Recently I had the chance to interview author Kathy L. Wheeler about her book Lies that Bind.
Hi Kathy, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Your book, Lies That Bind, is a sequel to Quotable but completely stands on it's own. I was intrigued reading the excerpt how it would tie into the previous books. Turns out it's a pair of friends and a pair of brothers. Do you have any more books planned for this series? Will we get to see more of the Gentrys?Kathy L Wheeler: Thank you. There is one more big planned and started. Little Kenny's story.
Me: Ah, being secretive, okay. I'll get more out of you on the next question. Alex, the rich hero of Lies that Bind, asks Kelly, our heroine, to go to Colorado under false pretenses, is angry about her bringing her daughter (Taylor), is pissed that she is so attractive--he is very much a romance alpha. What are his redeeming qualities? Also, what about alphas appeal to you?
Kathy: Eeek. Sorry. Didn't mean to be so secretive. Emily, Alex's sister is the heroine in the fourth book. She is a spitfire too. Regarding Lies, Alex actually has some great redeeming qualities. He just finds himself stumped when he specifically asked Kelly to leave Taylor behind. He's pissed because it's dangerous. Taylor throws him for a loop. He has no idea how to talk to or interact with an outspoken 5 year old. But he comes through for sure.
Me: Absolutely, Taylor is a huge catalyst for Alex's character arc. She is precocious and very determined. It sounds like you have a full series planned out. What do you love about reading and writing series?
Kathy: I love how very different the characters are. Genna, the introverted brainiac; Lorianne, the sexy, yet insecure loyal friend; Kelly, devoted single parent, with a bite; Emily, a spitfire. And that's just the heroines...
Series are fun because the characters don't have to stop with "THE END". It seems as if my Cinderella Series will never end! Its already five books, with at least one more to go.
Me: Yes, it is absolutely difficult to say goodbye to characters you've invested so much time and energy to. So this is a spoiler question - Kelly's emotional struggle involves Alex telling her she has to make the first move when her rapist said she came on to him. Talk about a black moment! What inspired Kelly's backstory? How does she heal?Kathy: I'm not sure what inspired her backstory, except possibly the opening line when Taylor asks Alex if he's gonna be her dad.... Her healing process comes through trust as most do. And when he handed her an envelope she had returned to him unopened from the attorneys of Smith and Jones. That sealed it for her. She knew he loved her then.
Me: Okay, one more tough question and we'll move to the easy stuff. You've got a cat (in real life) not in the book. I've got a pair of cats and they fill my life with so much joy. Why'd you name your cat Carly?
Kathy: Let's see if i can explain this from my phone, properly... my husband saved this cat one night a few years ago. It was really cold and rainy. She had a big hole in her side and almost died. I didn't find out about her for about a week because he took her to the vet. And so when I learned about her I said "So, we have a cat now?" He said, "Well, until she's well enough to be adopted." I said, " We're not giving her away. You saved her effing life." So, we had a cat. Then one day it's still very cold and he's walking down the hallway, (i was working on the Lorianne story at the time) and he asked me if I'd gotten his email. I check my email and there were lists of names. He's going to these different cat websites to see what a good name would be. I forgot to say that in the beginning I asked him what he named her. And he said he had to come up with something that would be good for a girl or a boy because he didn't know what she was. So he named her Jo. I didn't really like Jo {as a name} for a long-time. So he had this list of names: Ginger, Stormy, Ally Callie, cetera et cetera. Ally was too much like Al which is his name. Callie was too much like Cal, his brother in law. I didn't want anything like Stormy or Ginger. Carly was on the list too. So we decided on Carly. 6 months later he said, "I don't think she seems like a Carly." I rolled my eyes and said, "Her name is Carly. And she knows her name." I mean she really does she acts like a dog. My husband is a little OCD. Sometimes it's really entertaining and sometimes it's really irritating but overall it cracks me up and makes a good story.
Me: It does make a good story. Quiet the heroic advantage your husband had. Okay, final question. If you got a chance to send a message to the you before Lies that Bind, what would you tell the slightly younger you?
Kathy: I'm not sure. Because that story is very dark. And a younger me might not have been able to write a story like that. At least from the heroine's standpoint.
Me: I think we reveal to ourselves inner truths with each book. Alright, that ended on a down beat. Lies that Bind was emotionally intense but pulls off the all important Happily Ever After at the end. Thank you so much for answering my questions. Please let me and my readers know when book four of the Bloomington Series comes out!
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