| Charlotte Hughes March 2009 Author of the Month |
Charlotte Hughes has a great ability to not
only keep you laughing, but also keep you
on the edge of your seat. Her character,
Kate Holly, should be a member of your
bookcase! Nutcase is Charlotte's latest
release, but check out her first Kate Holly
book, What looks like Crazy!
Click on any book image to learn more!!
only keep you laughing, but also keep you
on the edge of your seat. Her character,
Kate Holly, should be a member of your
bookcase! Nutcase is Charlotte's latest
release, but check out her first Kate Holly
book, What looks like Crazy!
Click on any book image to learn more!!
1. For you, what is the most challenging part in writing one of your books?
The most challenging part is WRITING the damn book! I can come up with a million excuses not to go to the
computer. I’m sort of ADHD so I can get distracted by a fly on the wall. It’s hard being me.
2. What is your all-time favorite book and why?
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. She was able to bring attention to racial injustice and make us fall in love
with her characters. My favorite short story is “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner – what an awesome and chilling
ending!
3. Favorite TV Program?
I love “The Closer” with Kyra Sedgewick. It’s a funny police procedural without all the gore of CSI. I can only take
so much gore, you know? I also keep CNN on most of the time – I enjoy politics. The anchors are almost like family
to me. Plus, I’m hot for Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
4. What mystery would you like to solve for yourself?
I just want to know who killed Jon Benet Ramsey. Is that too much to ask?
5. Do you have any superstitions when you write?
I refuse to believe in writer’s block because if I believe in it I’ll be the first to get it. That doesn’t mean I don’t get
blocked. I hate being blocked. It feels like my brain is stuffed with cotton and I can’t find nary an idea.
6. What event in history would you have liked to personally witness?
I would simply like to remember what I had for lunch yesterday.
7. What person, alive or dead, would you like to talk to for one hour?
Harper Lee. When I last checked she was alive and well, but I understand she is something of a recluse so it’s not
likely I’ll be granted that wish.
8. How much fun is it evolving Kate Holly further in your books?
What I love most about Kate Holly is the fact she’s neurotic. She’s O.C.D. and when she’s stressed, she counts
things and does multiplication tables in her head. She prefers even numbers because they are divisible by two.
Uneven numbers are complicated, like her life. Sometimes she gets a grip on it, but sometimes it just gets worse. In
book #3, HANGING BY A THREAD, Kate finds herself washing her hands too often. I’ve personally been in therapy
long enough to know that therapists have as many problems as their patients. Even therapists and psychiatrist have
issues so it was a lot of fun to create a psychologist who was O.C.D., and having marital problems among other
things.
9. How is your New Years Resolution going?
I haven’t started exercising, but I’m doing a better job of keeping junk food out of my house. I hope in my next life I’
m a size three and can eat as much chocolate as I want without gaining weight. I think God was mean for putting so
many calories in chocolate. For a fun list I made in January see my blog.
10. What is on your “Bucket List” that you still have to complete?
I’m really glad you asked that question. I used to think my books didn’t “count” because I didn’t have some
universal message to share, as in the case of someone like Harper Lee and others. But I get so much mail from
readers telling me how my humor helped them get through some of the darkest days in their lives. I’ve had cancer
patients write to me, thanking me for giving them a reason to laugh. Last night at a book signing, one woman had
lost her mother a month ago and was looking forward to my new book. Another woman was dealing with a seriously
ill husband. She planned to take care of “her” needs by setting aside time to read my book. I am humbled by these
stories. I just want to hug these people and let them know I genuinely care. Maybe, in some small way, I can make a
difference after all. So I guess that is it. To make a difference.
The most challenging part is WRITING the damn book! I can come up with a million excuses not to go to the
computer. I’m sort of ADHD so I can get distracted by a fly on the wall. It’s hard being me.
2. What is your all-time favorite book and why?
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. She was able to bring attention to racial injustice and make us fall in love
with her characters. My favorite short story is “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner – what an awesome and chilling
ending!
3. Favorite TV Program?
I love “The Closer” with Kyra Sedgewick. It’s a funny police procedural without all the gore of CSI. I can only take
so much gore, you know? I also keep CNN on most of the time – I enjoy politics. The anchors are almost like family
to me. Plus, I’m hot for Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
4. What mystery would you like to solve for yourself?
I just want to know who killed Jon Benet Ramsey. Is that too much to ask?
5. Do you have any superstitions when you write?
I refuse to believe in writer’s block because if I believe in it I’ll be the first to get it. That doesn’t mean I don’t get
blocked. I hate being blocked. It feels like my brain is stuffed with cotton and I can’t find nary an idea.
6. What event in history would you have liked to personally witness?
I would simply like to remember what I had for lunch yesterday.
