Friday, April 5, 2013

Wine & Sex: Interview with Georgia Cates author of Beauty from Pain



I loved this book so much I had to contact the author and harass her with lots of questions! SO check out our interview.

Additionally, since I drank a lot of Pinot Noir while devouring this awesome book, I tried to set up a Pinot Noir giveaway. So many freaking laws came up with shipping wine to people from state to state. I gave up. 


Instead, you get a chance to win an eBook copy! I hope the winner gets to enjoy their own glass of wine with it, like I did.





Blurb: 
They agreed on three months...but their love knew no boundaries.

Jack McLachlan is a winemaking magnate and easily one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors. His success and wealth make him no stranger to the complications of romantic relationships and that’s why he goes to extreme measures to avoid the hassle. He prefers simplicity in the form of a beautiful female companion with no strings attached. He arranges relationships like business deals and they’re always the same. No long term relationships. No real names.

It’s his game and his rules. He’s content to play as usual, but when Laurelyn Prescott enters his life, his strategy must change because this player is like none he's ever encountered. His world is turned on its head after he begins a three month affair with the beautiful American musician. Nothing goes according to plan and as he breaks more and more of his own rules for her, she’s exceptionally close to becoming something he never thought possible. His ultimate game changer.

Not recommended for younger readers due to sexual content and language.



What is the song you would want people to listen as they opened your book?

This was a tough one because I listened to so many while I was writing Beauty from Pain but this one has the highest play count so I went with it. "Here with Me" by The Killers.




Who would you cast as Jack and Laurelyn?

I always pictured Matt Bomer as I was writing but I now have a very intense crush on Henry Cavill. Either works for me.



I pictured the model on the cover of Beauty from Pain as I wrote so that's how she looks in my head. Although you can't see the face of the model, I will likely have more of her face showing on the next book cover. 



But … I would probably choose Leighton Meester for Laurelyn. She doesn't always look the way I see Laurelyn but her more glamorous shots remind me of her.





This is a HOT book filled with a roller coaster romance, but the part that really captured me was all of the cool stuff about the wine-making industry. I was able to learn as I became hot and bothered. Brilliant!

Do you have any experience in wine-making?

I know absolutely nothing about wine making. In fact, I don't really even enjoy it that much. It gives me a terrible headache.



You gotta love Google...because if it's on the internet it's got to true, right? Seriously, I had to research everything about wine making and vine grafting. I learned way more about it than I'll ever use.




Why set the romance in Australia?

You ask why, I ask why not? 

Australia is a very exotic land and frankly I think men with Australian accents are just HAWT! American women love a man with a great accent, right? 

When I researched wine making, I saw how popular it was across Australis and New Zealand so it seemed the perfect fit. And I believe I was right. It totally works.



 How many books do you have planned for this series and will you be doing any spin-offs with her friend?

When I first began writing Beauty from Surrender, I thought it would be two books. But … the more I write, the more I see it becoming three books. There's just so much story left to tell. I'll be very surprised if I'm able to squeeze it into two books total.

I don't plan a sequel with Addison. Although I plan for her to redeem herself in Beauty from Surrender, I'm not connected to her. I'm not saying I won't develop a fondness for her in this second book as I write it, but I doubt it. 

I'm so focused on Laurelyn and Jack Henry that it's hard to have much interest in Addison and Zac's story. Plus, I've not had many readers ask for that so that leads me to believe they aren't connected with her either.





Where did the concept of "Beauty from Pain come from and did you have difficulty writing such an alternative relationship?

From the beginning, I knew I wanted Jack Henry and Laurelyn's relationship to be alternative and controversial – something different. As far as where the idea came from, I have no idea. I never do. It just came to be after going through a multitude of "blah" ideas. And yes, it was very difficult to write this with all the name changes and catching follies. I struggled with the readers finding Laurelyn too easy and Jack Henry too harsh and animalistic. 

My editor wrote me after she edited it and had some issues with Jack Henry being "frightening" to her. 

My response? 

Good. I don't want him to be pink glitter and rainbows. She suggested I make the readers a little more sympathetic with Laurelyn because she felt like she had no scruples by saying yes to this cat after barely any time at all. I took her advice and added the part about Laurelyn thinking of herself as damaged and she had never had a normal relationship with any man. I think it was a good call.


What's next for Georgia Cates?

Currently, it's all about writing Beauty from Surrender. I'm sure it will be the next Beauty Series book when I'm finished with it and I must complete my Vampire Agape Series before those readers get too put out with me. 


















So, I have a lot on my plate through the Fall. After that, I will begin something new. I'm undecided if it will be a stand alone or a series. I've been shocked by how many complaints there have been about Beauty from Pain not being a stand alone but I don't have to make that decision now. So, I won't.



ABOUT THIS AUTHOR:




Author Website            Twitter


Georgia resides in rural Mississippi with her wonderful husband, Jeff, and their two beautiful daughters. She spent fourteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before she decided to pursue her dream of becoming an author and hasn't looked back yet.

When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing. When she’s being domestic, she’s listening to her iPod and visualizing scenes for her current work in progress. Every story coming from her always has a song to inspire it.


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3 comments:

  1. I'm not sure what I'd classify as my favorite alternative romance. I can tell you that I am drawn to this type of story. I'm a sucker for emotional involvement. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hmm I don't have one right now :)

    ReplyDelete