LET'S GET TO KNOW MS. CANTERBARY.........
-Where did the idea for the series originally come from?
The Walsh Series originated from a project I was consulting on last year. An educational organization was attempting to get the legislature to revise regulatory guidance around repurposing Industrial Revolution-era mills and factories for schools, and I met an incredible team of architects in the process. They were some of the most brilliant, complex individuals I'd ever encountered, and they were ridiculously adorable, too.
At the time, I was also running into brick walls with my work-in-progress. I took a vacation from that manuscript and started imagining a family of brilliant, adorable architects, and within a few days, Patrick, Matthew, Shannon, Riley, Sam, and Erin were born.
Family businesses are incredibly complex, especially those that come with decades of tangled drama and loss. I wanted to craft a series that didn't simply describe the paths these six people took to find love. I also wanted to spotlight their individual places in the business and family, and how those places shaped them.
Thinking specifically about THE SPACE BETWEEN, I wanted to focus on Patrick as he assumed full responsibility for the family firm, and I wanted to find someone who was his equal in every way possible. It was also important that other characters continue developing, and the reader gets to see that through Patrick and Andy's interactions with the rest of the Walshes.
-What can we expect from your book that's so different from other authors out there?
Architects are a rare breed, and the Walshes take it one step further by dedicating themselves the worlds of sustainability and historic preservation. They're creative and instinctual, and know something about expertly tailored suits and husky growls, and the genre hasn't introduced us to many of their kind.
Beyond the focus on architecture is my desire to write people that we think we know, but we have no idea. Andy and Lauren are great examples of characters we think we know – their types – but when we peel it all back, we realize we didn't know them as well as we thought.
-If you could sit down face to face with any of your characters, who would you choose and why?
Lauren. She gets it, maybe all of it, but doesn't get herself. I'd love to pick her brain on the topic of Matt, his siblings, and the newcomers who join the Walsh clan.
-Will there be more books with side characters to make a series?
Yes! I'm currently planning for six Walsh stories.
The Walsh Series originated from a project I was consulting on last year. An educational organization was attempting to get the legislature to revise regulatory guidance around repurposing Industrial Revolution-era mills and factories for schools, and I met an incredible team of architects in the process. They were some of the most brilliant, complex individuals I'd ever encountered, and they were ridiculously adorable, too.
At the time, I was also running into brick walls with my work-in-progress. I took a vacation from that manuscript and started imagining a family of brilliant, adorable architects, and within a few days, Patrick, Matthew, Shannon, Riley, Sam, and Erin were born.
Family businesses are incredibly complex, especially those that come with decades of tangled drama and loss. I wanted to craft a series that didn't simply describe the paths these six people took to find love. I also wanted to spotlight their individual places in the business and family, and how those places shaped them.
-Describe your ideal hero.
I embrace a wide range of heroes, but above all else, I believe the hero must deeply, thoroughly recognize that his partner is his equal. Women kick a lot of ass these days, and I want a hero who gets that, and doesn't minimize it in any way.
-What is one surprising fact about you, that not too many people know?
I can run a regression analysis by hand – a skill I picked up along with my MBA.
At the time, I was also running into brick walls with my work-in-progress. I took a vacation from that manuscript and started imagining a family of brilliant, adorable architects, and within a few days, Patrick, Matthew, Shannon, Riley, Sam, and Erin were born.
Family businesses are incredibly complex, especially those that come with decades of tangled drama and loss. I wanted to craft a series that didn't simply describe the paths these six people took to find love. I also wanted to spotlight their individual places in the business and family, and how those places shaped them.
Thinking specifically about THE SPACE BETWEEN, I wanted to focus on Patrick as he assumed full responsibility for the family firm, and I wanted to find someone who was his equal in every way possible. It was also important that other characters continue developing, and the reader gets to see that through Patrick and Andy's interactions with the rest of the Walshes.
-What can we expect from your book that's so different from other authors out there?
Architects are a rare breed, and the Walshes take it one step further by dedicating themselves the worlds of sustainability and historic preservation. They're creative and instinctual, and know something about expertly tailored suits and husky growls, and the genre hasn't introduced us to many of their kind.
