A warm welcome to author Kate Sherwood joining us today to talk about the 4th installment of her Common Law series published with Riptide Publishing.
Kate shares some toughts on humor and there is a giveaway to participate in!
Welcome Kate 🙂
Humour – Dark or Otherwise
My mom proofreads my stories for me sometimes. She’ll come to visit and I’ll set her up with a laptop and a pad and paper (she gets kind of nervous about making notes right on the manuscript, no matter how many times I tell her it’s fine) and she reads in my office while I putter around in the kitchen or write in the dining room or whatever.
So I’m not right next to her. At least, not at the start. But I’m listening. Sometimes I hear her tisk-tisking and know she’s found something she doesn’t care for. Sometimes I hear a thoughtful hmmmm. I can resist those. I can go on about whatever I’m doing and more-or-less leave her to her work.
But the sound that always draws me back into the office? It’s when I hear her laugh.
I love it when she thinks something I wrote is funny. I love it when readers comment on humour in my books. Having editors write “lol” or something in the notes makes editing almost not horrific. I like it when readers have other reactions as well, of course—I loved hearing about people crying through Dark Horse, for example—but I think making people laugh is my favourite.
Not that I write many flat-out comedies. I think More Than Chemistry is about the only book I’ve written where it was my goal to write something funny. Most of the time, I’m trying to write drama, and then the humour just kind of sneaks in somehow.
I mean, life is funny sometimes, right? If I’m writing a scene and something occurs to me as a bit quirky, I could rewrite to avoid the silliness in order to maintain the dramatic focus, or I could ignore it and hope readers don’t notice it—or I could play with it a little. I tend to choose the third option. Comedic relief is a longstanding tradition for a reason, after all.
And honestly, I have trouble imaging myself or anyone else having a Happily Ever After with someone who never made them laugh. So if I’m going to make my characters laugh, I may as well try to amuse my readers as well. Right?
About Home Fires
Trouble comes to Mosely, Montana, from the outside world. When the residents of Mosely are left on their own, they can make things work. Sure, there’s always been a militia operating up in the hills, but they were small-scale—just survivalists doing their thing—until organizers came in from out of state. Now Jericho Crewe and the rest of the sheriff’s department are facing down a heavily armed band of fanatics, and the feds are busy elsewhere.
The odds are hopeless, but Jericho swore an oath to serve and protect the citizens of Mosely. He won’t walk away from that, even if Wade Granger’s begging him to run away somewhere and finally be together the way they always should have been.
But this time, it’s Jericho who refuses to leave Mosely, even if staying kills him.
Now available from:
About the Common Law series
Jericho Crewe escaped from Mosely, Montana, when he was seventeen and built a new life for himself, first as a Marine, then as an LA police officer. Fifteen years later, he’s back, and everything is just as confusing as it was before he left.
Especially Wade Granger. Wade’s still a rebel, still a criminal, and still dangerously fascinating. As Jericho digs deeper into the town’s underbelly, he has to decide whether Wade’s the worst the town has to offer, or the only part of Mosely worth saving.
Get all four books from Riptide Publishing! Common Law series
About Kate Sherwood
Kate Sherwood started writing about the same time she got back on a horse after almost twenty years away from riding. She’d like to think she was too young for it to be a midlife crisis, but apparently she was ready for some changes!
Kate grew up near Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and went to school in Montreal, then Vancouver. But for the last decade or so she’s been a country girl. Sure, she misses some of the conveniences of the city, but living close to nature makes up for those lacks. She’s living in Ontario’s “cottage country”–other people save up their time and come to spend their vacations in her neighborhood, but she gets to live there all year round!
Since her first book was published in 2010, she’s kept herself busy with novels, novellas, and short stories in almost all the sub-genres of m/m romance. Contemporary, suspense, scifi or fantasy–the settings are just the backdrop for her characters to answer the important questions. How much can they share, and what do they need to keep? Can they bring themselves to trust someone, after being disappointed so many times? Are they brave enough to take a chance on love?
Kate’s books balance drama with humor, angst with optimism. They feature strong, damaged men who fight themselves harder than they fight anyone else. And, wherever possible, there are animals: horses, dogs, cats ferrets, squirrels… sometimes it’s easier to bond with a non-human, and most of Kate’s men need all the help they can get.
After five years of writing, Kate is still learning, still stretching herself, and still enjoying what she does. She’s looking forward to sharing a lot more stories in the future.
Twitter: @kate_sherwood
To celebrate the release of all four books in the Common Law series, we’re giving away one four-tour-wide GRAND PRIZE of $100 in Riptide credit! Enter at each stop on each tour (once they go live) to maximize your chances to win! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 8, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the Home Fires tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!
I absolutely loved loved loved this series.
I love stories with quirky characters. I mean…we could really use a handful of sarcasm & wit from time to time. And not all authors could pull off a romantic comedy story or even try to pull off one liners, that’s why I automatically buy books of authors who once made me laugh.
Looks like More Than Chemistry is right up my alley.
Have a great week, Kate! <3
mushyvince(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you for your post, Kate and congrats on the new release.
I love humor and witty banter in books. If I have to grin or laugh out loud the book is good book for me.
tankie44 at gmail dot com
I think touches of humor are especially necessary in a dramatic story–they add shading to the narrative!
vitajex(at)Aol(dot)com
Yay for humour!
Congrats and thanks for your thoughts. I think humor must be the hardest to write in order to get it right, but so important in a relationship. One of the things I love about my husband is his sense of humor. I also love gay mysteries and thrillers, so I’ve got to get started on this series. –
TheWrote [at] aol [dot] com
Humor is always good no matter how serious the story. I love reading a book with humor, especially if the main theme is sadness or very serious.
heath0043 at gmail dot com
I love my books with a sense of humour, even if it is drama. One needs to find laugh even wen in distress to remain sane…
susanaperez7140(at)Gmail(dot)com
That’s pretty cool your mom proofreads your stories sometimes and you share it with her. I think humor always makes everything better and for me it makes stories more memorable.
humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com
Life’s too depressing to be taken without humour. 😉
Happy release week, Kate! Now that all the book in series have published I’m gonna binge read on them!
puspitorinid AT yahoo DOT com
Thanks for the post! I think humor is important. It can add some balance and life can be funny sometimes. violet817(at)aol(dot)com
Humor is important even when the book is more dramatic than comedic. Because life has it’s funny moments too sometimes when we least expect them. Thanks for the post.
legacylandlisa(at)gmail(dot)com
I’ve got the books ordered, and now delivered, but must get around to reading – I’m looking forward to them!
I do like humour in stories – as you say, life isn’t always doom and gloom
Littlesuze at hotmail.com
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Thanks for the post. I agree, I enjoy humor in my books. It’s not required with all my reads but I won’t say no to it. And the characters’ banter can be amusing.
serena91291@gmail(dot)com