7. What person, alive or dead, would you like to talk to for one hour?
Harper Lee. When I last checked she was alive and well, but I understand she is something of a recluse so it’s not
likely I’ll be granted that wish.
8. How much fun is it evolving Kate Holly further in your books?
What I love most about Kate Holly is the fact she’s neurotic. She’s O.C.D. and when she’s stressed, she counts
things and does multiplication tables in her head. She prefers even numbers because they are divisible by two.
Uneven numbers are complicated, like her life. Sometimes she gets a grip on it, but sometimes it just gets worse. In
book #3, HANGING BY A THREAD, Kate finds herself washing her hands too often. I’ve personally been in therapy
long enough to know that therapists have as many problems as their patients. Even therapists and psychiatrist have
issues so it was a lot of fun to create a psychologist who was O.C.D., and having marital problems among other
things.
9. How is your New Years Resolution going?
I haven’t started exercising, but I’m doing a better job of keeping junk food out of my house. I hope in my next life I’
m a size three and can eat as much chocolate as I want without gaining weight. I think God was mean for putting so
many calories in chocolate. For a fun list I made in January see my blog.
10. What is on your “Bucket List” that you still have to complete?
I’m really glad you asked that question. I used to think my books didn’t “count” because I didn’t have some
universal message to share, as in the case of someone like Harper Lee and others. But I get so much mail from
readers telling me how my humor helped them get through some of the darkest days in their lives. I’ve had cancer
patients write to me, thanking me for giving them a reason to laugh. Last night at a book signing, one woman had
lost her mother a month ago and was looking forward to my new book. Another woman was dealing with a seriously
ill husband. She planned to take care of “her” needs by setting aside time to read my book. I am humbled by these
stories. I just want to hug these people and let them know I genuinely care. Maybe, in some small way, I can make a
difference after all. So I guess that is it. To make a difference.
The life of a psychologist is enough to drive anyone nuts…
Ever since she blew up her own office with nitroglycerin (she
was sure the patient was bluffing---until the vial exploded),
psychologist Kate Holly has been one step away from going
off her rocker. It doesn’t help that she’s still in love with her
firefighter ex-husband. They both want to patch things up,
but Kate has been using sex to avoid talking, and he wants
to know; is there something she is not telling him?
Well yes, there is. Kate is about to get evicted from her
office, and her best option may be to share space with her
hot tub-loving ex-boyfriend, Dr. Thad Glazer. With her
oddball patients, her meddling mother, and her eccentric
secretary thrown into the mix—not to mention a spate of
suspicious fires- will Kate put her life back together before
she ends up in a padded cell?
Ever since she blew up her own office with nitroglycerin (she
was sure the patient was bluffing---until the vial exploded),
psychologist Kate Holly has been one step away from going
off her rocker. It doesn’t help that she’s still in love with her
firefighter ex-husband. They both want to patch things up,
but Kate has been using sex to avoid talking, and he wants
to know; is there something she is not telling him?
Well yes, there is. Kate is about to get evicted from her
office, and her best option may be to share space with her
hot tub-loving ex-boyfriend, Dr. Thad Glazer. With her
oddball patients, her meddling mother, and her eccentric
secretary thrown into the mix—not to mention a spate of
suspicious fires- will Kate put her life back together before
she ends up in a padded cell?
Psychologist Kate Holly's own life has become the stuff of
intensive therapy. She's divorcing Jay, her gorgeous
firefighter husband, who is perfect except for his tendency to
put his life on the line. Her eccentric secretary lures in clients
with promises of free manicures. Her junk-art-collecting
mother and aunt have erected a vaguely sexual sculpture in
her front yard. And, her psychiatrist ex-boyfriend refers
patients to her in return for information on the color of her
panties.
Struggling to keep her sanity gets harder every day,
especially when Kate starts getting bombarded with
mysterious threats that could be from just about any lunatic in
Atlanta. She's treated them all. And the only person who can
help Kate is the one man who always makes her lose her
mind—and her heart...
intensive therapy. She's divorcing Jay, her gorgeous
firefighter husband, who is perfect except for his tendency to
put his life on the line. Her eccentric secretary lures in clients
with promises of free manicures. Her junk-art-collecting
mother and aunt have erected a vaguely sexual sculpture in
her front yard. And, her psychiatrist ex-boyfriend refers
patients to her in return for information on the color of her
panties.
Struggling to keep her sanity gets harder every day,
especially when Kate starts getting bombarded with
mysterious threats that could be from just about any lunatic in
Atlanta. She's treated them all. And the only person who can
help Kate is the one man who always makes her lose her
mind—and her heart...
Our exclusive interview with Charlotte Hughes