Interview: Cathy McDavid, author of Aidan: Loyal Cowboy

Author Cathy McDavid has read every horse novel ever written. She knows how to ride, has owned horses in the past, and has a love of old TV Westerns. It's not surprising then that McDavid found her success as a novelist writing stories about cowboys for Harlequin American Romance. What is surprising, given her interests and passions, is that she didn't start out down this path. If she'd found success as a writer straight out of the gate, we might have seen her name on the spines of Star Trek novels. We recently sat down with McDavid to talk about her love of horses, her cabin retreat and, of course, her tough and sexy cowboys.

Pamela: Usually when I read a writer's bio and it tells how she gobbled up books as a kid, it ends by saying that this was the magic moment when she knew she wanted to be a writer. For you, reading the Black Stallion series was the magic moment when you knew you wanted a horse. Is it safe to say that your interest in writing stories about cowboys began as an interest in horses?

Cathy: Oddly enough, no! I actually started riding English -- hunters and jumpers (those high black boots and snug jackets were so cool). My first attempts at writing were, believe it or not, bad Star Trek fan fiction. Then, I progressed to romantic suspense. Next, romantic comedy. Wow, should I go on? I'm a hard-core TV Westerns devotee and eventually wrote three American West historicals. Unfortunately, there's a niche market for those books. So, the next logical step seemed to be contemporary Westerns. I couldn't be happier, really, and have been published with Harlequin American since 2005.

Pamela: Did you ever fulfill that childhood dream of owning a horse? Do you ride horses these days?

Cathy: Finally got my first horse at 13. Except for the past four years, I've owned and ridden horses most of my life. It's a great lifestyle, looking out your window and seeing a pasture filled with horses (and, in my case, mules and donkeys, too). But owning horses is also a pretty big responsibility and time consuming. I don't have horses now, unfortunately. I do, however, have lots of friends with horses, and they let me hang out with them and ride whenever I feel like it.

Pamela: You've written single title and category romance. What are some of the challenges of each?

Cathy: Word count is definitely my biggest challenge. Writing short for series presents a unique set of problems. Especially after starting out my career with single titles. With more than a dozen books for Harlequin under my belt, I'm starting to get the hang of it, but I always write long and have to cut at the end. I also add too many characters. Sigh.

On the plus side, writing shorter series books has taught me a lot about pacing and what I call "word economy." With such a higher word count available, it's easy to ramble and fall prey to sagging middles -- and sagging other parts (that makes me sound old and frumpy!).

Pamela: Tell us about your cabin. Do you find that getting away from home helps you be more productive or keeps you inspired?

Cathy: I'm definitely inspired by the mountains. All of my Harlequin books have a country setting and take place in small towns. That describes the location of my cabin to a tee. The best part about spending weekends there, however, is the lack of regular TV service. Yes, I have a TV and a DVD player and can watch movies, but no satellite dish.

This gives me plenty of free time to read and write, my two favorite things. Oh, and nap. My third favorite weekend pastime.

Pamela: Cowboys will always be a part of romantic fiction. I've asked other authors who write cowboys to tell me what it is about the cowboy archetype that is so enduring. But what draws you to writing these stories? Is there a character trait your heroes have in common as cowboys?

Cathy: For me, it goes back to those TV and movie Westerns I grew up watching. Cowboys are one of the original big- and small-screen heroes. This handsome, hard-edged guy with a mysterious or troubled past rides in one day, takes on the bad guy(s), saves the town folk, and wins the girl's heart. How romantic is that? I believe romance readers are drawn to exactly that kind of hero. One who's a little dangerous, possibly walking the line between good and bad, yet strong and capable and who does the right thing in the end. While my series heroes are perhaps a bit tamer than my single title heroes, they all pretty much fit that description.

Pamela: Babies and children are a part of most of your books. What do you think they add to a love story?

Cathy: When people ask, I often describe my Harlequin American books as "family drama." Yep, babies and children and parents and siblings and friends abound aplenty. For me, they add conflict. My characters don't have children just for the sake of it or to add cuteness to the book. They are there to put pressure either on my hero and heroine or their relationship. And, OK, be cute. But cute with a purpose. Babies and young children are also traditional favorites of series readers. In addition to seeing the hero and heroine get together, series readers love that the whole family is happy.

Pamela: Your latest release, Aidan: Loyal Cowboy, focuses on competing duties and responsibilities. What can you tell us about the story?

Cathy: My hero's conflict -- balance his personal life and his work life -- was very easy for me to write because it's exactly what I did for years. Still do, but not so much since I have all but quit my outside job. I'd rise at the crack of dawn to get everything done before the kids woke up. Then, I'd hurry them off to school so I could have an hour or two to write before heading to the office. It was a grueling schedule and very hard on me and my family. I was constantly torn between meeting my writing deadline and meeting all my other obligations. And, yet, during that time, I finally had my big break and made tremendous progress in my writing career.

OK, well, I just totally didn't talk about the book. Back to the question you asked. Like me, I think what my hero, Aidan, went through, that personal struggle, is something a lot of readers can relate to. We all feel overwhelmed and divided at times and that we're letting someone down. The most important lesson Aidan learned was to delegate and to let go. Not easy for us control freaks.

Pamela: Last year you brought readers Her Cowboy's Christmas Wish. Will you be have a holiday release this year? What's next for you in 2012?

Cathy: I won't have a holiday release this year but will again in 2013. I still have two free books available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble online, Wyatt: Return of the Cowboy, which is a prequel to Aidan: Loyal Cowboy and Cowboy Dad. My next release is in March of 2013, Cowboy for Keeps. I love this book, which is the fourth and final one in my Mustang Valley series, because the hero's plight is so relevant to today. He lost his high-level management position due to the economy tanking and has to work as a ranch hand just to survive. A cowboy with brains. Very hot.

Pamela: Oh, that is very hot.

Cathy: Next, will be a brand new series, Sweetheart, Nevada. These three books will be set in a small mountain town that is struggling to survive in the wake of a devastating forest fire. It's no secret I used the area near Lake Tahoe and the Ponderosa Ranch from the TV show Bonanza as my inspiration. Gotta love those old Westerns.

Pamela: Absolutely! I had such a crush on Little Joe once upon a time. Thanks for spending time with us, Cathy! And happy writing!

Pamela Clare is an award-winning journalist and nationally best-selling author of both historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense. She loves coffee, the Colorado mountains, and her two grown sons. Her website is PamelaClare.com.