Welcome to the third edition of Get to Know the Author. Today's guest is Cat Lavoie.
Welcome, Cat!
Tell us a little about yourself.
Thank you so much for having me on your blog!
My name is Cat Lavoie and I’m a chick lit writer from Montreal, Canada. I’m the author of three novels and a holiday novella—and I’m currently working on my fourth novel.
What other interests do you have?
I’m a crazy cat lady and I love taking pictures of my cat, Abbie, and posting them on Instagram. And if I’m not reading or writing, I’m either binge-watching a new TV show I just discovered or designing new promotional graphics for my books. (I’m addicted to this website called Canva. It’s so much fun!)
Where can we find you on the internet?
My website—CatLavoie.com—is where you can find information on my books and my very neglected blog. I’m @CatLavoieBooks on Twitter and Instagram and CatLavoieAuthor on Facebook.
What are the titles of your books?
My novels are: Breaking the Rules, Zoey & the Moment of Zen, and Peri in Progress. I also have a holiday novella titled Nine Ladies Dancing.
Who do you publish your books with?
I used to publish with a company called Marching Ink, but they closed down last year. I’ve since self-published all my titles.
What made you want to become a writer?
I’ve always loved books. Back in grade school, I was the kid who begged the teacher to stay inside during recess so I could read. (Staying inside and reading is still one of my favorite things to do.) Books and stories have been such a huge part of my life—and I always knew that, one day, I’d write my own novels.
What does your typical writing day look like?
I have a very hectic day job so I squeeze in writing time whenever I can—in the mornings beforeleaving for work, during lunch breaks, in the evenings. The rest of my writing gets done on weekends and days off and holidays. And a lot of “story-thinking” gets done during my morning and evening commutes.
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day? (PG-13 please :)
Can I choose ALL of them? Ultimately, I’d have to go with Peri from PERI IN PROGRESS because, to me at least, she sounds like a lot of fun. We share a junk food addiction so I’m sure we would visit the Hamburger Hut in her hometown of Messina. And if I’m lucky she might introduce me other notable Messina residents, like hot chef Milo Preston.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
When my first novel was published, I had a hard time dealing with bad reviews—I took everything to heart. But bad reviews are part of the game. Not everyone is going to love your story or your writing style or the characters you create. It’s never fun knowing a reader didn’t enjoy reading your novel or gave up after only a chapter or two, but you eventually develop a thick skin and you move on from it.
The best compliment is when someone tells me something I wrote made them laugh. Or that they can relate to one of my characters. That kind of feedback is amazing. And when someone tells me they can’t wait for my next book, I want to reach through my computer screen and give them a huge hug.
What book that you have read has most influenced your life? What is your favorite book?
That is a tough question! I have so many books that I could pick as my favorite, but Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella is at the top of the list because, after reading it, I knew I was meant to write chick lit.
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Thank you so much for reading my books, leaving reviews, and being part of my author journey.And if we haven’t already, let’s connect on social media!
Bio
Cat Lavoie lives in Montreal, Canada with her tempestuous cat, Abbie. She is the author of BREAKING THE RULES, ZOEY & THE MOMENT OF ZEN, and PERI IN PROGRESS.
If Cat isn’t reading or writing, she’s most likely watching too much TV or daydreaming about her next trip to London.
To find out more about Cat and her books, please visit www.CatLavoie.com and follow @CatLavoieBooks on Twitter.
Website: http://www.catlavoie.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CatLavoieAuthor
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/CatLavoieBooks
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/CatLavoieBooks
Purchase Link for PERI IN PROGRESS
PERI IN PROGRESS BLURB
You know what they say about best-laid plans…
After a disastrous thirty-first birthday party where she gets stood-up by a man she isn’t supposed to be dating, Peri McKenna decides it’s time to change what hasn’t been working—which is pretty much everything. Her love life is going nowhere fast, she’s bored to tears by a job that makes her the office pariah, and the lifelong junk food addiction that used to be somewhat quirky is now positively problematic. To top it all off, her newly-purchased home is falling apart and wishful thinking hasn’t done much to fix the leaky roof.
It’s time be an adult now that she’s officially ‘thirty-something.’
But when the first step of Peri’s self-improvement plan backfires, she starts to wonder if change might be overrated.
Enter Milo Preston, an up-and-coming chef who’s in town to take over a local restaurant. When Peri and Milo begin working together, she finds it hard to ignore his easy charm and captivating emerald-green eyes. Since Milo is her best friend’s estranged brother, Peri has to keep reminding herself that he is completely off-limits. As they grow closer, Milo introduces Peri to new foods, the joy (and pain) of jogging, and makes her think her luck might finally be turning.
But when the past catches up with them, Peri finds herself back at square one. Will she be able to sort herself out—or will the roof cave in on her once and for all?
Thank you for joining us, Cat! Please stop by her sites and check out her books!!!
Thank you for joining us, Cat! Please stop by her sites and check out her books!!!
Thank you so much for having me, Jen! :)
ReplyDeleteOff to check her out!!!!!!!!
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