Cathy
Lamb is a married mother of three teenagers, including twins, who works late
into the night, and believes chocolate is the ultimate remedy for pretty much
everything except insomnia. Oh. She also writes stories. Really good stories.
Holding
a Master’s in Education, Cathy taught fourth grade in Oregon, until the twins
she was carrying decided they wanted her full attention. Convinced her dream of
a writing career would be found in romance novels, she devoted her efforts to
amassing a noteworthy, and as yet unpublished, array of said novels. Then, she
switched gears to pen a story based on an imaginary image that wouldn’t leave
her alone. The image? A fluffy wedding dress thrown into a dead tree.
From
Cathy’s questions of why was the dress there, what events had brought the owner
to this point, and so forth, “Julia’s Chocolates” became Cathy’s debut novel.
Readers flocked to characters alive with Cathy’s quick wit and down to earth
charm.
Since
then, Cathy has seen six novels published as well as four anthologies with
bestselling authors Lisa Jackson, Debbie Macomber and Fern Michaels.
“The
First Day of the Rest of My Life,” the story of a life coach who can’t field
her own future, garnered national acclaim, again, largely in part to Cathy’s
ability to inject a common sense humor into women struggling to accept and/or
identify where their happiness lies. “The First Day” is a seriously good story
and well worth any reader’s time.
Now,
Cathy’s next novel “A Different Kind of Normal” has just been released. A story
of a mother and her son who society brands as abnormal, these characters are
already warming readers’ hearts and reminding us all of the value of family.
Here’s
a link for a sneak peek at chapter one:
Sorry,
you’ll have to buy the book for chapter two. Read one of Cathy Lamb’s marvelous
books, and I’m sure you’ll be back for more.
Q)
I have to ask. What inspired the character Tate in “A Different Kind of
Normal?”
A)
Tate was inspired by an article I read many years ago about a kid with a big
head. Tate’s story is not at all like
this young man’s story, but I was impressed by his strength, courage and
dignity. Tate was also inspired by my
son’s humor and wit, his love of basketball, and how he makes me laugh.
Q)
Now, you know, because we readers are enjoying your stories of family, friendships,
and unpredictable tomorrows, is there a chance we’ll see some of your romance
novels?
A)
The only romance stories you’ll ever see are in the anthologies already
published, “Comfort and Joy” with Fern Michaels; “Almost Home” with Debbie
Macomber; “Holiday Magic” with Fern Michaels; “Beach Season” with Lisa Jackson.
My
other romance stories are pure crap and embarrassing. I don’t even have them
anymore. They were shredded years ago, lest someone find them one day and hold
them against me for ransom.
I
love writing the short romance stories for the anthologies, above. There is
room for the characters to have personalities, problems and issues, there is
room for quirky minor characters, there is room for interesting careers and
dreams, and there is room for happy endings.
Q)
Intentional or not, your trademark is poignant tales laced with humor that
melds perfectly into the story. How do you manage to keep the proper balance
between humor and tragedy without it appearing contrived?
A)
Ah, that’s a hard one. I bang my head against the keyboard many times as I
write each book to make sure that I hit that sweet spot. I try to mirror life:
Sometimes life is devastating. It’s hard, it’s trying, it’s exhausting, it’s so
very painful. And, sometimes life is a glowing rainbow. It’s laughter,
contentment, gratefulness, excitement, peace and joy, all wrapped up together.
I blend the two for my books, so it’s realistic.
My
books always end on hope, though. That I will guarantee for every book I write:
Hope.
Q)
In “The Last Time I was Me,” you introduce a bevy of women at a B&B and
anger management classes who interact with the main character Jeanne, searching
for her perfect version of life. These secondary characters are memorable. Will
we see them again?
A)
No. Once I finish a book, despite my readers begging, I don’t plan on writing
the second chapter, so to speak, of my characters’ lives. Sometimes readers
will write to me and ask what happened to my characters, and I’ll tell ‘em so
they can sleep at night, but I won’t be writing stories featuring the same
groups again. I feel like I’ve told
their stories, the characters are living their own lives, they’re off and
running, and I’m moving on to a new family that’s already frolicking around in
my head.
There
is only one exception, a minor character, Cherie Poitras, a kick – butt divorce
attorney who wears leopard prints and bang up high heels, has shown up in a
couple of my stories.
Q)
Any parting thoughts for your readers and those not familiar with your stories
yet?
A)
Please read them! And to my readers, thank you for reading them. I mean that: Thank you.
I
have many letters from readers telling me that my books make them laugh and
cry. Sometimes they laugh and chortle and cry and sob on subways and airplanes
and people stare at them strangely.
So,
I’ll tell ya this: I, too, laugh and cry over my books. If I’m writing them in
Starbucks, I might cry there, too. I cried every time I edited Henry’s Sisters,
and I laughed every time I edited Julia’s Chocolates when the ladies had their
“Breast Power Psychic Night” scenes or their “Your Hormones and You: Taking
Cover, Taking Charge Psychic Nights.”
In
“A Different Kind of Normal” I enjoyed writing about the family lore about
witches in the ancestral line. I loved writing about the greenhouse and the
herbs and spices and how Jaden Bruxelle could smell an upcoming death in them.
I loved pretending that I lived in her 150 year old country home, surrounded by
the same flowers her ancestors had grown. I loved writing about Tate, the big
headed son, who taught everyone so much just by being himself and I loved
writing about the soap opera star mother who was blunt and wild, but oh so
dedicated to family, and I loved writing about Jaden and her work as a hospice
nurse who saw miracles every day.
Basically,
I love to write and tell stories. I always have, even when I was a kid. I listen to my characters talk and sometimes
I talk back. I live in my imagination a
lot. It’s an odd place to live.
Thank
you for writing to me at CathyLamb@frontier.com
and visiting my website CathyLamb.net. I blog and I skype with book clubs all
the time, so if you would like me to visit
your book club, I’m happy to.
DA Kentner is an author and journalist www.kevad.net
No comments:
Post a Comment