Catherine Peace
Let's Welcome Catherine Peace! She's an amazing storyteller. You'll want to follow her!
Catherine Peace has been telling stories for as long as she could remember. She often blames two things for her forays into speculative fiction—Syfy (when it was SciFi) channel Sundays with her dad and The Island of Dr. Moreau by HG Wells. She graduated in 2008 from Northern Kentucky University with a degree in English and is still chasing the dream of being super rich and famous, mostly so she can sit around in her PJs all day and write stories.
Catherine currently lives on a farm in South Carolina. E-I-E-I-O.
Now, we'll get personal!
What’s your favorite thing to do to relax?
I’m an avid gamer. Getting lost in a good video game is therapeutic for me in a lot of different ways.
For what are you grateful?
My family, first and foremost. Because of them, I have so much support and a safe place to be. I wrote SO MUCH during the first stages of the pandemic because I wasn’t freaking out about where I was going to live, or what I was going to eat, or being alone. I’m lucky to have them in my life.
And of course, my friends. My writing partners are my saving grace. My best friend is also a writer, and she and I can talk craft and stories and stuff without the added stress of getting said stories published.
And my dog. I love my dog. He’s a mess, but he’s my mess.
What is the number one lie you tell yourself? How is that working out?
“I’ll do it tomorrow.” Tomorrow never, ever comes. Tomorrow is a lie.
Now about you as an author…
What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult?
Anne Rice is the first author I remember truly falling in love with. Her prose is so rich and beautiful, and I wanted to write like that (I don’t). These days, Tiffany Reisz is my writing goal. I want to be like her when I grow up. Also Maggie Stiefvater.
Did anyone in your life influence you or encouraged you to be a writer? (teacher, family member, friend)
A lot of my teachers, actually. Mrs. Carroll and Mr. Ashurst in particular were always really supportive. I think with my friends, it was just a known thing. Cate’s a writer.
What is your favorite aspect or writing? Your least favorite?
HAH. Um, is it okay if I say my least favorite is all of it? I kid. I love worldbuilding and setting the foundation for a new story or series. The actual writing part is tough….
What aspect of writing would you most like to improve on?
Deep POV and beautiful words. Tiffany and Maggie are masters of beautiful prose and paint gorgeous pictures. I want to be able to do that.
Do you have any “must haves” with you while you’re writing?
My current writing spot is the corner of my sister’s sectional. I love to have a blankey and either music or Food Network (I’ve seen practically everything on Food Network, so it becomes background noise).
Do you have a common theme or item that appears in each of your books?
Family is always a big thing for me, found or biological. I rarely write a protagonist who’s an only child because I’ve relied on my family so much. I live with my sister and brother-in-law, and they’ve been my biggest supporters since I moved to South Carolina. I love putting that in my books because none of us can go it alone, no matter how hard we try.
What have you learned the most from being in the writing business?
That it’s HARD. Writing is HARD. Marketing is HARD. But anything easy isn’t worth having, right?
Catherine Peace has been telling stories for as long as she could remember. She often blames two things for her forays into speculative fiction—Syfy (when it was SciFi) channel Sundays with her dad and The Island of Dr. Moreau by HG Wells. She graduated in 2008 from Northern Kentucky University with a degree in English and is still chasing the dream of being super rich and famous, mostly so she can sit around in her PJs all day and write stories.
Catherine currently lives on a farm in South Carolina. E-I-E-I-O.
Now, we'll get personal!
What’s your favorite thing to do to relax?
I’m an avid gamer. Getting lost in a good video game is therapeutic for me in a lot of different ways.
For what are you grateful?
My family, first and foremost. Because of them, I have so much support and a safe place to be. I wrote SO MUCH during the first stages of the pandemic because I wasn’t freaking out about where I was going to live, or what I was going to eat, or being alone. I’m lucky to have them in my life.
And of course, my friends. My writing partners are my saving grace. My best friend is also a writer, and she and I can talk craft and stories and stuff without the added stress of getting said stories published.
And my dog. I love my dog. He’s a mess, but he’s my mess.
What is the number one lie you tell yourself? How is that working out?
“I’ll do it tomorrow.” Tomorrow never, ever comes. Tomorrow is a lie.
Now about you as an author…
What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult?
Anne Rice is the first author I remember truly falling in love with. Her prose is so rich and beautiful, and I wanted to write like that (I don’t). These days, Tiffany Reisz is my writing goal. I want to be like her when I grow up. Also Maggie Stiefvater.
Did anyone in your life influence you or encouraged you to be a writer? (teacher, family member, friend)
A lot of my teachers, actually. Mrs. Carroll and Mr. Ashurst in particular were always really supportive. I think with my friends, it was just a known thing. Cate’s a writer.
