#catherinebybee – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Maybe One Day by Catherine Bybee

Book Description

Mari D’Angelo’s life is complete. Her children are all married. Two grandbabies fill her days, with two more on the way, and her thriving family restaurant is running on autopilot. Not once in the ten years since she’s become a widow has Mari considered another love of her own. Until she sets sail on a singles cruise to placate her recently divorced best friend. Then James comes crashing into Mari’s world.

Charming, witty, and with two daughters of his own, James isn’t looking for love either. But Mari is as irresistible as she is beautiful. As their simmering attraction grows, Mari’s resolve to ignore the spark James has ignited slowly breaks away. She promised her beloved late husband she’d find someone new. Maybe that impossible day has come.

Knowing her protective sons would not approve, Mari chooses to keep the romance a secret. After all, there is no reason for her family to know about James if their relationship doesn’t work out. It’s up to James to prove he can be trusted with the heart of a woman he’s come to cherish. But without her family’s approval, their love doesn’t stand a chance.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Maybe One Day by Catherine Bybee is a home run like all her other books. Every time a reader picks up a Bybee book they take a heartfelt journey with the characters.

Mari D’Angelo’s life is complete. Her children are all married. Two grandbabies fill her days, with two more on the way, and her thriving family restaurant is running on autopilot. She is an adoring Italian mother and grandmother who absolutely lives for her family and the restaurant she owns. She has centered her life on making sure her children and grandchildren are fulfilled and happy after being a single mother when the love of her life, her husband Paulo, died ten years earlier. While they are all now grown and married with families of their own, her best friend Rosa convinces her to focus on herself or possibly a relationship. Rosa is the wild one while Mari is more reserved. Rosa convinces her to try some new activities that include a singles cruise; she reluctantly agrees.

James Russell is a divorcee with two daughters, and like Mari is not looking for love or a relationship. His twin girls are getting ready to head off to college and want to make sure he’s not alone. To get them off his back he agrees to go on a single’s cruise, the one Mari is on. Mari and James meet and forge a friendship that turns to more. As their simmering attraction grows, Mari’s resolve to ignore the spark James has ignited slowly breaks away. Maybe that impossible day has come. Knowing her protective sons would not approve, Mari chooses to keep the romance a secret, and James realizes without Mari’s family’s approval their relationship does not stand a chance even though both know there is a strong chemistry and attraction between them.

This book has what readers expect of Bybee, an emotional story, a great cast of characters, and terrific banter. Even though the featured characters were in their mid-fifties the story is relatable to readers of all ages, especially with the supporting characters.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Catherine Bybee: I wanted to write a romance involving a couple in their 50’s. After divorce, after raising children and in Mari’s case, after losing her husband. The D’Angelo family was the perfect setting.

EC: Did you have as much fun writing this story as people had reading it?

CB: Absolutely. I’m in my 50’s and have several single and divorced friends finding romance in mid-life. I recently took a cruise with some friends and realized that the older crowd was having just as much, if not more fun, than the younger passengers. Which of course sparked ideas for this book. I suppose the research for this story is where my fun happened.

Writing the book is always work.

EC: The scene with losing a loved one was very powerful. Was it based on anything and what was your thinking when you wrote that scene?

CB: Death should be powerful. I’m glad I captured that in my writing. This scene wasn’t based on any one personal experience, however; I lived long enough to know people who have lost a spouse they loved deeply. I think the best gift a loved one can give on their death bed is permission for a spouse to live a full life after they are gone. Mari was given this permission slip but never made good on it. True love is wanting what is best for the survivor. Sometimes that is starting over.

EC: What was the role of Rosa in this book-was she the influence over Mari to move on from losing her soulmate, her wing person?

