This month, we bring you AuthorCassidyKate!
Q: Of the stories you've written, which one is your favorite?
A:I've written a lot of stories in my life, but right now "The Author and Her Bodyguard" is my favorite.
Q: What was your inspiration for it?
A: While on social media one day, I watched a celebrity get destroyed in the comment section of a comment they left online and it left me floored. Social media and technology has made it easy to hurt anyone anywhere in the world and it's crazy. This story was born out of the question... "What if an author's face became as famous as their words? What if they were a celebrity and everyone knew who they were. How would that affect their day to day life?"
The story was born out of a place of anxiety and fear over how social media can make anyone famous for good or bad things. So I decided to take all of that and channel it into a story. The response has blown me away. I am touched by how much readers love these cast of characters.
Q: How do you plan out your stories?
A: I am a classic pantser. I go in with an idea, character's who have a backstory, the villain and I just let them play on the page. I only plan about five chapters out at a time, besides the final beats of the story. I like to leave room for the characters to surprise me. It makes them feel real and it's an adventure as I discover who they are on the page as we build the world together.
Q: What type of story do you enjoy writing the most?
A: I am a sucker for action-adventure and magic. I LOVE writing high-stakes stories where characters have to decide how much they are willing to risk to save the ones they love. So my favorite genre is YA Fantasy. I only recently started writing romance.
Q: Do you have a favorite author on Wattpad? If so, who? What story is your favorite?
A: It's so hard to choose! I love Kate Marchant aka ToastedBagels. She is so talented! Her comedic timing is fantastic and I love how much heart she gives her characters. Another favorite has to be MeiSummer aka Meixia (美夏). She has a talent for poetic writing. I can feel her locations pop off the page. She has a unique ability to craft beauty into words. Her stories leave me blushing in the best way. Kassandra Tate aka is fantastic at creating dystopian worlds, weaving in world-building with a story that leaves you binge-reading until the wee hours of the morning.
Q: What do you hope your readers will like best about your stories?
A: The heart. I love creating characters that make you feel. I want them to fall in love with my characters the way I have. To look at the characters, see their flaws and love them anyway. To read the story and think "SAME!" when a character goes through something. I want people to feel understood.
I love making my readers laugh and smile so my biggest hope is that you enjoy the adventure and find yourself smiling against your will, laughing out loud if you read the book in public and have some fun drama in book form along the way.
Q: Do you have a message for your readers?
YES! Read books that inspire you. Read books that leave you feeling comforted. Life is chaotic, so take the time to read things that feel healing. Take a beat to do something that makes you smile. Stand in the sun, try that new food, decide to be brave, and see the beauty in yourself.
You are stuck with yourself for the rest of your life, so take the time to make yourself smile. Taking a moment to do something for yourself gives you the energy to tackle that new writing project, to talk to that cute boy, to be brave. Be kind to yourself.
About the Author
Q: What is next for you? What are you working on?
A: I am currently working on the spinoff for "The Author and Her Bodyguard" called "The CEO and her Driver." It's a DEVIL WEARS PRADA meets THE PROPOSAL type story.
It's a story about Allie Winters, the CEO of a fashion company, who teams up with her attractive driver to piece together clues to her secret admirer. But when someone leaves a bloody message at her fashion show, love is the last thing she can think about.
I am releasing weekly chapters and I am so excited about this story!
About the Story
Laliana Summers needs protection, and Aiden is the man for the job. What happens when a famous author is stuck with a breathtakingly handsome bodyguard? Read The Author and Her Bodyguard on our Featured reading list to find out!
Q: What do you like most about Laliana Summers?
A: Gosh. That's tricky because I love SO many things about her. I love how unfiltered she is. Laliana blurts out what she's thinking like she is hopped up on truth serum. She's hilarious, quirky and so relatable. I love how sassy she is when she's tired, her healthy appetite for food and how eager she is to make friends.
I like that she isn't super experienced in love and doesn't let that stop her from making healthy romantic decisions.
Q: Are any of the characters based off of people you know?
A: My family says I based Laliana off of myself... But I am not sure about that. I wouldn't climb out of a window to get away from my bodyguard (If I had one). Tate is a combination of some of the guy friends I've had throughout my life. He's sunshine, kind, and a total goober, just like a lot of my favorite people. Friendships are so important and he is all the good things about friendship in human form.
Q: What is your favorite scene? Why?
A: Hmm... The restaurant scene. I can't say too much about it without giving things away. That was one of the first scenes that popped into my head when creating the story and I kept itching to write faster so readers could get to it. It's full of cute tender moments that just left me smiling like an idiot during the whole writing process.
My other favorite scene is the "one bed" reveal at the hotel. I just love Laliana's reaction.
Q: What inspired the idea of someone falling in love with their bodyguard?
A: There is something incredibly intimate about putting your life and safety into someone else's very attractive hands and having that person see you when you are at your most vulnerable. The person you love should make you feel safe, so my brain instantly went to, would it work the other way around? Would someone you feel safe around be someone you could fall in love with?
The world around Laliana wants a piece of her, while her bodyguard, Aiden, just wants to keep her safe. It's easy to get feelings all tangled up.
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