What is your favorite aspect or writing? Your least favorite?
HAH. Um, is it okay if I say my least favorite is all of it? I kid. I love worldbuilding and setting the foundation for a new story or series. The actual writing part is tough….
What aspect of writing would you most like to improve on?
Deep POV and beautiful words. Tiffany and Maggie are masters of beautiful prose and paint gorgeous pictures. I want to be able to do that.
Do you have any “must haves” with you while you’re writing?
My current writing spot is the corner of my sister’s sectional. I love to have a blankey and either music or Food Network (I’ve seen practically everything on Food Network, so it becomes background noise).
Do you have a common theme or item that appears in each of your books?
Family is always a big thing for me, found or biological. I rarely write a protagonist who’s an only child because I’ve relied on my family so much. I live with my sister and brother-in-law, and they’ve been my biggest supporters since I moved to South Carolina. I love putting that in my books because none of us can go it alone, no matter how hard we try.
What have you learned the most from being in the writing business?
That it’s HARD. Writing is HARD. Marketing is HARD. But anything easy isn’t worth having, right?
Let's find out about her latest release and the first book in a paranormal romance series.
Ember Ngata only wants two things out of life: to be reunited with her sisters, and to see people return to her café. Catering to people she never sees again, she experiences a loneliness that can’t be filled. As one of the last Whakamanu—a descendant of the Maori bird-god Tane—she holds on to the secrets of her decimated tribe. Family first.
TV personality and host of the popular show Back Road Eats, Austin Garten needs more in his life than Breadbasket America grilling. He’s tired of the safe routes and the easy and dependable foods his network loves to display. When his RV breaks down in Wyoming, and he learns about Kai, a Maori restaurant outside of Casper, his interest is piqued. Once Austin meets the proprietor, he wants more than just her food. He wants her.
The Solstice, the Maori New Year, is fast approaching, and with the heat in her kitchen ratcheting up, Ember realizes she can’t keep her secret for much longer. But will Austin be able to accept her? Or will her secret drive them apart?
Excerpt:
Content just to be with her, Austin stared out the window, his thoughts scattered like the dust the car kicked up. His parents were never far from his mind, but being back in Casper provided him a needed distraction from family drama, especially now that Ember was on board for sure this time. He stole a glance at her, pensive, eyes focused on the road, hands gripping the steering wheel at ten and two. As he looked at her, he realized how stringent she was outside the kitchen. The girl who followed the rules, dotted the I’s, crossed the T’s, the girl who didn’t take chances. “Em,” he said, “why’d you change your mind?”
She slowed down and used her blinker, even though both lanes were empty for miles, and turned onto a one-lane dirt road. Her headlights flashed over a sign—Pathfinder Reservoir. Regardless of knowing the road well, she didn’t look at him until she’d cut the engine. For a few moments, they sat in silence again, tension filling the air around them. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “Honestly? Because I’m tired of not taking chances.”
Then she kissed him.
Available in Ebook and Print. You can pick up EMBER'S SECRET at these retailers as well as your local library.
Amazon Kobo BN Apple
How did you decide on your story plot?
I’m a sucker for world mythology and folklore. There’s a set of stories called Swan Maiden myths that show up in nearly every culture on earth, and I’m fascinated by them. In addition to the Maori mythology in Ember, there’s a Mi’qmak story about two wolf brothers who fight over a swan maiden that forms the basis of book 2, and a Romanian story about a swan maiden and a king that informs book 3. There are tons of others, too, from Japanese to Norse to plenty in between. University of Pittsburg has a few of them posted.
How did you choose your characters names and location for your story?
I knew it’d start in America. Wyoming was actually not my first choice. Washington was. But when I initially wrote this, Twilight was still a large part of the cultural zeitgeist, and I didn’t want to deal with that. No matter where these are set, there’s a large body of water nearby. The Pathfinder Reservoir outside of Casper, Wyoming, ended up giving me everything I needed.
As far as names, each swan is named for the jewel they resemble. Ember was something special, and I hope to explore that more. Amy = Amethyst for her violet hair and eyes, Dia = Diamond. Trina, the mother = citrine, and Pou (short for Pounamu), the father = jade.
Do you have a favorite scene? Why?
One of my favorite scenes in Ember’s Secret is when Ember finally gets to be in her swan form. All of the swan shifters are beautiful, incredible beings, but Ember is fire on water and absolutely stunning in my mind.