CB: I felt there was a need to compare and contrast how widows and divorcees approach relationships differently. Mari adored her husband and feels she’s lived a full life, vs, Rosa who put her life on hold for a husband who was alive but wasn’t there. Rosa is running toward her third act in life grasping as much as she can. All Mari can do is be supportive. So yes, her wing person. But watching someone come alive after years of being dormant sometimes remind us that we might have more life in us than we originally thought.

EC: How would you compare and contrast James’ daughters Ellie and Madison

CB: Ellie was strong willed, an independent thinker, and bold while Madison was a rule follower who did not like to make waves. I framed Ellie to be a bit reckless and Madison more grounded. Siblings, even twins, have completely different personalities. But they both share the same love for their father and each other, which makes them so loveable.

EC: How would you describe James?

CB: James, much like Mari, is happy in his own skin and life. He is protective about his daughters, but realistic enough to make sure his daughters can talk to him about anything. Even if they choose not to, it’s not because he is judgmental. I think his charm when it comes to Mari speaks for itself. Dating is like a muscle, if you don’t do it very often, it sometimes hurts. But charm is something deep inside that shows even when you’re not trying to make an impression. James has this trait deep in his core. He’s charming, witty, pragmatic and more concerned about his daughters than himself. He is a very selfless man. Divorce didn’t make him bitter, which is an oddity in fiction novels and completely opposite of our other divorcee in the book, Rosa.

EC: Why have them meet on the cruise ship-was it from personal experience?

CB: A recent cruise did help me choose the setting. But in order for the reader to get to know Mari the woman, and not Mari the mother and grandmother, I needed her to be away from her family and the restaurant that occupies her every day.

EC: How would you describe James and Mari’s relationship?

CB: I would say this is a slow burn romance with a reluctant heroine not looking for love. He falls first. This is her first real opportunity to look at life as a woman and because she still loves her husband, it makes her take things slow.

EC: How would you describe Mari?

CB: Mari is the matriarch and therefore the cornerstone of her family. She keeps it all together. She’s wise beyond her years and loves unconditionally. She is unexpectedly funny and surprisingly adventurous when not burdened by a family close by.

EC: How would you describe the reaction of the children to James and Mari’s relationship?

CB: Son’s have a hard time seeing their mothers as women, where daughters don’t. That might be a blanket statement, and certainly not all sons and daughters think this way, but in my personal experience, that is the way it is. I don’t think Mari’s sons are selfish, I just don’t think they ever considered their mother would find another love. That is threatening in some ways. Her sons felt the need to protect their mother after their father passed. Now another man enters the picture and steps into that protective role. It’s hard to let that go.

But the girls… They see the big picture. Besides, they are all happily married and want the same for their mother. They also don’t see Mari as just a mom, or just a grandmother. They see a beautiful woman still young enough to live another love.

EC: Next book(s)?

CB: I’m moving on from the D’Angelos, but there might be a future book with Rosa as the heroine. I suppose that will depend on my readers and if they enjoy romances with older players.

“The Queen Anne Hill Series” and Lead Me Home, the first book in this series is a huge shift from the love and dependability of the D’Angelos. This series takes you deep into the roots of generational trauma and how it takes healing and courage to allow romantic love in. While this first book in the series is a work of fiction, it is based on my own lived experience that almost makes this creative non-fiction.

I started the D’Angelo Series off with a story based on my father… Lead Me Home is about my mother and my very troubled childhood.

This book is up for pre-order and will be released on June 9^th, 2026.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Feature Post and Book Review: No More Yesterdays by Catherine Bybee

Book Description

Taking over her late father’s company was never part of Alex Stone’s life plan.

But now, sitting in the CEO chair at Stone Enterprises, she’s resigned to living her life alone. Being a high-powered, billionaire woman tends to narrow one’s romantic prospects. As Alex works relentlessly to reshape her inherited hotel empire, she’s acquired a target on her back complete with death threats.

Alex turns to Hawk Bronson, a man who is equal parts bodyguard, sexy, and completely infuriating. Especially when it comes to protecting her.