Beyond the focus on architecture is my desire to write people that we think we know, but we have no idea. Andy and Lauren are great examples of characters we think we know – their types – but when we peel it all back, we realize we didn't know them as well as we thought.
-If you could sit down face to face with any of your characters, who would you choose and why?
Lauren. She gets it, maybe all of it, but doesn't get herself. I'd love to pick her brain on the topic of Matt, his siblings, and the newcomers who join the Walsh clan.
-Will there be more books with side characters to make a series?
Yes! I'm currently planning for six Walsh stories.
The Walsh Series originated from a project I was consulting on last year. An educational organization was attempting to get the legislature to revise regulatory guidance around repurposing Industrial Revolution-era mills and factories for schools, and I met an incredible team of architects in the process. They were some of the most brilliant, complex individuals I'd ever encountered, and they were ridiculously adorable, too.
At the time, I was also running into brick walls with my work-in-progress. I took a vacation from that manuscript and started imagining a family of brilliant, adorable architects, and within a few days, Patrick, Matthew, Shannon, Riley, Sam, and Erin were born.
Family businesses are incredibly complex, especially those that come with decades of tangled drama and loss. I wanted to craft a series that didn't simply describe the paths these six people took to find love. I also wanted to spotlight their individual places in the business and family, and how those places shaped them.
-Describe your ideal hero.
I embrace a wide range of heroes, but above all else, I believe the hero must deeply, thoroughly recognize that his partner is his equal. Women kick a lot of ass these days, and I want a hero who gets that, and doesn't minimize it in any way.
-What is one surprising fact about you, that not too many people know?
I can run a regression analysis by hand – a skill I picked up along with my MBA.
Lauren
It's all the little things—the action plans, the long-kept promises—that started falling apart when my life slipped into controlled chaos.
After I met Matthew Walsh.
I couldn't decide whether I wanted to run screaming or rip his pants off, and most days I wanted a little of both. If I was being honest with myself, it was rip his pants off, ride him like a workhorse, and then run screaming.
Matthew
A rebellious streak ran through Lauren Halsted. It was fierce and unrelentingly beautiful, and woven through too many good girl layers to count, and she wasn't letting anyone tell her what to do.
Unless, of course, she was naked.
She wasn't looking for me and I sure as shit wasn't looking for her, but we found each other anyway and now we were locked in a battle of wills, waiting for the other to blink.
Sometimes the universe conspires to bring people together. Other times, it throws people down a flight of stairs and leaves them in a bruised and bloodied heap.
EXCERPT:
"You left a few things behind, Miss Halsted."
Matthew leaned against the doorframe, and hanging from his fingers were my panties.My very expensive, very pretty panties. They glared back at me, all judgey and sanctimonious. It was my karmic punishment for sneaking out, for leaving a perfectly scrumptious naked man, and I could hear those panties condemning me.
"Unless, of course, you wanted me to keep them," he said, a playful edge creeping into his voice. "I'll take good care of them."
"I don't even want to know what that means!" I said, snatching the skivvies from him and tossing them into my apartment. I couldn't burst into those flames quickly enough, and that was before I determined what he'd do with my undies. "What are you doing here, Matthew? How do you even know where I live?"
Straightening, the mischievous glimmer in his eyes vanished. "I wanted to make sure you made it home, Lauren, and your address is on your business card."
"Fine, so that proves you didn't inject me with a tracking device. Magnificent." I shook my head and pointed to my door. "I'm home."
He glanced inside my apartment, and nodded in that direction. "Can we talk, or…something? We were going to hang out today."
Why couldn't he let me crawl under a rug and die, like I wanted? Why did he need to show up holding my panties and looking adorable? This had to violate numerous one-night stand rules.
"Before you say no," he said, holding up a hand. "Just say yes instead."
Part of me wanted to close the door on him, close the book on this whole encounter, but another part of me wanted to kick it wide open, and I knew we'd be naked within five minutes if that happened.
Matthew leaned against the doorframe, and hanging from his fingers were my panties.My very expensive, very pretty panties. They glared back at me, all judgey and sanctimonious. It was my karmic punishment for sneaking out, for leaving a perfectly scrumptious naked man, and I could hear those panties condemning me.