My other favorite scene is in Amy’s Hunt, book 2 of the Solstice Quartet. There are parts of that book that still make me laugh, but the best is probably the first time Amy and Marrok become…*ahem* intimately acquainted. And also the moment Amy calls him a “werewolf hipster douchebag.”
Do you have a character that you identify with? Who and why?
Amy. She’s my everything. I adore her drive to reunite her family, and while she’s brave to the point of stupid, she’s also all bluster. Deep down, she’s scared and dependent on her façade to carry her through tough situations. All she really wants is to find where she fits in the grand scheme of the universe, something I share with her. Her favorite book is also Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and that leads to some interesting interactions between her and Marrok, who is a book lover to his core.
Thank you Catherine. We can't wait to read more by this fabulous author!
Ember Ngata only wants two things out of life: to be reunited with her sisters, and to see people return to her café. Catering to people she never sees again, she experiences a loneliness that can’t be filled. As one of the last Whakamanu—a descendant of the Maori bird-god Tane—she holds on to the secrets of her decimated tribe. Family first.
TV personality and host of the popular show Back Road Eats, Austin Garten needs more in his life than Breadbasket America grilling. He’s tired of the safe routes and the easy and dependable foods his network loves to display. When his RV breaks down in Wyoming, and he learns about Kai, a Maori restaurant outside of Casper, his interest is piqued. Once Austin meets the proprietor, he wants more than just her food. He wants her.
The Solstice, the Maori New Year, is fast approaching, and with the heat in her kitchen ratcheting up, Ember realizes she can’t keep her secret for much longer. But will Austin be able to accept her? Or will her secret drive them apart?
Excerpt:
Content just to be with her, Austin stared out the window, his thoughts scattered like the dust the car kicked up. His parents were never far from his mind, but being back in Casper provided him a needed distraction from family drama, especially now that Ember was on board for sure this time. He stole a glance at her, pensive, eyes focused on the road, hands gripping the steering wheel at ten and two. As he looked at her, he realized how stringent she was outside the kitchen. The girl who followed the rules, dotted the I’s, crossed the T’s, the girl who didn’t take chances. “Em,” he said, “why’d you change your mind?”
She slowed down and used her blinker, even though both lanes were empty for miles, and turned onto a one-lane dirt road. Her headlights flashed over a sign—Pathfinder Reservoir. Regardless of knowing the road well, she didn’t look at him until she’d cut the engine. For a few moments, they sat in silence again, tension filling the air around them. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “Honestly? Because I’m tired of not taking chances.”
Then she kissed him.
Available in Ebook and Print. You can pick up EMBER'S SECRET at these retailers as well as your local library.
Amazon Kobo BN Apple
How did you decide on your story plot?
I’m a sucker for world mythology and folklore. There’s a set of stories called Swan Maiden myths that show up in nearly every culture on earth, and I’m fascinated by them. In addition to the Maori mythology in Ember, there’s a Mi’qmak story about two wolf brothers who fight over a swan maiden that forms the basis of book 2, and a Romanian story about a swan maiden and a king that informs book 3. There are tons of others, too, from Japanese to Norse to plenty in between. University of Pittsburg has a few of them posted.
How did you choose your characters names and location for your story?
I knew it’d start in America. Wyoming was actually not my first choice. Washington was. But when I initially wrote this, Twilight was still a large part of the cultural zeitgeist, and I didn’t want to deal with that. No matter where these are set, there’s a large body of water nearby. The Pathfinder Reservoir outside of Casper, Wyoming, ended up giving me everything I needed.
As far as names, each swan is named for the jewel they resemble. Ember was something special, and I hope to explore that more. Amy = Amethyst for her violet hair and eyes, Dia = Diamond. Trina, the mother = citrine, and Pou (short for Pounamu), the father = jade.
Do you have a favorite scene? Why?
One of my favorite scenes in Ember’s Secret is when Ember finally gets to be in her swan form. All of the swan shifters are beautiful, incredible beings, but Ember is fire on water and absolutely stunning in my mind.
My other favorite scene is in Amy’s Hunt, book 2 of the Solstice Quartet. There are parts of that book that still make me laugh, but the best is probably the first time Amy and Marrok become…*ahem* intimately acquainted. And also the moment Amy calls him a “werewolf hipster douchebag.”
Do you have a character that you identify with? Who and why?
Amy. She’s my everything. I adore her drive to reunite her family, and while she’s brave to the point of stupid, she’s also all bluster. Deep down, she’s scared and dependent on her façade to carry her through tough situations. All she really wants is to find where she fits in the grand scheme of the universe, something I share with her. Her favorite book is also Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and that leads to some interesting interactions between her and Marrok, who is a book lover to his core.
Thank you Catherine. We can't wait to read more by this fabulous author!
