Today, we’re trying something different. C. L. Cattano is here to chat about her writing, life, and a massive giveaway she’s taking part in. Also, she’s been kind enough to play a game. Below, you’ll find the Spot the Lie section. You can play along by guessing which of the three statements is the lie. Let us know by leaving a comment. On Saturday, I’ll reveal the lie in the comments section.

Before we begin, I would like to thank you for chatting with me today.

You are very welcome, and I appreciate you taking the time and giving me a platform to introduce myself and talk about my work.

I see in your bio you live in the Midwestern part of the US. Did you catch the solar eclipse? 

We SO got our nerd on and watched to solar eclipse. We had a bunch of people over, probably 15 pairs of glasses, solar binocular filters, camera filters, a home-made pinhole viewer and a whole lot of booze. It was a party with lots of cameras on tri-pods and people on their backs in lawn loungers. We were set! Our house was in the band of totality and we had 2 min of darkness in which a cock crowed and a wolf howled.  It was eerie and exciting at the same time.  Seeing the diamond ring was especially mind blowing. Just knowing we were alive and able to witness such an impressive natural astrological event was humbling. Here are a couple of photos…

You enjoy traveling. Does it have an impact on your writing?

Traveling does have an impact on my writing. It inspires me and I like making the places I travel into settings for my characters sometimes. The things that go along with traveling from the flight to the people, food, hospitality and traditions are things that can change your life for the better.  Good experiences come about by being a good traveler and an appreciative guest.  I’ve always been a lifetime learner so talking to new people and visiting over a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and hearing their stories is something that I look forward to when I travel – sometimes more than visiting historical sites.

When did you know you wanted to become a writer?

I’ve wanted to be a writer from a very young age. I still have things from grade school that I wrote. I wanted to be a writer or an artist and I’ve been lucky enough to be those things. I went to school for the art but also took a lot of writing and literature classes. It was very hard to choose but I ended up getting a BA in Graphic Design with a Minor in Fine and Performing Arts.  My writing has come in handy for a lot of things. I wrote a lot of essays in school and won trips to Italy and Greece – and a few other smaller things.  Writing has done a lot for me.

What was the biggest stumbling block you had to overcome to achieve your publishing dream? 

My biggest stumbling block was… I felt like, in order to work with a ‘big’ publisher, I had to jump through a lot of hoops and it was taking forever. I’m a little impatient. So, after a lot of deliberation, I decided to self-publish.  This way, things went at my pace and not some company’s pace for their goals, schedule and benefit. So my next stumbling block was the learning curve on self-publishing and all the things involved. I think self-publishing was very good for me because I know so much more about the process and feel a more personal connection to every aspect.

What genre do you write?

I really hate to box myself in to a single genre. My writing is a mix of several. Predominantly, so far, I would say my books are romance in the sense that the stories are about relationships and ultimately love. However, I like adding a lot of drama, intrigue and fun too.

What’s the last book you read?

The latest book I read was one by Alex Westmore aka Linda Kay Silva called Darkness Descends (The Silver Legacy Book 1) I met Linda at the GCLS Con and it seemed we were kindred spirits in a lot of ways so I wanted to check out her books. I enjoyed the book a lot.

Tell us a bit about the book that’s part of the giveaway.

Yes! The giveaway! Can you believe the prizes? It’s the biggest book giveaway I’ve ever seen. Anne and E.A. did a great job organizing it and wrangling all of us up to participate.

So, my book… Shattered Paradise is the first book in the Salvaggio’s Light Series. Salvaggio’s Light is a contemporary drama woven with a little bit of romance (okay a lot), a smidge of intrigue, a soupçon of comedy and a lot of angst.

It is a mini saga of the life of Rafe Salvaggio and how she handles relationships not only with her ex-partner Eden Kingsley but with her friends and family too. The story combines her present circumstances with those of her past as she works to regain the life and relationship she lost with Eden and deal with her own faults and issues from her youth. In Shattered Paradise you learn about Rafe, Eden, and the other cast of characters as they are all, after a short period of time, are finally beginning to hang out together again in order to maintain relationships and help Rafe and Eden get along for their daughters sake.

