BLOGGING WITH BEVERLEY: Catherine Mede Discusses Covers

This week we’re going to find out a little about author Catherine Mede. April’s theme is ‘Book Covers’ so Catherine will be talking about book covers. She’ll also tell us a little about herself and her writing, and answer some fun questions.

Catherine lives in a rural village in the South Island of New Zealand with her son and two cats. Romance and Speculative Fiction are what Catherine likes to write about because she understands the need to get lost in a love that sometimes seems mythical. Adding Fantasy elements to the story fulfils her need to extend her creative fanciful worlds. When not writing, Catherine likes to read, draw and work in her garden.

When she is rich and famous, Catherine intends to have a large library which will double as her writing space and own an Aston Martin Vanquish, or a Porsche GT3. (Dreams are Free)

Beverley: How important are book covers in marketing your books?

Catherine: No matter what people say, books are judged by their covers, so I want my book to reflect the story. In Running Away, the story was based in Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand, and I needed the cover to show the golden sands of the beaches, as well as give a peaceful vibe, because that is what the park is all about.
Beverley: What elements are important in the design of a cover?
Catherine: The font and the image are really important. The font tells you a lot about the story – historical romances tend to have cursive fonts. Mysteries and Suspense novels have large bold font. Romance, there are lots of different variations. I love the font that my cover designer put on for this one, and I will use it on my other contemporary romance novels. The image is also important, as it gives you clues to the story, gets you thinking about what is inside.
Beverley: What don’t you like on covers?
Catherine: That is a hard question. I had to ask my son what he thought. And we both discussed this. We agreed that a cover that doesn’t reflect the story. His example was To Kill a Mockingbird, because the story has nothing to do with killing mockingbirds. That from a teenager is actually quite deep.
Beverley: If you self-pub, do you design your own cover or hire someone? Which ever you do, why did you go this route?
Catherine: I’m self published, and I went with a professional designer, because I am not good at that sort of thing. I prefer to tell someone else what I want, and don’t want and then let them come up with some offerings. My designer, Kate (Dwell Design and Press) is just amazing at capturing the mood of the story within the picture.
Beverley: Is there a difference between an e-book and a paperback cover? If yes, what is it?
Catherine: The front cover is exactly the same. The only difference would be that the paperback cover has the blurb on the back and a spine, I always buy the full package when I purchase my covers because I want the option to produce paperbacks at a later date.
Beverley: Tell us about the cover of your latest book. (designer, how you reached it)
Catherine: I told Kate what the story was about, and gave her a blurb. I also said it was set in the Abel Tasman National Park which has golden sands. I told her I wanted a girl, or footprints in the sand. The cover she came up with is outstanding, and I totally love it. It gives the vibe of the story, gives a hint of what it is about without giving too much away.
Beverley: How long have you been writing?
Catherine: For as long as I can remember I have loved writing but only got seriously into it about seven or eight years ago. I started self publishing four years ago.
Beverley: What genre do you write in and why?
Catherine: I write romance, because my stories always had that in them, and rather than try to sell them as Paranormal or Science Fiction, I decided to go with romance, and have them as the subgenre. However, this year I decided to take a break from writing romance, and wrote a chick lit, and plans to write a series of kids stories, but will get back into romance.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
Catherine: Funnily enough, it was my ex who encouraged me to write in the first place. He told me “You’ll never get published if you don’t write,” – words he has regretted ever since. As for who has influenced me? I love Nalini Singh’s books and Maurice Gee, a New Zealand author, who wrote lots of young adults books that I loved as a kid.
Beverley: What obstacles did you have to overcome to begin creating your work?
Catherine: A negative husband! Seriously, he really did put a dent in my confidence and mental health. It has taken me a long time to get my mental health back, and getting rid of my ex has helped, but it took a while to get over hearing his words in my head, and the feeling that he was judging me every time I sat down to write.
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
Catherine: Peace, quiet, and a great ritual! Because I felt bad about writing, I couldn’t find time in the day to do it. But in January this year, I started a new routine, where I got up, had a shower, had my breakfast, then spent up to an hour writing. Then I had all day free to do other things. It got me over the negative voice in my head and I was able to crank out my first book in eighteen months.
Beverley: What will stop your creative muse the quickest?
Catherine: Having someone ask me lots of questions or trying to talk to me while I’m trying to write. I have a study where I will take my laptop and do my writing in the morning, and my son knows that he isn’t allowed to interrupt me, of course, he is a teenager, he doesn’t listen to his Mum!
Beverley: What do you have for breakfast?
Catherine: Porridge, with peaches cut up over the top, covered in milk, and then a tea or cappuccino coffee, depending on my mood.
Beverley: What do you wear when you are writing?
: My clothes for the day – generally shorts and t-shirt in summer, or jeans and long sleeved shirt in winter.
Beverley: Where do you do most of your writing?
Catherine: On my laptop – lol. I have a study that I take my laptop to and that is generally where I do the majority of my writing, however when my son isn’t home, I will just type in the lounge.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
Catherine: Betty Boop – she is sexy and sassy.
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?
Catherine: Do we have all day? Living, Tom Hardy, because he is my virtual husband. Dead, I would love to talk to Marilyn Monroe, I have loved her from when I first discovered her when I was a teenager.
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
Catherine: I would find something to do – lol. I love to garden, and read. But if I have an unexpected day free, I generally try and clean my house. I work as a gardener, so my own garden is often neglected.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
Catherine: I have written a chick lit story called Finding Amy Archer, about a woman who suffers three big losses in a short period of time. It’s loosely based on my life last year.

Blurb for Running Away

Sometimes the world has a way of making you stop.

Larissa Green has had a rough run. She ditched her boyfriend, quit her job, and lost her flat all in a 24 hour period. She does what she does best. Larissa turns on her heels to escape her life by doing something totally out of character - going for a tramp.

Harley Orion is an English action movie star, in a toxic relationship. When his girlfriend accuses him of a serious offence, Harley freaks out and runs away to New Zealand until the storm blows over. Anonymity is assured when you stay at an isolated Lodge in the beautiful Abel Tasman National Park.

A fateful morning pushes the two together, and they can't deny the chemistry between them, but both are cautious. Harley has been stung by women, Larissa used by men. However they can't stop what happens between them.

Until the true nature of Harley's visit to New Zealand is revealed, destroying Larissa's hope of ending up with her dream man.

But life has a way of making things happen, that you least expect.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Smashwords

Goodreads

You can find Catherine at: