A warm welcome to Kat talking to us with her celebration post. Don’t forget to check out the giveaway attached that is also attached to this post. 🙂

Hi, I’m Kat and I’m a reviewer for Love Bytes. I’m a 62 year old married woman who has been married to the love of my life for 40 years this year. We have become snowbirds and live most of the year in Hawaii. We have three grown married children and were just blessed with our seventh grandchild. My husband and children not only support me but encourage me to review same sex books. They might not understand my obsession with gay romance but they love seeing my passion.

When I flew to Tampa Bay in July of 2015 to attend Rainbow Con, and support an dear friend that was an author there, I had absolutely no idea that my life was going to change so dramatically! I was days into my newly retired life…not by choice but due to an multi-car automobile accident that left me in the physical state I am today. I had become an avid reader during my convalescence and one of the authors threw in a gay couple for the main characters in one of the books in their series. I discovered not only how hot the reading was but that I was drifting more and more away from contemporary romance and searching out more same sex romance books. After attending and participating in a panel on reviewing I was approached by two different same sex review sites. I was new to even writing a review for a book I read and didn’t feel like it would be a good thing for me in my changing life. I had always heard that leaving a review was like leaving a tip for your waitress or cosmetologist. One of those reviewers found me the next day while I was sitting with my friend at her author’s meet and greet. That reviewer was Dan from Love Bytes. He said that he had mentioned me to Dani, owner of our blog. He told us that she wanted to speak with me about doing a sample review for possibly joining the team. I thanked him but stated that I was not qualified but merely a reader supporting a friend. My friend proceeded to tell me that I had made her attend this, which was way out of her comfort zone, I was actually a good review writer and, with some guidance and polish, could more than do this. After several weeks of trying valiantly to skirt this I finally agreed to submit a review for Riley Hart’s newest book “Crossroads”. The rest they say is history. At this point I have well over 250 reviews that I have had published.

My joy has been in being trusted by authors to reading and critique their art. The time and energy it takes to lay yourself bare as an author to readers is humbling. I have especially enjoyed discovering and boosting up to some very accomplished brand new authors that allowed me along on their journey. We are so blessed to have some really talented and gifted authors in this genre that have share their work with our reviewers and it humbles me that they grace me with their trust.

I am so fortunate to work with this amazing group of reviewers. It is great that we each have a variety of different tropes that we enjoy. I am a huge fan of series, as you have probably noticed. When I invest my time getting to know the characters I feel, when the books are as well written as many I have been graced with, that they become “real” to  and I don’t want to let go. I may have once or twice *wink/wink* encouraged an author that their story isn’t finished and we needed more and several have actually wrote more books! Wow…that an author listened to my advice was not only overwhelming but humbling!

What I can say, and my doctors agree, is that Love Bytes actually came and saved me at a time in my life where I no longer felt needed or useful. I am sure that I would have easily slipped down that slippery hole of depression from having my life and self-worth literally yanked from me in one single moment. I take reviewing very seriously and treat this as any other job I have been hired at. And I appreciate that not only did Dan and Dani see something in me but pushed me to keep improving and polishing my skills. Has it been easy? No, not always! It seems that your life can get very hectic when you and your spouse retire and decide to move to Hawaii. But I am learning to pace myself and enjoy all aspects of my new life, including my honor and privilege to review at Love Bytes.

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