Cathy is a friend to
many of us at ICFW. Having first met Cathy via the ACFW Beyond Borders group I was fortunate to meet her at the Conference in
Dallas two years ago which was a treat. We’ve stayed in contact ever since.
Cathy resides in
Bermuda, which I’ve always found fascinating for a couple of reasons. Firstly,
it’s a tax haven (hey, I'm a finance guy by trade!) and secondly some of my favourite Aussie tennis players of
yesteryear have called it home for a few seasons of their careers.
Cathy’s writing
journey is one that many of us can relate to. But in recent months Cathy’s made
some significant changes that I thought would be of interest to the ICFW
community.
Cathy was kind
enough to respond to some questions I posed her and so without further ado,
please give Cathy a very special ICFW welcome.
ICFW: Firstly, tell us
a little about your writing journey to date.
CW: Well, I began
writing seriously with the goal of publication quite a few years ago! Once my
kids were in school I had more time to devote to the task. After I was offered
representation, then I really knuckled down and wrote pretty much full time. My
first published novel was released in 2011, the second in 2012.
ICFW: You've recently
obtained the rights to your previously published novels and have re-released
the first one: Yesterday's Tomorrow. What led you to make this
decision? Could you tell us a little about the thought process you
worked through regarding producing & marketing them yourself.
CW: Unfortunately
sometimes things don’t always work out the way you plan. My agent and I made
the decision to obtain my rights back early in 2014. The process usually takes
about six months, so during that time I worked with a freelance editor, Mick
Silva, had Dineen Miller design a brand new cover, and we’ve really tried to
make the book even better the second time around.
Going Indie was an exciting
prospect, but there is lots involved. Fortunately I was able to work with my
agency, Books & Such, who handled all the formatting and liaising with
Amazon, so all I needed to worry about was the content of the book itself,
which is an easy way to go for me. I have great respect for the authors who can
do everything themselves. I think I’d be a little out of my depths!
ICFW: Okay, so tell us
a little about "Yesterday's Tomorrow." It's set in Vietnam during the
war? What led you to explore that?
CW: Yes. The story is
about a female journalist who goes to Vietnam to cover the war and finish the
story her late father started years ago. She meets a mysterious photographer
whom she quickly decides might just hold the key to getting her the story of a
lifetime.
I’ve always been
fascinated by that time period. I read about the young female journalists who’d
leave everything at home and travel over there to cover the war and I thought
it might make for a great story. The characters began to come alive, and as I
started to research the war, I realized there would be so much more to this
story than I ever imagined. It sounds a little cliché, but it really was a
life-changing experience for me.
ICFW: What are some of
your future plans re: re-releasing others on your backlist and new material?
CW: I definitely have
more books to share with my readers. There are some things in the works right
now that I will hopefully be able to discuss in the near future, so I’m afraid
I’ll have to get back to you on that one! J
ICFW: Narelle Atkins
recently wrote a post about the exotic locations some of our novels are set in. I reckon Bermuda sounds pretty exotic. For those of us who know nothing about
Bermuda, other than celebrities live there (including at one time two great
Aussie tennis players Pat Rafter and Pat Cash) for tax purposes, tell us 2-3
interesting facts about the country.
CW: We’re small: 24 sq miles long and 6 wide. But I’ll say we have the most
beautiful beaches in the world. Our climate is temperate and we don’t really
have cold winters at all, which makes Bermuda an ideal location for sports
fans. We’re also a tax haven and we’re fortunate to have many big re-insurance
companies make their home base here.
We’re about an
hour flight from New York, two from Boston and three from Toronto, so easy to
get to! Come visit!
Love to visit,
Cathy. One day. Even though there will be many of us in ICFW that will
challenge you for the title of “most beautiful beaches in the world.”
Thanks for sharing with us and wishing you well as you continue your
writing journey.
Cathy's Bio
Catherine West is an award-winning author who writes stories of
hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. Her
first novel, Yesterday’s Tomorrow,
released in 2011 and won the INSPY for Romance, a Silver Medal in the Reader’s
Favorite Awards, and was a finalist in the Grace Awards. Catherine’s second
novel, Hidden in the Heart, released
in September 2012, was long listed in the 2012 INSPY’s and was a finalist in
the 2013 Grace Awards.
When she’s not at the computer working on
her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or
tending to her roses and orchids. She and her husband have two grown children. Catherine
is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of
America, and is represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary.
Catherine loves to connect with her readers and can be reached at
Catherine@catherinejwest.com
Where you can find Cathy on the Web
Amazon Buy Link for
Yesterday’s Tomorrow - click here
Ian Acheson is an author
and strategy consultant based in Sydney, Australia. Ian's first novel of
speculative fiction, Angelguard, is now available in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. You can
find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter
