Catherine Winters has achieved a formidable milestone for any author, she has a contract for her first novel, Black. With a sense of the “American Dream” rapidly fading with politicians hardly trying to hide their corruption while the economy struggles, her success story is one to instill hope in everyone. Whether you seek to be a writer, or have an equally strong passion for a different life goal, her story is one to be heard.
Black is an urban fantasy about an impulsive, solitary writer in her thirties who must learn to navigate the high-pressure, high-body-count world of top-tier, global vampire
politics – or die.
She gets caught up in territorial disputes and power struggles thanks to her ex-boyfriend, who shows up on her doorstep with a case of fangs. The novel is her struggle to decide what she wants – and can have – out of a life that’s suddenly nothing she ever expected.
Winters had one thing to emphasize, “No, none of the vampires sparkle.”
Her passion for writing began years ago in fifth grade, when her teacher assigned weekly short stories that classmates would share with one another. It was her introduction to fiction, and it started an unflinching passion.
“My class loved mine, so it was also my first exposure to writing for an audience. I was 10. I never wanted to be anything else,” said Winters.
The road has been a long one for Winters, she self-published a collection of short stories, A View Through the Snow. She published it to get her name out there and to begin building her author platform. Winters did a giveaway for her Facebook fans and is planning a book of poetry that will reward her Twitter followers. She loves to let her fans know she appreciates any support from them.
The short stories came after a massive series of life changes, a marriage, a child, and moving from Arizona to Colorado. She felt herself wanting to return to writing again. What had begun as a hobby became a stronger pursuit with a revelation.
“When it was done, I realized it was good, and I started along the path to publishing,” she said.
She thought about trying to get her first novel on the shelves, received some peer critiques and continued editing. Winters decided to try and see what steps needed to be undertaken by reading industry magazines, learned how to query and attended the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s Conference, which she stated was a key event to the process.
From there she continued to expand her business knowledge and read urban fantasy, a genre she loved to write for and read. When the moment came of receiving the offer, she found a strange mix of emotions. See the big moment of signing the contract by clicking here. While she felt a strong sense of catharsis, there was a sense of trepidation.
“What if I don’t sell any books?” she asked herself.
She is moving forward with the expectation of succeeding. Winters is currently working on two other novels that are set in the universe established in Black. She loves to write about her characters and for her characters.
“My characters are very alive to me, very real,” Winters continued. “They insist upon things; they demand I tell their stories. Even if I never publish again, I know I will still be telling their stories.”
The release date has not been set for Black yet. Continue checking her Facebook page and here at ThomasAFowler.com for updates. How does Catherine inspire you to fulfill your life’s singular goal? Tweet her @WritingWinters with hash tag of #instillhope or @ThomasAFowler.
If there is someone who instills hope in you, and think their story should be told, contact me at my Facebook page or Twitter.
THE WRITER'S CONQUEST 