As the danger escalates, Hawk comes to terms with the fact that their connection goes way beyond bodyguard and assignment. He knows he should keep his distance—his own dark past and nightmares put her at greater risk—but he can’t walk away. Protecting Alex means everything. Putting her life in someone else’s care isn’t an option once he’s tasted their passion and depth of his feelings.

As they navigate a minefield of family secrets, past pain, and unexpected hope, Alex and Hawk must face their deepest fears and fight for a future together. But first, they’ll need to unmask whoever is behind the threats—before Alex becomes their next victim.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219578195-no-more-yesterdays?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=8nM737JA0K&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

NO MORE YESTERDAYS (The Heirs Book #3) by Catherine Bybee is a wonderful finale to The Heirs trilogy with this story featuring Alexandrea “Alex” Stone. These books can be read as standalone contemporary romances, but the overall story ARC of the siblings inheriting their father’s company and the problems it involves makes me feel the trilogy is best read in order.

With the death of their father, the Stone siblings have had to adapt to new lives with massive wealth. Alex has taken over as CEO at Stone Enterprises with her experience in the hotel business. Taking on the role has also left her feeling she is now limited in her romantic prospects. When Alex receives a death threat, she asks for the help of a security specialist who helped her out previously. He takes on the role of her private bodyguard.

Hawk Bronson is a security specialist who is determined to protect the independent and infuriating Alex. As the danger escalates, so does the personal heat between them.

As they try to discover where the threat against Alex is coming from, they uncover corporate secrets that are far from legal and could put Stone Enterprises at risk. Is this the source of the threat or is there another reason that Alex is in danger from someone close who wants her dead?

This is such an extremely emotionally satisfying ending to The Heirs contemporary romance trilogy! The romance has fun dialogue as Alex and Hawk butt heads, but it also gets serious with Hawk describing the threat and serious circumstances when Alex does not listen. The sexual chemistry builds believably, and the sex scenes are not gratuitous, but feel natural. The suspense subplot had me turning the pages and continually built to a surprise climax I did not see coming.

I highly recommend this book and the entire trilogy! Ms. Bybee always satisfies, and I look forward to every new book.

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About the Author

Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total she has written thirty-six beloved books that have collectively sold more than 10 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban
emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned the Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series. Learn more about Catherine and her books at www.catherinebybee.com

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.catherinebybee.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCatherineBybee

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinebybee/?hl=en

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/no-more-yesterdays-by-catherine-bybee

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Forgotten One by Catherine Bybee

Book Description

Sarah McNeilly is a rare find in the tabloid industry. She won’t ignite gossip. She finds the truth. And for once, that’s what her boss wants. With her job on the line, Sarah’s latest assignment is to identify the elusive “Maximillian Smith,” unearth his connection to the billionaire Stone family, and dig up some dirt.

Yesterday Max was an ordinary workingman, concerned with little more than the price of gas. Now he suddenly has a family, jaw-dropping wealth, and an avid (if clumsy) reporter on his trail. With the press threatening to destroy his new life, he needs to release his real story strategically, and Sarah is the key—not to mention an adorable yet invaluable resource for finding his mother.

As Max and Sarah team up to peel back the ugly layers of Max’s past, they stumble heart-first into their fiery attraction. But when their research threatens their newly built trust, it’s their future that is on the line.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Forgotten One by Catherine Bybee once again proves how she can make readers laugh yet also pull at their heart strings.

This plot has a rags to overnight riches story. Yesterday Max was an ordinary workingman, concerned with little more than the price of gas. Now he suddenly has a family, jaw-dropping wealth, and an avid (if clumsy) reporter on his trail. With the press threatening to destroy his new life, he needs to release his real story strategically, and tabloid journalist Sarah is the key. As Max and Sarah team up to peel back the ugly layers of Max’s past, they stumble heart-first into their fiery attraction. But after their research threatens their newly built trust, their future is threatened. A little bit of a cliffhanger where readers can’t wait for book three to see where this romance is going.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Catherine Bybee: I wanted to do a Cinderella story with the man, not the woman. Also, in the forward of the book I wrote how I was in foster care as a child for a while. I wanted to bring things to light about the foster care system and what happens to these children who have no parents. The system fails then it helps.

