Today I’m very excited to kick of August with another author spotlight, this time with the fabulous Kate Hawthorne who’s here to tell us all about her latest release, Limitless, plus writing books she wanted to read, sexy priests and not having any free time!
Over to you Kate…
First things first, please introduce yourself!
Hi everyone! My name is Kate, and I am your friendly, neighborhood, kinky gay romance author. I was born and raised in southern California, but moved to Louisville, KY just before Christmas. I’m married, and if you know me then maybe you’ve caught the live readings my husband does in my reader group! I have a four year old human and a twelve year old dog. In my spare time, I like to find ways to not have spare time, which is how I got started writing.
Tell us a little bit about your writing style.
I think my stories are all a little bit angsty, some more than others, but 99% of them are kinky, even if you may not catch it at first glance. One of the things I really love to do with my writing is take my understanding (including lived experiences) of kink and apply them into stories so I can normalize the context of the D/s experience for readers. I try to never come off as preachy, but ALWAYS super sexy, engaging, and emotional.
Describe your books in only three words.
Sexy. Emotional. Addicting.
Can you tell us a little bit about your latest release?
I am super sad and excited all at the same time because I just finished up the series I’d been working on, Room for Love. It’s a five book series that focuses on five brothers and the way their life changes when they inherit a resort hotel after their dad dies. I had one brother who was a bit of a wanderer and decided to explore the world instead of buying into the inheritance, and he’s been making his way around the world through the other four books. Andy is the 2nd oldest of the brothers, and his book, Limitless, just came out on the 23rd of July. ( Available here – http://mybook.to/rfl5 )
Andy is trying to find his footing in a place where he can still have his brothers, but also be his own person, and that’s when he meets Leonidas, a very broody and mysterious Greek man. They meet in Paris and they have some fun together, and it’s definitely kinky, because Andy is a precious little baby Dom, trying to learn about the things he likes. As always, I put them through the wringer, but they get their HEA in the end.
Out of all your books, which one are you most proud of?
That’s so hard. I’d have to say Unfettered (Available here – http://mybook.to/unfettered ). It’s a student/teacher (college age) age gap romance, with an older submissive who is recovering from abuse at the hands of his previous partner. It had a bit more hurt/comfort than I’m used to, but it also has some lived experiences in there, so I was happy to hear from readers about how their story and Heath’s journey through recovery was received.
What or who (or both) has influenced you most as a writer?
This is such a loaded question I think. I started writing because I wasn’t able to find the sort of stories I wanted to *read*. It was so hard for me to believe that I was the only person looking for this kind of content, so I decided to write it. I have some very close friends who are also authors that are so supportive and encouraging, and they keep me going when I get moody or glum.
I also have to say that my readers have really influenced me as well. If I get stuck or something, I try to step back and think about why I started writing in the first place, and I think about what the readers would expect at that point in the story, and then I go from there.
What inspired you to start writing?
Like I said above, I just really wasn’t finding the kind of books I wanted to read, and especially not in KU. There’s a lot of people now who write kinky gay romance, but three years ago, it wasn’t the norm.
What’s your writing process like? Do you have a typical “writing day”?
I have a full time day job in addition to writing, so I’m trying to juggle all the deadlines that come with that and writing. Before covid, I worked from home twice a week, and now that I’m home 5 days a week it’s a lot easier to balance the load. I will generally try to get a good two hours in on writing in the morning, and after that is when my day job starts to pick up. I go back and forth when I can.
What comes first for you – the plot or the characters?
Most of the time the plot comes first, but in some RARE instances, it’s the character. With the Giving Consent series, I had a dream about Verity first. Initially, I thought the series would be a duet, with them and their best friend each getting a book, but that quickly spiraled out of control and into four books.
What’s a book that you wish you’d written?
Literally anything by Sierra Simone.
If you could only write one trope for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Enemies to lovers. It’s my favorite to read and I just love the ways I can play with the dynamic of attraction and how it tangles up with anger and lust.
What would be your three desert island books?
I’m only talking romance here, but Slow Heat by Leta Blake, Priest by Sierra Simone, For Real by Alexis Hall
If one of your books could be made into a movie/TV series, which would you choose and who would you cast?
AAAAAH. I would want A Taste of Sin to be made into a movie because it’s one of my favorite books that I’ve written (such a close tie with Unfettered), and I am a sucker for the sexualization of religion, I’d like to see the dynamic between Nic (an Episcopal priest) play out with Reed (a devout Catholic) on screen.
As for casting, that is ENTIRELY unfair. I had a vision in my head when I wrote them, but I am so entirely obsessed with Marwan Kenzari right now, that I can’t picture anyone embodying Nic better than him. As for Reed…I think Michael Pitt could probably do him justice.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Do you have a secret passion or hobby that we don’t know about?
No time! Haha. Before we moved, my husband and I were avid rock climbers, but we’ve gotten away from that especially since our kid was born. When she’s a bit older I hope we can get back to it. Besides that, I really like to read if I have time, and I love shopping.
Finally, what’s your favourite dinosaur?
Obviously the stegosaurus.
Born and raised in Southern California, KATE HAWTHORNE woke up one day and realized she had stories worth sharing. Now existing on a steady diet of wine and coffee, Kate writes stories about complicated men in love that are sometimes dirty, but always sweet. She enjoys crafting hard-fought and well deserved happy endings with just the right amount of angst and kink.
From estate sale shopping to shoe worship, there’s something in at least one of her books that’ll tickle your fancy.
You can find Kate on Amazon, Facebook and her website, where you can also sign up for her newsletter. You can also join her Facebook Group, Hawthorne’s Harem.