"Unless, of course, you wanted me to keep them," he said, a playful edge creeping into his voice. "I'll take good care of them."
"I don't even want to know what that means!" I said, snatching the skivvies from him and tossing them into my apartment. I couldn't burst into those flames quickly enough, and that was before I determined what he'd do with my undies. "What are you doing here, Matthew? How do you even know where I live?"
Straightening, the mischievous glimmer in his eyes vanished. "I wanted to make sure you made it home, Lauren, and your address is on your business card."
"Fine, so that proves you didn't inject me with a tracking device. Magnificent." I shook my head and pointed to my door. "I'm home."
He glanced inside my apartment, and nodded in that direction. "Can we talk, or…something? We were going to hang out today."
Why couldn't he let me crawl under a rug and die, like I wanted? Why did he need to show up holding my panties and looking adorable? This had to violate numerous one-night stand rules.
"Before you say no," he said, holding up a hand. "Just say yes instead."
Part of me wanted to close the door on him, close the book on this whole encounter, but another part of me wanted to kick it wide open, and I knew we'd be naked within five minutes if that happened.
FIND IT ON GOODREADS here.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
At this time of year with all of the stress of the holidays I'm drawn to stories that provide fun and carefree moments. It also doesn't hurt when there's lots of steam! Those looking for a spirited read with immensely likable characters will want to grab this one up right away. It's full of charm and emotional challenges that we've all experienced and adds in the warmth and unconditional support (as well as the nosiness) of family.
Lauren is a woman who wants it all and thus far has been successful....in business. When it comes to love though, all she has is one-night stands. As she's devoted to her career these interludes have always been enough. When she meets Matthew though, her world is turned upside down. As drawn to him as she is she fights the possibility of something long-term even more which makes for an entertaining battle of the sexes. She doesn't want love to get in the way of her career and it will take a dramatic event before she'll ever trust in the power of love, but by then it might be too late. Lauren's easy to like as she struggles with many of the same issues as women today....the reality of trying to have it all. She wasn't as effusive in her emotions as Matthew though which made her appear a bit standoffish early on. She's feisty and strong-willed but as the story progresses becomes a more selfless person.
Matthew is the true star of this story as he too is devoted to work. He's also devoted to his family, who he's in business with, which is a very sexy trait. Meeting Lauren completely catches him off guard as she's not his usual type, but she quickly becomes his obsession. He's utterly drawn to her and though he's satisfied with their one-night stands at first he soon wants more. She fights him every step of the way as he unleashes a sexy battle of wills. He puts his heart on the line for her repeatedly, trying to convince her of the importance of having love in your life. After all, all work and no play doesn't make for a HEA. He's utterly charming, not afraid to show his emotions, and isn't afraid to be the first one to use the L-word. He's every girl's dream boyfriend and I'm still dreaming of him!
Though this story started off a bit slow it quickly consumed me. From the unrelenting sexual tension between Matthew and Lauren to their witty sexual banter I found their journey to HEA delightful. Their scenes together, both in and out of the bedroom, crackled with electricity and teemed with sensuality. Matthew's family played an integral part in the story as they helped him try to win Lauren over. They were entertaining and their interactions with him were realistic and humorous and I hope they'll have their stories told next. Readers wanting a drool-worthy hero will find Matthew a great choice as we watch him win over the girl of his dreams in an entertaining story that shows what's really important in life.
My rating for this is a B+
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Kate doesn't have it all figured out, but this is what she knows for sure: spicy-ass salsa and tequila solve most problems, living on the ocean--Pacific or Atlantic--is the closest place to perfection, and writing smart, smutty stories is a better than any amount of chocolate. She started out reporting for an indie arts and entertainment newspaper back when people still read newspapers, and she has been writing and surreptitiously interviewing people—be careful sitting down next to her on an airplane—ever since. Kate lives on the water in Rhode Island with Mr. Canterbary and the Little Baby Canterbary, and when she isn't writing sexy architects, she's scheduling her days around the region's best food trucks.
WEBSITE: http://www.katecanterbary.
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/
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