Meet Cat Brown: Author and Romance Junkie

I’m thrilled to welcome romance junkie, Cat Brown, who is not only a romance author, but also the founder of Romance Junkies, the online site for everything to do with romance novels. First of all, you have published several romance novels using the name Samantha Storm, including Eye of the Storm, which has had brilliant reviews. Could you tell us a little bit about Eye of the Storm?  

It’s a 79,000 word paranormal.

Book Blurb: A car bomb hurls Katlin Campbell, a young redheaded beauty, into a world of chaos. She is forced to go on the run, her head filled with dangerous information passed onto her by a dying man.

Her only chance of survival — Ryker Duncan, a retired bodyguard. A sexy man with killer biceps who is only interested in keeping her alive long enough to find a way to retrieve and sell the information in her head to the highest bidder. Ryker can’t seem to keep his hands off Katlin, but he is torn between his growing feelings for her and the guilt he still carries over his wife’s death.

Read an excerpt here. 

Buy the Book on Amazon here. 

“Eye of the Storm is full of electricity you’ll feel down to your toes! Katlin and Ryker are both energetic as Ryker tries to fight to keep Katlin alive. With their special powers on display, Eye of the Storm will keep you glued to the pages. Ms. Storm knows how to develop characters and really bring them to life in an interesting and complex world. I know I’ll be looking for more from Samantha Storm.” – Coffee Time

I love the cover of Eye of the Storm. Could you tell us about it?

Thank you, I designed this cover myself when I decided to place it on Amazon. I am not a professional cover designer, but the graphic seemed to represent the story and my character.

As well as writing, you also manage the wonderful website, Romance Junkies, which won the Writer’s Digest award for being one of the best websites on the internet in 2009!  Could you tell about the site?   

I opened the doors of Romance Junkies 9 years ago this Feb 14^th. Our site is designed as meeting place for romance authors and the readers who love them. We offer reviews of the latest releases as well as an archive of over 15000 reviews we have done over the last decade. Authors can get the word out about their latest release by joining our loop, now over 2000 members strong.

Romance Junkies must keep you very busy. Do you still have time to write and if so, what are you working on at the moment?

I do squeeze writing in. I have a paranormal nearing completion and have begun work on a contemporary suspense.

There are many different varieties of romance e.g. Regency romance, suspense, paranormal, hot contemporary. What is the current big trend in romance?

At the moment historicals seems to be very popular with my RJ reviewers. Six months ago it was Contemporaries and last year it was paranormals.

What do you think makes a great romance novel?

A great romance. It doesn’t matter if it is set in space, or Timbuktu, the past or the present, the simple human truth of a bond beyond the physical is what speaks to us.

Websites like Amazon mean that romance authors can now publish their books themselves directly onto the internet without having to go through the traditional publishing houses, such as Harlequin. Do you think this will lead to a decline in Harlequin books and an increase in self-published ebooks? 

The advent of self publishing may not necessarily lead to the fading of publishers. Harlequin and other print publishers have established promotion, audiences, authors and wider distribution routes.

Over the last couple years most of the traditional publishing houses have embraced the ebook format and some of the houses have established ebook only lines. For instance Harlequin now has their ebook publishing house – Carina Press. It will be interesting to see how the face of publishing changes over the next decade

I think if the publishers embrace the technology, they will continue to attract the most established authors, and with them the readers will follow.

Do you have any final parting comments?

I wanted to let the Readers know that they can now download a free copy of Murder, Mayhem and Mistletoe my erotic contemporary novella at Smashwords.  Download your free copy here

Book Blurb: Teddy Madison thought the office Christmas party would be a total drag when she was made the designated driver. All hope of another ill advised tangle with the hot guy from the mail room was out the window. She could only watch and laugh at other’s indiscretions as the office staff succumbed to another year of sexual tension.

But the party took an unexpected turn. Dark and mysterious strangers, murder and intrigue led her and her zany friends down a wild and wacky path that could make this the most epic office party yet. Can the Champaign guzzling gang figure out the mystery, or will Teddy celebrate New Year’s Eve in jail?

Sounds great! I’m off now to grab my free copy!