Here is the book blurb…

This series invites you into the life of Rafaella Salvaggio and all the people in her life, from family and friends to lovers and enemies. Her life has been full of tragedy, secrets, and betrayals. Lately, everything has been spiraling out of control. The past is catching up with her, and she will have to fight to get her life back. In her struggle to win back the woman she just can’t live without, her mettle will be tested. She will be up against her own inner demons as well as a fundamentalist group whose mission it is to separate her from her ex-partner and their daughter.

For Rafe Salvaggio, meeting Eden Kingsley was the best thing in her life, but now it was all lost. It seems she is constantly reminded it was no one’s fault but her own. Rafe still hasn’t moved on from Eden, but with the help of her friend Julia, she is getting back into the dating scene again.

For Eden Kingsley, the past eight months have been spent caring for her daughter and trying to fit into her new life with Jake. Seeing Rafe date again was unexpectedly hard for Eden to see, but she is determined to do better about giving Rafe time with Bronte. The arrival of a mysterious envelope sends Eden into a panic. It holds a secret that threatens her and her daughter, and she is confronted with a reality she might not survive.

Will they be able to overcome the events that led to the end of their relationship? Will they be able to get along for the sake of their daughter? Will the secrets, lies, and betrayal pull them further apart, or will true love help them see the truth?

Thanks so much for stopping by I Heart Lesfic.

You’re very welcome. Thank you for having me. I love hearing from people on social media and by email so readers can feel free to hit me up and chat if they are so inclined.

CAN YOU SPOT THE LIE?

For a bit of fun, C. L. has provided two truths and one lie. Take a guess which is the lie by commenting below.

1. I have climbed through the clouds to the top of Mt. Olympus in Greece and out of the fountain at the top I drank the water of the Gods. I filled a water bottle with some of the water and carried it down the mountain so that my friend could taste it. She was unable to go up due to health issues. She did feel better after…

2. I climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan and shared my oxygen tank with an old woman I found lying beside the trail who told me she went there to die. After talking and telling me her story in broken English she waked back down the mountain with me. (I hope she’s still alive…) 

3. I have danced with a bar full of women who I convinced to take their shirts off so they were only wearing white bra’s that glowed purple under the club black lights in Brighton, UK.

MEET THE AUTHOR

C.L. Cattano lives in the Midwestern U.S. with her partner and their dog. She has a variety of creative interests including, but not limited to, creating fine art, writing, photography, and supporting women in the arts. She considers herself a ‘Jack of All Trades’ dabbling in what she terms the ‘whimsies of her soul’ that pull her toward happiness and fulfillment. Cattano’s first book was Cursed Hearts. Her current project is the epic lesbian romance serial Salvaggio’s Light.

Website /Amazon Page/ Facebook/  Twitter 

Email: CLC@clcattano.com

Salvaggio’s Light Series

Shattered Paradise (Book 1)

Blue Inferno (Book 2)

Secrets & Rivalry (Book 3)

Wildling’s Claim (Book 4)

Other books

Cursed Hearts 

GIVEAWAY

Now for the massive autographed book contest.

30 Indie Lesbian Fiction Authors have banded together for a massive giveaway of 39 titles and a total of 43 books in all!

There will be 3 winners, all chosen at random. The grand prize winner will receive 24 books! The 2^nd place winner will receive 12 books, and the 3^rd place winner will receive 7 signed books!

Also, there will be a special prize for the entrant that shares the most!

The competition is open worldwide. Click here to enter.

Don’t miss out! The competition ends at 11:55 p.m. (EST) on September 15, 2017.

Don’t forget to share which statement you think is a lie. I’ll reveal the lie on Saturday.

And, best of luck to everyone who enters the giveaway.