EC: How would you describe Max?

CB: Max is the reality of how someone could survive in the foster care system. He is a survivor but not thriving. He is jaded, emotionally unavailable, needs to learn to trust, needs to learn to love both romantically and platonically. He searches for closure because there are no ties to his past. Max is bitter and arrogant, his coping mechanism. He is strong willed, self-assured, and protective.

EC: How would you describe Sarah?

CB: She is a Lois Lane type, only she wears the glasses, not Clark Kent. She needs to learn to take risks, and to know her own value and worth. I think she is a different kind of heroine that I usually write about with the fire behind her and is unsure of herself. She has two parents that love her and support her. As with my other heroines Sarah does not have a past that makes her stronger. She does not have baggage and is down to earth.

EC: What is the relationship between the siblings?

CB: Each of the three are so completely different. All three siblings have in common the disenchantment and hate of their biological father. Hate binds just as good as love binds. They have past aggressions. Max’s siblings push him. Alexandria chases her father’s love, takes no guff, leaves no prisoners, and is driven. Chase is comfortable in his own skin. Once Max realizes what it truly means to have someone to care for, they become very close. They are all loyal to each other and have togetherness.

EC: What is Max and Sarah’s relationship like?

CB: The romance moved quickly, and they realized they are right for each other. He has an emotional wall and is wary of people. Max teaches her to stand up for herself. He did not need a strong heroine. Having her in his life helped him to withstand the new reality. She keeps him grounded. They were intrigued with each other without drama.

EC: What did you want to say about tabloids?

CB: They have no regard for someone’s privacy and the emphasis is to sell papers, not the truth. They have no regard for someone grieving. Max chastises this system.

EC: You also highlight the foster care system?

CB: There is a large amount of tormenting and bullying. I talk a little about what I saw as an ER nurse.

EC: You always have great quotes, and, in this book, it is about the title, “MS”-please explain

CB: You mean this quote, “The expectation for a woman to change how she is addressed because of her marital status is not only sexist, but also archaic and outdated.” There is a very big distinction as what Miss means, Mrs. means, and Ms. means. We do not know if a man is married with just the reference Mr. I am divorced and will tell people when they refer to me as Mrs. that it cost me a lot of money to remove the “r.” People make assumptions with these titles.

EC: Next book?

CB: In book three I give Max and Sarah the ring and the promise. I do not think there would be a fourth book because there is not a character to put in a romance. The third book is Alex’s story with a strong hero. This will be the story of how Alex gets over her past. The title is No More Yesterday’s, coming out in May or June.

THANK YOU!!

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Feature Post and Book Review: All Our Tomorrows by Catherine Bybee

Book Description

When Chase Stone’s estranged father dies, leaving his multibillion-dollar business to his children, no one is more surprised than Chase. Growing up outside of the high-stakes world filled with human vultures, Chase and his sister, Alex, are less than enthusiastic about stepping into their father’s shoes. That is until they learn of a half brother they didn’t know existed and must find to share their inheritance with.

Piper Maddox was the elder Mr. Stone’s übercapable assistant—abruptly fired two weeks before his death. She knows everything about Stone Enterprises and the man who built it. But Piper has no desire to work for another member of the Stone family. Even one as down-to-earth as Chase.

Desperately needing financial security, Piper agrees to return so long as kissing up to Chase and accepting unwanted advances are not part of her job description. A promise that becomes a serious hurdle for both of them. Piper and Chase scramble to find the third Stone sibling before the media does, sharing secrets along the way. Secrets that can bring them together or tear them irrevocably apart.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201913954-all-our-tomorrows?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=aYgOOTmPHB&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

ALL OUR TOMORROWS (The Heirs Book #1) by Catherine Bybee is the start of a contemporary billionaire romance series. I normally do not read this subgenre, but I love Ms. Bybee’s style of writing, and these reluctant billionaires receive their financial windfall when their estranged father dies, so I gave it a try and I am very glad I did.

