Q&A With Catherine Coulter

To end off this week I have the honor of doing this Q&A with Catherine Coulter the New York Times Bestseller of eighty nine novels. Catherine started off writing historical romances to now currently writing suspense thrillers.

Q: So Catherine you began writing historical romance novels set in the Regency Era, and transitioned to writing suspense thrillers. What was that transition going from writing historical romances to suspense thrillers?

A: As you’ve probably noticed, women romance writers will many times try several different genres. I went from historical to my first hardcover, a contemporary romantic suspense, FALSE PRETENSES. From that time I interspersed historical with romantic suspense and it was lots of fun. In the nineties I got the idea for a thriller — THE COVE. I had intended it to be a standalone, but then my publisher said, “When’s the next one in the series?” Whoa! And that’s how the FBI series was born. RECKONING, the most recent FBI is 26th in the series. Until a few years ago I wrote one historical romance a year and one FBI suspense thriller, two very separate genres — a great way to keep the brain from getting constipated. Now, I write historical novellas — and that reminds me, I need to write the seventh one this year.

Q: If you’re writing a new novel now, can you reveal any details?

A: I’m currently finishing up the 27th FBI suspense thriller, FLASHPOINT, like most of my FBI’s there are two plots and a little third plot that made me smile. Elizabeth Palmer (ENIGMA) reappears. Someone tries three times to kill her. What’s a woman to do? Hook up with Savich and Sherlock. Autumn Merriweather (KNOCKOUT) again gets herself in big trouble, Savich to the rescue. 

Q: Does Hollywood have any interests or rights to your work?

A: I’ve been optioned several times, the last time by a Brit production company for a TV series — 8 episodes of THE FINAL CUT.  Alas, none got to the finish line. Even with an option (that is, they pay you money and have rights to your book for say a year) it’s still like a thousand to one chance it’ll happen.  It’s not even a sure thing even if you’re “green lighted” (money’s in place, most things look good to go). Movie or TV series? I’d always go with TV — most movies I’ve seen made from a book aren’t very good. As for Savich and Sherlock, who knows if they’ll ever come to the small screen?