Exclusive Interview & Giveaway ~Not Quite Mine Blog Tour~ Catherine Bybee

I am so excited to welcome back Catherine Bybee to FBL. I am a huge fan of Catherine's work.. I became an avid follower when I read her time travel series, The MacCoinich's. You can find my reviews of this series and Not Quite Dating here (under Catherine Bybee) at FBL.  Today she stops by on her Not Quite Mine Blog Tour.  Remember to scroll all the way down to enter the Giveaway!!

First, here's a little about Catherine:
New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee was raised in Washington State, but after graduating high school, she moved to Southern California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned novels Wife by Wednesday, Married by Monday, and Not Quite Dating. Bybee lives with her husband and two teenage sons in Southern California.

Thanks, Catherine, for stopping by Forever Book Lover. Congratulations on your latest release, Not Quite Mine.

1. Can you tell us how this story was developed? Did you first have a story in mind and the character just happened? Or did the character come to you, begging you to tell their story?

Because this is the second book in a series, the characters were already playing in my head from the first book, Not Quite Dating. I loved Katie in the first book and really wanted to give her a HEA. And of course there was Dean to consider. The poor guy really needed to pull his life together and Katie is the only one to help him do that.

2. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

This book is as much of a romance is it is a book about motherhood. So yes, there are those ‘mommy’ moments that stem from real life.

3. What was your favorite part of the book?

Some of my favorite scenes in this book take place between the characters other than the Hero and Heroine. I love the interaction between Dean and Jack… And Monica and Katie. Then some of the more dramatic moments between Katie and her mom. But I can’t really go into it without giving away spoilers.

4. What was the hardest part to write in the book?

I don’t know if there was a ‘hard’ part. Writing any book will have its challenges, but this story really did come along without too many tears.

5. If you could only describe a single scene to encourage someone to read your latest release, which scene would it be?

Sure. Here’s an excerpt:

Dean followed the pattern of awestruck men until he found her.

Bent over a railing on what would be one of the many ground floor suites, Katie’s short, cream-colored skirt rode midthigh. The sight of her slammed his breath from his lungs. Her long legs appeared to ride for miles and the four-inch heels extended them even farther.

Her butt flexed as she straightened and looked up to the ceiling. She reached above her head as if measuring the height of the room.

The memory of her stretching in bed, naked, after they’d made love swam in his mind.

Get a grip, Dean, he chided himself. Drowning in those memories would only lead to heartache. And he’d had his share of that, enough to last a lifetime.

“You need to wear a hat,” he all but yelled in her direction.

Katie jumped and swiveled in his direction. “Damn it, Dean, you scared me.” She brought a hand to her chest as if calming her heart from the shock of him being there.

“If an inspector were here, he’d shut me down if he caught you without a hard hat.”

He took two purposeful strides in her direction and thrust the hat in front of him. He avoided her personal space but couldn’t keep her floral scent from reaching his nose.

She always smelled like spring.

Dean wiggled the hat in his hand.

She sneered at it as if it were a snake. “Who else has worn that thing?”

“I have no idea.”

“I’m not touching it.”

He rolled his eyes and let his arm fall. “You wear a hat, or get off my job site.”

Her mouth dropped. “You can’t fire me.”

“I’m not firing you, I’m telling you the rules. And those shoes have to go, too.”

She stuck out a hip and rested a hand on it. “Will an inspector shut you down for my shoes?”

He wanted to tell her yes, but he’d be lying. “The ground is uneven and there are nails everywhere. Twisting an ankle and contracting tetanus are the most likely by-product of stilettos on the site.”

Katie lifted a leg and examined her own shoe. Her skirt slid farther up her thighs.

Dean groaned.

“I’ve run from half a dozen paparazzi on the cobblestoned streets of Italy in heels like these. I’ll take my chances.”

He thrust the hat in her direction a second time and dismissed the footwear argument. “They’re your feet. The hat isn’t optional.”

After sniffing the air and finding it unsavory, Katie glanced at the top of his head. He read her thought before she managed to voice it.

“Has anyone else worn your hat?”

It had his name on it. No one would consider putting it atop his or her head. “No.”

A slow Southern smile met her lips. Avoiding a forgotten two-by-four, she shortened the space between them and stared at his hat.

This was not a fight he was going to win. He could insist she wear the hat in his hand, but knew he’d end up tossing her over his shoulder and removing her from the site because she wouldn’t wear it. It wasn’t that she was a snob, just particular about what touched her skin.

No matter how the hat ordeal played out, the men on his crew would be talking by the end of the day. Carrying her off the site or letting her wear his hat for the day…those were his options.

He mumbled under his breath and removed his hat before plunking it down on her stubborn head.

6. Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?

Ahh… no. Not when the world of self publishing has opened up to writers everywhere. If a publisher doesn’t want my work, I’ll publish it myself.

7. Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

The third book in the Not Quite series, Not Quite Enough is slated for release in October of this year. And the third book in my Weekday Bride series will be released in August.

Not Quite Enough will feature Monica and Trent. My readers will know Monica very well by the time they finish Not Quite Mine, but they have yet to meet Trent… who I’m sure they will fall in love with. 

NOT QUITE MINE, BOOK TWO
Montlake Romance, Contemporary May 07, 2013, First Edition Paperback & Kindle
ISBN: 978-1611099515

Gorgeous hotel heiress Katelyn “Katie” Morrison seems to have it all. But when she crosses paths with Dean Prescott—the only man she’s ever loved—at her brother’s wedding, Katie realizes there’s a gaping hole in her life. After the ceremony she gets an even bigger surprise: a baby girl left on her doorstep. Determined to keep the newborn until she learns who her mother is, Katie has her hands full and doesn’t need Dean snooping around...especially when his presence stirs feelings she thought were long gone..

Dean Prescott knows Katie is lying to him about the baby. He shouldn’t care what the woman who broke his heart is up to...and he most certainly shouldn’t still be aching for her. Yet Dean can’t ignore the need to protect Katie—or the desire to be near her every chance he gets. But when he and Katie solve the mystery surrounding the baby, their second chance for happiness could be shattered forever..

I enjoy second chance story lines and this one has so many twists and secrets it made it extra special. I normally am not a big fan of plot with secrets, this one had them throughout the book, but this one worked with all the secrets..  I enjoyed the tale of this abandoned baby outside on the door step -Survival- Katie needing the baby as much as the baby needed Katie- to survive, to thrive, to live. Sit back and enjoy this heartwarming tale. Little bits of drama and mystery throughout the story, but in the end a beautiful written love story and HEA

Another winner in my book by Catherine..

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