Chase and Alex Stone are shocked at the reading of their estranged father’s will. Both are successful, but the inheritance of their father’s business and money are at a completely different level. They also discover they have a half-brother out there somewhere that they never knew anything about and to complete the conditions of the will and share a third of their father’s wealth, they must find him.

Chase Stone has to learn all about his father’s business in a hurry to keep the vultures at bay. He learns his assistant has only been in the position for two weeks and his father’s previous assistant was fired abruptly. Chase digs into the situation and finds out the injustice of the firing and wants the straight shooting and intelligent Piper back to assist him.

Piper Maddox has no desire to work for another member of the Stone family, but when she meets Chase, she learns he is nothing like his father. She needs the financial security of the position, but she has a few rules. As they work together with Chase’s sister to stabilize the company and find the missing Stone heir before the press, they discover a chemistry that both fight, but neither can resist.

I really enjoyed this introduction to the Stone siblings and Chase and Piper’s romance. All the characters are fully developed and realistic. Chase is an endearing hero of strength and integrity, and Piper is an intelligent heroine who can smoothly handle the politics of a multi-billion-dollar company but has a very big secret in her personal life. The two together are perfect. All the secondary characters round out a varied cast of good and bad players with secrets that will be answered over the future books in the series. The search for the missing heir and the treachery in their father’s corporation and boardroom have the plot moving at a fast pace, while the romance is intertwined and moves along at a believable pace. The corporate intrigue and the discovery of the missing heir are slight cliffhangers at the end of the story.

I highly recommend this first book in this new billionaire contemporary romance series.

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About the Author

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.catherinebybee.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCatherineBybee

Twitter: https://twitter.com/catherinebybee

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/all-our-tomorrows-by-catherine-bybee

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: All Our Tomorrows by Catherine Bybee

Book Description

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Elise’s Thoughts

All Our Tomorrows intermingles the romance genre with family fiction. Readers will not be disappointed in this first book of the series. Per usual, Catherine Bybee provides poignant and bittersweet moments where readers will have a roller coast of emotions: laughing, crying, and worrying right along with the characters. This one has emphasis on relationships: family, corporate business, and personal.

The book opens with the funeral of Aaron Stone who has been estranged from his children, Chase and Alexandra (Alex) all their lives. They are shocked to find out that he has left his multibillionaire business to them, but also that they have a half-brother who shares the inheritance.

Desperately needing help in understanding and digging into their father’s business and personal accounts, Chase reaches out to his father’s recently terminated (without cause) executive assistant, Piper, who he rehires with a raise. They spend a lot of time together to research the company and to find hints on where to locate the brother. As the attraction grows, Piper is trying very hard to keep her distance since she is pregnant with another man’s child. Until she blurts out to him the secret. The relationship takes off from there.

Bybee fans will also enjoy finding some old characters in the story. Jack, Jessie, and the father Gaylord play a somewhat prominent role. They come in to help Chase and Alex with the business and embrace them into their family, including helping to find their lost brother, Max.

This book has witty banter. It is a heartfelt story that has sexual tension and tension regarding the business. It is one of those books’ readers will not want to put down.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for this series?

Catherine Bybee: Right now, there will be three books, all about the siblings. I knew I wanted to write about rich people again since I did not do that for a while, plus do possible global play. Other pieces I wanted to put in is a grumpy boss, and a pregnancy. I keep looking for someone to put me on a private plane so I can do some personal research. I did a lot of research into the corporate world. Often the controlling interest is not 50% or higher.

EC: Is Piper an executive secretary with power?

