Welcome to CCTalksBooks! Earlier this week I sat down with Kate Hawthorne for a little “get to know you” chat. Kate shared some of her writing process, goals and a few insights into her books with me. So grab a cup of coffee and your favourite crop, settle into your reading spot and go All In with Kate Hawthorne.
CC: Hi Kate! Thank you so much for agreeing to be my inaugural guest on CCTalksBooks! I am so honoured.
KH: Thank you for having me! I’m very excited to pop your author interview cherry!
CC: Let’s start with something vitally important, what are you currently reading and what is your favourite book?
KH: I am reading Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver, which I’ve been waiting for since I read Butcher and Blackbird earlier in the year. I don’t think I could pick a favorite, though. There’s so many deciding factors that have to come into play lol, but a book I always recommend is Meet me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey. It’s BREATHTAKING.
CC: Are you an ebook, paperback/hardcover or audiobook reader?
KH: I am an ebook reader, through and through! Paperbacks are my trophies.
CC: What was your last book-related google search?
KH: I think the last thing I googled for research purposes was a wedding ring reference, though I do spend a lot of time finding houses for these millionaire’s I’m writing to live in.
CC: Do you have a strict writing process or do you fit in the time for words when you can? Plotter, panster or somewhere in between?
KH: Oh, I am definitely a pantser. I’ve pantsed since before I even knew that was a thing. Sometimes when I start writing a book I have a really clear idea of how I want to get the characters from point A to point B, and sometimes it’s just vibes and stardust. I generally try to look ahead short term and write them to the next big thing, so I’m writing them to the meet cute, or the first kiss, or the first fight, whatever…instead of looking at the big scope of the story. My characters often surprise me and fight against what I thought would happen for them, so I have to be very go with the flow about the whole thing.
As for my process, I do my most focused writing in the morning. I have a dedicated hour where I sprint with EM Denning before we get our days started. I target one chapter a day and any words I get after that are a bonus.
CC: When you started publishing, did you have “THE ONE BIG GOAL” Have you met that goal and created new ones along the way?
KH: When I published my first book, I just wanted to earn back the money I had in it. His Kind of Love so far surpassed my expectations, there was no way I could stop, so I kept going.
There’s been lots of times in my career (going on 7 years now) where I’ve moved the goal posts or redefined what success feels like for me. It’s not always based on dollar amounts and page reads. For years, the goal was being big enough to get an invite to Apollycon, which I had. Now there’s other signings that I have as goals, and my fingers remain crossed. My goal for 2024 was to be a top 100 best seller on Amazon (my previous peak was 113), which I just managed to do with the pre-order for The Love Archives, an anthology for Palestine.
CC: What is your biggest author splurge?
KH: I’ve never met a book I don’t want to buy, and I definitely use being an author as an excuse to stack my shelves with more books than I’ll ever be able to read.
CC: For anyone out there that doesn’t yet know Kate Hawthorne and your books, can you sum up the overall vibes? What do you think is the best introductory book for a new Kate reader?
KH: Kate Hawthorne books are always going to be angsty, kinky, and queer. I spent years telling everyone I wrote SUPER spicy books, but I understand readers are subjective there and oftentimes I see myself falling around 3-4 chilies on their 5 chili scale. The heat is graphic and it’s definitely there, but there’s a lot of plot packed around it.
I think the best place to start if you’re new to my books is either Unfettered or Humbled, depending on if you want to start a standalone or a series. Unfettered is a hurt/comfort standalone with an age gap (older submissive and younger dominant). Humbled is the first book in The Trophy Doms Social Club series, it’s also an age gap but features two dominant men who accidentally flirt a little too close to the sun and fall in love.
Unfettered – http://mybook.to/unfettered
Humbled – http://mybook.to/tdsc1
CC: Some readers may not know but you also write kinky sapphic romance as Nikki Markham. What inspired you to create this pen name and will we be seeing more books from Nikki?
KH: I’ve always tried to write the kinds of books I want to read, and Nikki came around because there was an absolute lack of really KINKY sapphic romance on the market. I wanted to take my own lived experiences and the style of books that I write and put that onto the page to meet the demand in the market. I started writing them under a separate pen name so readers didn’t get confused. I think people know what to expect with a Kate Hawthorne book and I didn’t want to throw them off by mixing genres.
As for more books from Nikki…I want to say yes!! I’ve had a few false starts when it comes to new ideas so I’ve put it on the backburner for now, but I hope something sticks in the future.
