Title: Underneath it All
(#1 of The Walshes series)
Author: Kate Canterbary
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic
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If I had known I'd have a hot architect balls deep inside of me before the end of the weekend, I'd have made time for a pedicure.
Lauren
It's all the little things—the action plans, the long-kept promises—that started falling apart when my life slipped into controlled chaos.
After I met Matthew Walsh.
I couldn't decide whether I wanted to run screaming or rip his pants off, and most days I wanted a little of both. If I was being honest with myself, it was rip his pants off, ride him like a workhorse, and then run screaming.
Matthew
A rebellious streak ran through Lauren Halsted. It was fierce and unrelentingly beautiful, and woven through too many good girl layers to count, and she wasn't letting anyone tell her what to do.
Unless, of course, she was naked.
She wasn't looking for me and I sure as shit wasn't looking for her, but we found each other anyway and now we were locked in a battle of wills, waiting for the other to blink.
Sometimes the universe conspires to bring people together. Other times, it throws people down a flight of stairs and leaves them in a bruised and bloodied heap.
Excerpt . . .
Scrumptious.
"What would happen if…" I bit my lip, hoping I was interpreting his signals the right way, hoping my tequila-infused courage would see me through. I stretched up on my toes, and Matthew's hands went to my waist. "If I did this?"
Digging his fingers into my hips, he pulled me against him, and there was no misinterpreting that signal. Our lips brushed together, and I hesitated, wanting more—so much more—but not knowing the right way to play this game.
"If you do that, I'm doing this," Matthew whispered against my lips. Tugging my hair, he tipped my head back and slipped his tongue past my teeth, and it was exactly as I suspected: he wanted to swallow me whole. A strong gust forced me against him, and I shivered, at once relieved he was taking the lead and wondering if it was the lead I wanted.
Q&A
All the other writers. If not for the exceptional models (inclusive of every scrap of text I've ever written), I wouldn't have been able to form my own voice and identity.
Unforgettable or Inspirational Books?
I've been a voracious reader forever, and many books have left their marks on me. Here are a few:
East of Eden by John Steinbeck (…and Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday, Tortilla Flats)
Keep Me Still by Caisey Quinn
Nine Stories by JD Salinger
The Witness by Nora Roberts (and so many others)
The Rough Riders Series by Lorelei James
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Veiled Innocence by Ella Frank
The Beautiful Series by Christina Lauren
The Vegas Top Guns Series by Katie Porter
The Sullivans Series by Belle Andre
Favorite books turned into movies?
I am fiercely protective of my favorite books, and I am not especially gentle when it comes to evaluating their movie adaptations. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was executed with such precision and faithfulness, and I love those films almost as much as I love the original literature. Almost.
If you could have a superpower for a day what would it be?
I'd want to read minds, and I know that's creeptastic! I'm always trying to understand how different people think and react and feel, and I'd love to crawl into someone's thoughts for a day.
Do you have your own personal hero/heroine who is also a writer?
Anyone who goes through the intellectual, creative, and emotional struggle of writing and publishing earns goddess status in my book. Writing is one of the purest forms of alchemy, and I have nothing but respect for anyone who makes it through.
If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what book would it be?
John Steinbeck's East of Eden. There is so much to find in there: betrayal and redemption, love and loss, family and struggle. Every time I read it, I find something new.
Are you an early riser, night owl, or insomniac?
I'm the worst combination: the night owl who also rises early. In the idyllic world I'd stick with one (most likely the night owl). I continue to run up against the shortage of hours in the day, and my preferred solution is sleeping less rather than eliminating the things I enjoy.
As Lauren said in UNDERNEATH IT ALL, "I could sleep when I was dead, and when that day rolled around, I didn't want to think about all the opportunities I passed up over some miserable moments."
I really like to have a visual in my head of the characters when I read, can you share who your muse is for Patrick?
In my mind, this is my Patrick: click here
Favorite TV show?
House of Cards, The Daily Show, The West Wing, Gilmore Girls, Person of Interest, The Mindy Project, Grey's Anatomy, The OC, Gossip Girl, obscure history and science documentaries
Describe your writing cave
Less cave, more guest bedroom. In my past life as a reporter, I learned to work anywhere: coffee shops, airports, church confession booths. I'm able to tune most things out and don't require much routine.
Do you write full-time or do you have another job too? If so, what job and do your co-workers know what you write?
I'm always doing a little of everything, and prefer it that way.
Favorite drink & snack food that you survive on in writing cave
I never snack while writing. There's always water or green tea, but that's it. I'm something of a behaviorist – BF Skinner could have proven all his theories on me – and in that sense, I don't eat until I'm finished. I set little goals – finish a chapter, fix a tricky scene, hit a certain word count – and then I'll eat.
Where did the idea for the series originally come from?
The Walsh Series originated from a project I was consulting on last year. An educational organization was attempting to get the legislature to revise regulatory guidance around repurposing Industrial Revolution-era mills and factories for schools, and I met an incredible team of architects in the process. They were some of the most brilliant, complex individuals I'd ever encountered, and they were ridiculously adorable, too.
At the time, I was also running into brick walls with my work-in-progress. I took a vacation from that manuscript and started imagining a family of brilliant, adorable architects, and within a few days, Patrick, Matthew, Shannon, Riley, Sam, and Erin were born.
Family businesses are incredibly complex, especially those that come with decades of tangled drama and loss. I wanted to craft a series that didn't simply describe the paths these six people took to find love. I also wanted to spotlight their individual places in the business and family, and how those places shaped them.
Thinking specifically about THE SPACE BETWEEN, I wanted to focus on Patrick as he assumed full responsibility for the family firm, and I wanted to find someone who was his equal in every way possible. It was also important that other characters continue developing, and the reader gets to see that through Patrick and Andy's interactions with the rest of the Walshes.
Giveaway . . .
About the Author . . .
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