CB: Yes. I wrote her to be the right hand and, in some ways, having more detailed knowledge than the actual CEO. She wears two faces, seeing the executive side but also knows the office gossip.

EC: How would you describe Piper?

CB: She speaks her mind, fierce, confident, honest, and a powerhouse. She is also loyal, has a sense of humor, and sarcastic. She can be insecure and vulnerable. Her soft side is on the inside. She tries to hide it in the corporate world. She is sassy, a departure from when she was the executive assistant of the father, because she knows she is needed.

EC: What is the role of the dog Kit?

CB: I got the name of the dog, Kitty, after I met someone who literally had a dog of that name. I used it because it is so funny. He is an anchor at her side that protects her. Kit is an angry looking rottweiler, like my neighbor’s dog, but the dog would not hurt a flea.

EC: What about the pregnancy?

CB: I intentionally made it so that the baby was not the hero’s child. It affected all the characters’ lives, depending on the decision about the baby. I wanted her to struggle with the decision of keeping the baby or giving it up for adoption. I also did not want this to be a child of incest or rape. She was not in love with the guy who was the father. I hoped I showed how the decision is never easy, that she was faced with the judgement of others. I wanted to have it come across that the decision about the baby should be solely hers. As I put in my notes at the end of the book, my experience helped me write this part of the story. I saw decisions made because someone else wants it. How young women ignored the pregnancy until they were five months along without any natal care.

EC: How would you describe Chase?

CB: He has a sense of humor. He is honorable, protective, skating around having wealth. Based on his experience he knows how wealth can affect people. He is family oriented.

EC: What about the relationship between Chase and Piper?

CB: I wanted to show how Chase stepped into the role of wanting to be the baby’s father. She walks into the office for the first time, dressed as a powerhouse, has him spellbound. They are guarded and have mistrust. She fears his judgement. They like to tease and flirt with each other. He made her off balance. He gives her the reprieve of thinking about the baby.

EC: What is the relationship between the siblings, Alex and Chase Stone?

CB: They respect each other, loyal, and equal partners. They can be honest with each other. There is a difference in that Chase came to terms about his absentee dad, while Alex still has daddy issues. She has this overwhelming need to overcompensate. The two of them have kept each other grounded. They have family values they got from their mother. They have each other’s back.

EC: Why bring in Gaylord?

CB: He is the counter to Chase and Alex’s father, Aaron. He is the father everyone would want. He, Jack, and Jesse were featured in the book written over a decade ago, Not Quite Dating. Since I brought back the hotel world of corporate business I decided, why not bring back these from a previous book. This is an update for those readers who have read it. He is someone the Stone children could ask questions. I wanted to show there could be some good fathers in this book. There is a secondary relationship between Gaylord and the Stone children’s mom, Vivian.

EC: Does Melissa and Floyd represent the not so nice people?

CB: They will be in play in the next books. They continue to have their issues.

EC: Next books?

CB: I wanted to be fresh when I approached Mari’s story, from the D’Angelo series. I wanted this series to be finished before I tackle silver-haired romance.

The next book will feature the half-brother Max who they found at the end of this book. There is a lot to his story. There are some dangling plot points that will be wrapped up at the end of the series. The title The Forgotten One comes out in November. All the Stones will be back in book two with Max realizing he now has a family.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Whole Time by Catherine Bybee

Book Description

Salena Barone has broken free of her family and moved into an apartment above the D’Angelos’ restaurant, where she works as a manager—without a husband, thank you very much. But even on a restaurant salary, she soon finds herself strapped for cash. Salena’s never been afraid of living on the wild side, though, so she takes on a side hustle that’ll raise big bucks…and eyebrows, if anyone finds out.

Tattooed biker Ryan is the youngest of the wealthy Rutledge wine family and has never dreamed of rings, forever, or continuing the family business. He’s perfectly happy living his own life and helping out hardworking folks in his own way.