CC: So, speaking of kinky, you have a new release today, All In, can you tell us a bit about the book and the new series it starts?
KH: Yes! I spent the past few months publishing a five book series called Trophy Doms Social Club which is a series about five millionaire friends in Los Angeles and the kinky trouble they get into as they all fall in love. In the 4th book of that series, we met a group of men from New York who were just as rich and like minded, and I knew once I wrapped up the LA story lines I wanted to go to New York.
All In is the first book in the Trophy Doms New York series, and it’s a kinky love story for Kale Sheffield, a millionaire who hates to be told no, and Christian Spenser, a prince on the run from his family and the rules of the crown. The two of them spend one night together and it’s eye opening (to say the least)…I don’t want to spoil too much, so that’s all you get!
ALL IN: Trophy Doms Social Club #1 – http://mybook.to/tdny1
CC: I had the absolute pleasure of reading an early copy and Kate, I thought my eyes might melt out of my head and my fingers might snap my kindle. Kale and Christian were fire. I was especially taken by Kale always stopping to ensure Christian’s clear consent. Made my heart go flippity floppity. What kind of research goes into a book like All In?
KH: I used to work as a professional Domme in my early Kate years, so a lot of my experience is lived experience (both personal and professional). I often pull from my own understanding of kink and the varying dynamics of those relationships when I am writing characters. I’ve also used my books as a way to get more in tune with kinks that maybe didn’t resonate with me at one time, so it’s a learning experience along the way for me sometimes!! I also recognize that kink for me as a bisexual woman is not the same as it would be for gay or bisexual men, so I make sure to talk with friends who have an experience more aligned with those characters to make sure I get the nuance right.
CC: All In, Trophy Doms New York is the first in a spin off series from the earlier Trophy Doms Social Club. It is most definitely a standalone but what are some takeaways from the original series that may be relevant or helpful in Trophy Doms New York?
KH: Both series are really big on found family and the ways leaning on those platonic friendships can really make your life better. I loved writing Shared, the last book in Trophy Doms Social Club because it was an opportunity for the four friends who fell first to use their experiences and growth to help the last one along. There’s definitely some of that connection in the NY series as well, but at their core all nine of the books are about being brave enough to ask for the things you want in life and fighting to get them.
CC: I have a love/hate relationship with Kale’s circle of friends in All In, specifically Ford. WHAT IS HIS DEAL AND WHEN DO I GET TO SEE HIM NAKED?
KH: Hahahaha!!! I love this, because after reading Bound, most people had a love/hate relationship with Kale! Ford is an absolute delight of a man and you will get to see him naked VERY SOON because his book is next up in the series…Tied Down.
CC: Did I miss anything important Kate? Do we have a pre-order for Tied Down? Where else can readers get more Kate Hawthorne?
KH: Well, All In was my first time writing royalty!! So that was fun. And, yes! Tied Down is on pre-order and will be out August 8 – http://mybook.to/tdny2
It’s probably worth sharing that I have a patreon, which is always going to be the best place to get the absolute FIRST LOOK at what’s coming next. I share teasers, behind the scenes, NSFW art, and more.
More info about all the tiers at http://patreon.com/katehawthorne
CC: Recently you attended Apollycon, what was that like and who did YOU fangirl over?
KH: Apollycon was next level. I’ve never been to an event that large and it was bananas! I was lucky enough to get selected for a panel, so being able to talk about audio books with Erin Mallon, Laurelin Paige, Xio Axelrod, CR Jane, and Codi Hall was a dream come true. As for me, I definitely fangirled over Sierra Simone (like always), Clio Evans, Nikki St, Crowe, and Hawk who isn’t an author, but you can find them as hawkhatesyou on TT.
CC: Where can your readers meet you in 2024/2025?
KH: For 2024:
📚 July 20 | Writers on the River | Peoria, IL
📚 September 6&7 | RARE Edinburgh | Edinburgh, Scotland
📚 October 10-13 | Authors in the Bluegrass | Lexington, KY
For 2025 (more dates to be added):
📚 April 10-13 | Apollycon | Maryland
📚 May 23-25 | Queers and Quills | Oregon
📚 June 7 | HEA Reader Event | Illinois
📚 June 21 | BRAE | Ohio
📚 October 4 | Book Harvest | Illinois
CC: Kate, thank you so much! It has been an absolute pleasure to chat with you today! I appreciate you taking it easy on me for my first time.
KH: It was great to chat!! Thank you for having me and trusting me to be your first.
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