links:
Hi Cate! I always enjoy reading about your inspiration for writing each new book! Each book truly is so different from the last, and that's one of the things that makes this such a great series. And you always give us interesting and lovable characters :)
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda! Thank you for the kind words - you always know how to make my day!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great weekend,
~Cate
Hi Joyce! Thanks for having me back! You always ask wonderful interview questions - thank you for the time and thought you put in to them!
ReplyDelete~Cate