Hi Katherine! So glad to have you at Spilling
the Beans, where we can learn a little bit about you, and your book. Grab a cappuccino and let’s chat.
Unless you have another favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?
Thanks for having me, Cate. I'm in the
minority here, but I don't drink alcohol or coffee. I actually prefer
hot chocolate, because of my chocolate addiction.
lol Chocolate of any kind is great. Fur or feathers, petwise?
I prefer the furry critters. My attachment to my kitten, Bucky, has pretty much decided that!
Any pet peeves? One thing that
really burns your biscuits?
I cannot stand when someone bites and picks at their fingernails. Firstly, it is unsanitary. Secondly, it is disgusting.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Ooh. I think I already answered this
question. I love chocolate in any form. Whether it is the
melt-in-your-mouth Ghirardelli chocolate or warm, moist chocolate cake, I
need my daily dose of chocolate.
Now I'm hungry! :) Favorite quote?
"A blank piece of paper is God's way of telling us how hard it is to be God." -Sidney Sheldon
What’s your ideal day like?
The best day is any day where I can write
for hours without any distraction, and the words just flow naturally. My
answer might sound typical and boring, but it is the truth. I prefer a
productive day over fantasies like bumping into Johnny Depp at the
grocery store or funding one hundred dollars in the laundromat.
If you could live out any fantasy,
what would you do?
I would board the next plane at the closest
airport to any place on the globe, and from there begin an international
traveling venture. I'd visit a plethora of countries and tour all the
historical sites, from Westminster Abbey in London to Karnak in Egypt.
I'd go and see anything and everything.
Beethoven, Beatles, Foo Fighters or
Keith Urban (what type(s) of music makes you rock out)?
Mumford and Sons and Adele are my go-to
music. I also enjoy Graffiti6, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Maroon 5. I also
love to listen to music from Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, and
Moulin Rouge.
Which of your characters would you
most/least want to hang out with, and why?
Can I choose two? I love the sisters from my debut novella, In Her Dreams.
Evangeline and Angela Vernon are polar opposites. Evangeline is
headstrong and opinionated. I could see myself debating religion and
politics with her in a Starbucks. Angela is shy and timid, someone I
could peruse a library with. With all three of us together, I could see
us being the best of friends going out for dinners or meeting for
coffee. It'd be a great entourage.
Where can readers find out more
about you?
I can be found in several places online. There is my website at http://katherinegivens1.
In Her Dreams
A flirty, fun, mix-and-match romance about two sisters who are betrothed to the wrong men…
Evangeline Vernon is a woman on the verge of
spinsterhood — until the prim and proper Duke of Manchester steps in.
Her family is pleased with the match, but the duke is not the passionate
man Evangeline craves. Her heart belongs to an alluring, golden-haired
gentleman, perfect in every way…except one: he doesn’t exist.
Angela Vernon is everything a proper,
well-brought-up woman should be. She knows her place and understands
society’s expectations — which include not being jealous of her sister
and not coveting her sister’s suitor. But how can she bear the heartache
of watching the only man she loves marry not only her sister, but a
woman who doesn’t see past his exterior to the man he is beneath?
Excerpt:
She
was lost in the depths of his emerald eyes, amber drops floating in the
seductive pools. The man reclined in a wingback chair, surrounded by
shelved books. His head was tilted slightly downwards, his gaze piercing
her where she stood. Hair the colour of antique gold shimmered in the
dim candlelight. His skin was bronzed like the helmet of an Ancient
Greek warrior. His harsh features seemed to be chiselled from stone,
but laugh lines encircled a passionate mouth. A navy blue coat and white
waistcoat hid what could only be a perfectly sculpted chest. A white
cravat covered his neck. Pearl grey breeches accentuated muscular legs.
The man reminded her of a golden lion, the king of a pride. His soul
must’ve been older than time itself, for he seemed to hold the secrets
of the universe in his mind. This man was temptation embodied.
‘Back again, my dear?’ he inquired, his voice like velvet.
Although confidence rang in his tone, his emerald eyes revealed the
humanity of this divine creature. At the bottom of those depths lay an
expanse of loneliness. Blessed with beauty, he was lacking in
companionship and love. It was as if he were a traveller lost in a
desert with only mirages to keep him company.
‘I could not stay away,’ she declared, her voice quaking as the man rose from his chair and stalked across the room.
Evangeline took a sharp intake of breath, for the full sight of his
robust body was more than a woman could take. He was tall, over six
feet. His build was as formidable as the strongest castle wall, built to
protect from the worst of sieges. That handsome face of his, a face
Adonis would’ve fought for, matched the masculine beauty of his body.
Settling beside her, he said, ‘Nor could I. Not now. Not ever.’
The two studied one another. Both seemed to find it hard to believe the
other was there. The silence that shrouded the room as they studied one
another deepened the strength of this ethereal spell.
‘Is it because I am a diversion?’
‘Nay.’ He raised her hand to his lips. ‘Life would be meaningless without your visits.’
‘I could not endure my own existence without you,’ she replied, a bit breathless.
‘As a man without friends or comrades, I would be the most lonesome
wretch wandering the earth.’ Pain entered his expression, the pain of
one who had suffered years of isolation. His voice cracking, he
continued, ‘I would be completely alone.’
Her heart nearly split in two upon witnessing his agony. She lifted a hand and caressed his cheek. ‘You never shall be.’
‘You have been vital to my life, my dreams, for these past few months.’
Turning his head, he kissed the palm of her hand. He exhaled, his
breath tickling her skin. ‘Without you I I fear I would not know how to
live.’
‘Do not say such things.’ Framing his face, she forced him to gaze into her eyes. ‘I shall always be with you.’
‘And I with you.’ Desperation was threaded throughout the statement. ‘I
am entirely yours,’ he murmured as he angled his head, preparing to
taste the sweetness of her lips…
Available from:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iTunes
Harlequin Escape
Available from:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iTunes
Harlequin Escape
About Katherine
In Her Dreams is Katherine Givens' debut novella, which is published with Harlequin
Australia's imprint Escape Publishing. She is working on a number of other
projects and always has ideas flooding her head. In her spare time, Katherine
loves to read about history, craft jewellery, and play with her ornery kitten
named Bucky. To learn more about Katherine and her writing, please visit the
following sites. She loves to hear from readers. 