Bodyguards of L.A. County by Cate Beauman - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Cate Beauman will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome, Cate, and thanks for answering some of our nosy questions. First, why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I honestly can’t imagine writing anything other than Romantic Suspense. There’s nothing more fun than weaving love and danger together in a great story. The stakes are always higher. The characters have so much more to lose with such an irresistible combination.

What research is required?

Every story I tell requires tons of research hours. Typically, I spend time finding in-depth information about my heroine’s chosen career, along with details about the areas where the novel will take place. Crime usually plays a part in each story, so I try to find out everything I can from a forensics standpoint. The more knowledge an author has, the better their ability to make an adventure come alive for the reader. In my mind, that’s the whole point.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

I’d like to think I learn something from each hero/heroine I write about. I love creating flawed human beings that we can all relate to. Each character should grow from their experiences among the pages of the story—much like we learn and grow through our lives.
Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

When I’m gathering ideas for a story they can come at me at any time and any place. I always carry a pen and paper with me so that I can write them down before they vanish into the recesses of my busy brain. It’s not uncommon to see me stopped at a red light, feverishly jotting things down or chanting something over and over again while I’m driving. More than once, I’ve sprung awake in the middle of the night to scribble something down before I fall back to sleep. It can get a little crazy, but some of my best thoughts come to me in those moments.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I’m definitely a plotter. I’m a Type A, which means I have outlines of outlines. I can’t imagine telling a five hundred-page story without my trusty notes, calendars, and character sketches by my side. I have the utmost respect for those amazing storytellers who fly by the seat of their pants. I don’t know how they do it!

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

A pretty leafy plant by the loveseat I’m sitting on. I love plants. We have them all over the house.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

I’m currently putting together ideas for a standalone book I’ve wanted to tell for quite some time. Secrets Hidden In The Glass is still in its very early stages of research and outlines, but I can’t wait to sit down and finally start telling this tale.

Eleven Men Sworn To Protect. Eleven Women Who Change Everything.

The Close Protection Agents of Ethan Cooke Security are ready to risk it all for the safety of their clientele. What they don’t know is that they’re about to get more than they bargain for when they report for their latest assignments. Love and danger have a way of bringing people together in this dark, sexy, multi-award winning Romantic suspense series, the Bodyguards of L.A. County.

About the Author:International bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books. In 2015, JUSTICE FOR ABBY was selected as the Readers' Favorite International Book Award Gold Medalist, while SAVING SOPHIE took the Silver Medal. SAVING SOPHIE was also selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense and FALLING FOR SARAH received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers' Favorite Awards.

Cate makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. Currently Cate is working on Deceiving Bella, the eleventh novel in her popular Bodyguards series.

For information on Cate's new releases, monthly giveaways, and upcoming events, sign up for her newsletter at: http://www.catebeauman.com/author/home.html#!newsletter-sign-up/c9td

Cate can be reached at www.catebeauman.com and www.facebook.com/catebeauman.

You can follow Cate on Twitter @CateBeauman

Contact Cate

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Cate-Beauman/e/B00A05KHVM/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cate-beauman

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Deceiving Bella by Cate Beauman - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Cate Beauman will be awarding $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Isabella Colby has always yearned for normalcy. Now that she’s settled in LA, she finally has it. Good friends, a pretty home, and her thriving career as the Palisades’ top skincare specialist are a dream come true. Bella is content until she meets her hunky new neighbor, but her attraction to the blue-eyed cutie is the least of her worries when contacting her long-lost father threatens to destroy her happy life.

Reed McKinley is more than ready to forget the past. His seven-year stint as an NYPD detective nearly got him killed. His wounds have healed and he’s starting over as Ethan Cooke Security’s latest recruit. With sixty-hour workweeks and little time to himself, the last thing on his mind is a relationship. Then he bumps into the gorgeous woman next door.

