I learned that, while my tastes are changing (I’m starting to favor more plot heavy suspense books), I still love dipping into that character driven romance a bit. 

Kate Moretti – 8 October 2015

The Back Flap

A Companion Novella to the NYT Bestseller Thought I Knew You

Despite Karen Caughee’s intense focus on her music, her life is drifting out of its lane. Her mother is falling head-first into alcoholism and her brother refuses to acknowledge it. Her love life and music career have both stalled out. When she meets a charismatic but aloof stranger in a bar, she is uncharacteristically smitten. He seems to “get her” in a way no one else does, and she begins to second guess everything she’s ever held dear.

After a tragic accident, Karen finds her support system in the unlikeliest person imaginable. A shattering revelation brings her to a crossroads, and she must face the full truth about who she loves and who she has become.

About the Book

What is the book about?

While You Were Gone is the “companion novella” to Thought I Knew You. It’s not quite a sequel or a prequel in that it happens at the same time as TIKY. But it’s the story from Karen, the mistresses’ point of view.

When did you start writing the book and how long did it take to write?

I started writing it in the middle of February and finished it in the beginning of April. I wish I could write novels that quickly!

Where did you get the idea from?

I wanted a novella between my novels, since my next book isn’t coming out until September 2016. I knew any novella I wrote had to be related to one of my longer works, and I wasn’t ready to get back into Binds That Tie. So I focused on Thought I Knew You and from there, the idea flowed naturally. To me, it was the most organic next steps. I couldn’t envision continuing the story where I left off, exploring Claire and Drew’s future? Nah. Too real life. Too boring. I couldn’t work the angle in my mind. But Karen’s story always intrigued me: why was she so bitter?

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I always struggle somewhere. I wanted the romance in the book to be quick, but organic. Sweeping but it had to happen in a short amount of time. That’s hard to pull off. I don’t know if I succeeded or not.

What came easily?

Karen’s voice came so naturally to me. I felt like she was a real person before I started writing. I just knew how I wanted her to be: tough, a little down trodden, but with a nice sassy streak.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Well, some are entirely fictitious, others are borrowed. Claire, from Thought I Knew You, is a lot like me but that’s no secret. Karen seems to be entirely fictitious. Greg and Drew were both inspired by my husband (his good and bad traits, but a bit magnified on both ends of the spectrum). But in While You Were Gone, I got to explore Greg a bit more and he became his very own person. That was fun.

Do you have a target reader for this book?

If you read and liked Thought I Knew You, I think you’ll like While You Were Gone.

How was writing this book different from what you’d experienced writing previous books?

Writing a novella is hard! Readers want the same level of character development, the same amount of story. It’s impossible! I didn’t know whether to write shorter or fewer scenes. You’re supposed to have very little subplot but Karen has a lot of balls in the air when she meets Greg, so I ignored some of that advice. It was a fun learning experience and I would do it again.

What new things did you learn about writing, publishing, and/or yourself while writing and preparing this book for publication?

I learn something from every book. I learned that, while my tastes are changing (I’m starting to favor more plot heavy suspense books), I still love dipping into that character driven romance a bit. I learned that I might be physically unable to write a story without a twist ending (because I love them) so I even got one in a romantic novella.

End of Interview:

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Get your copy of While You Were Gone from Amazon US (paper or ebook), Amazon UK (paper or ebook), or Barnes & Noble.