When these two independent singles spot each other at a Rutledge-D’Angelo wedding, the attraction is instant. But as their friendship with benefits evolves into something more, the secrets Salena’s keeping—from family, friends, and Ryan—threaten the happily ever after she never knew she wanted.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Whole Time by Catherine Bybee is a fun read. Per usual, readers will love her stories that have engrossing characters, with touching and heartwarming plots.

The story is about two independent people, Selena Barone, and Ryan Rutledge. Since they have been in other books of the series, readers got to know them. Yet, this installment shows both willing to stand up to their parents to gain their independence. Selena decides to move into an apartment owned by the D’Angelo family and work as their restaurant’s manager. Ryan has decided to veer from the family wine business and does commercial realty.

After they meet at Gio and Emma’s wedding, sparks begin to fly. Both are a bit on the wild side and decide to become friends with benefits. But when cupid strikes, they seem to become involved in a relationship neither would have predicted. The problem is Selena is keeping secrets from Ryan, her family, and her “wanna be” family, the D’Angelo’s.

The story has humor, relatable real-people, and a hero/heroine who balance each other beautifully. A bonus is that there is plenty of pages with the rest of the D’Angelo’s which makes the story even more enjoyable.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Catherine Bybee: I wanted to write a different setting with the surrounding areas, outside of San Diego. This is Selena’s book and when I first wrote about her everyone thought she and Gio were going to have the relationship. It felt like she deserved her own book. In this climate, with a lot of young women growing up, she represents what others are dealing with, life decisions that are not the norm. I wanted to capture the fact that she had to break away from her controlling family.

EC: How would you describe Selena?

CB: Fiercely independent. She has a real side that everyone can identify with. My two best friends just read the book and they both said Selena is me because although I want to be independent there is this other side of me. She is stubborn, confident, flirty, and self-assured. She is very comfortable in her own skin. She finds out that she is responsible after she takes on the job of managing the D’Angelo’s’ restaurant. She is growing up in this book.

EC: How would you describe Ryan?

CB: He will stand up to his powerful father. He does love his mother and sister and tolerates his father. He is a lot like Selena. He is very self-assured. He is not cocky but confident. Not humble. He is clever. He knows when to show his cards and when to hold them.

EC: What about the relationship between Selena and Ryan?

CB: I think both have a lot more in common than most of my other heroes and heroines. In the beginning they both are not looking for forever. Ryan wants someone who understands him. He knows how to push Selena’s buttons. She wanted to find someone she could trust enough to open to. She is taken back when she does find it with Ryan. She has no doubts about her sexuality and how to use it to get what she wants. She gets her needs met. She is the male version of someone who plays the field, doing what they want with whoever they want. They challenge each other.

EC: What about pole dancing?

CB: I did one time. I got it as a birthday present. It is super hard. The workout alone is worth it. She sells videos on the Internet. Well behaved women rarely make history. My point is that she was not doing it naked. She tried to balance what she wanted to do, to be successful, but not to disappoint those she cares about in her life.

EC: What is the role of the sets of parents?

CB: Mari D’Angelo is the mother Selena wants. Mari is like the second mom and does treat Selena like a daughter. Mari knows when to accept things and hold back the reins. I had a second mom. Selena goes to her to ask for advice. Selena’s parents are not in tuned with what is going on. They will not bend. Selena’s real parents are more old- fashioned. She feels she must toe the line with her parents. Yet Ryan, does not feel he must toe the line at all.

EC: Next book?

CB: Mari lost her husband at an early age. She is a single parent. I am setting readers up for a Mari book about an over fifty-five-year-old. My next, next book is titled All Our Tomorrows. It will be a part of a series. It has an unexpected death of a monarch who has a lot of money. He has been absentee with his children. After he died the children were thrust into a world of high stakes business and money. They do not necessarily have the stakes to do the job and at the same time are searching for a brother they just found out about. It will come out next spring.

THANK YOU!!

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