Reed and Bella become fast friends. Before long, Reed discovers that Bella is keeping dangerous secrets. Bella may have the answers to decades-old questions he’s been searching for. Reed will risk it all to uncover the truth, but he soon realizes that the deeper he digs, the direr the consequences.

*NOTE: While reading the series in order is recommended, it is not necessary. Each story is a stand alone title featuring new primary characters with limited overlapping secondary characters.*

Read an excerpt:

Bella sighed, crossing her ankles as the breeze rushed up to meet her. “The wind feels good.”

“It does. The sun’s hot.”

“Mmm. These are the days you burn and don’t even realize it until it’s too late.” She looked at Reed. “You’re wearing sunblock?”

“Nah.”

She frowned, sitting up straight. “Why aren’t you wearing sunblock?”

He shrugged. “I forgot to put some on.”

“You’re risking sun damage and skin cancer.” She unzipped the backpack and reached in her purse for the small tube of sunscreen she always kept handy.

He grinned. “You carry that stuff with you?”

“Of course. Do you know how many cases of melanoma Dr. Huberty and I see every month? I just referred someone over to her on Thursday.” She took his hand, squirting a small glob in his palm. “Lather up, buddy. You’re not getting cancerous growths on my watch.”

He chuckled. “Is this part of the Reed McKinley Project?”

“You bet. Your face is way too pretty to be getting sliced and diced.”

“Pretty?” He frowned this time as he rubbed the lotion on his arms and the majority of his face. “I’m not pretty.”

She rolled her eyes. “Handsome, then. You missed a few spots.” She faced him and leaned in, spreading out the streaks along his nose, then went to work on his forehead.

He closed his eyes beneath his tinted shades and let loose a breath. “Feels good.”

“Touch is very therapeutic.”

He grunted his response.

“This is an all-natural product fortified with green tea and antioxidants. It’s great for your skin.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

She dabbed a pea-sized drop on her index fingers and traced his ears.

He opened his eyes, meeting hers through amber lenses.

She swallowed, finding the power of his stare both mesmerizing and unsettling. “Most people forget their ears—men especially, which is unfortunate. I had a client lose an entire portion of his helix.”

“I’m not up on my anatomy.”

“This part here.” She outlined the upper area of his cartilage as her gaze wandered to his mouth. “Uh, are you finished with your lunch? Because you should protect your lips as well.”

He snagged a fry from the paper plate, bit in, and held the other half up to her mouth.

She smiled and took it. “These are so good. I wonder what seasoning they use?”

“We could ask.”

She shook her head, applying a light coat of product to his lips as their eyes locked again, then finished by protecting her own. “I can’t see myself making french fries anytime soon.”

“They’re the food of champions.”

“Grease is horrible for the complexion.”

“I’ve never seen skin as flawless as yours.” He skimmed his knuckles along her cheek. “It’s like porcelain.”

Butterflies danced in her stomach, even though she was certain Reed wasn’t trying to put the moves on her.

“How do you keep it so soft?” he asked.

“Product and treatments.” She inched away. “And I try to eat well and drink a ton of water. My face is my advertisement to the world.”

“You can’t be hurting for business, then.”

About the Author: International bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books. In 2015, JUSTICE FOR ABBY was selected as the Readers' Favorite International Book Award Gold Medalist, while SAVING SOPHIE took the Silver Medal. SAVING SOPHIE was also selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense and FALLING FOR SARAH received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers' Favorite Awards.

Cate makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. Currently Cate is working on Deceiving Bella, the eleventh novel in her popular Bodyguards series.

For information on Cate's new releases, monthly giveaways, and upcoming events, sign up for her newsletter at: http://www.catebeauman.com/author/home.html#!newsletter-sign-up/c9td

Cate can be reached at www.catebeauman.com and www.facebook.com/catebeauman.

You can follow Cate on Twitter @CateBeauman

Contact Cate

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Cate-Beauman/e/B00A05KHVM
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cate-beauman

a Rafflecopter giveaway