Kate Noble at the 2009 Booksigning for the Romance Writers of America
Kate Noble reading at theLady Jane Salon.
Meet Kate
They say if you scratch the surface of a cynic, you find a romantic. As a typical middle child, Kate Noble spent a good portion of her early life developing a crusty exterior, while quietly nursing a whimsical, nougat-y core. This led her, quite naturally, to romance novels at a young age.
Nurturing the affect of the artistic emo kid, long before emo existed, Kate was also drawn into the world of cinematic storytelling, eventually going to college to study Television and Film Production. While she discovered she had no skill at camera placement or sound editing, she did have a talent for writing the scripts. But certain types of stories she wanted to tell – the ones with empire-waist dresses and Dukes and carriages, the kind she had been reading in secret since she was thirteen – were best suited to novel form. And so, she gave novel writing a try.
Fourteen months after this momentous decision, low and behold, she had a finished draft, Compromised. She revised and submitted, revised and submitted, and shockingly, got an agent, and thereafter a contract with Berkley Sensation.
Compromised became a national bestseller, earning a starred review in Booklist. She has since written Revealed (which was a 2010 RITA Finalist), the critically acclaimed The Summer of You (named a Kirkus Reviews Best Romance of 2010), and her latest release, Follow My Lead, (which earned stars from both Publisher’s Weekly and Library Journal).
Kate lived in New York City for a number of years before moving to Los Angeles, and would be unable to declare which city is her favorite – weather vs. culture remains the eternal debate.
MORE: Kate Comes Clean, an interview on this page.
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More Noble News
June, 2011 » In case you missed the Follow My Lead Blog Tour, you can catch all of Kate's guest blogging events at her Tour Round- Up and celebrate the release of Follow My Lead!
April, 2010 » To celebrate the release of The Summer of You, Kate was invited to read at Lady Jane’s Salon. Read her account of how it went, or go to Eloisa James' Barnes and Noble column, where The Summer of You was featured!
April, 2010 » Kate’s interview by Mandi at Smexybooks gives birth to the following quote: “Smexy’s not on the skin, its in the soul.”
April, 2010 » Kate chats with Katiebabs at Babbling about Books and More!
May, 2009 » Kate is interviewed by the Booksmugglers. And they ask the hard questions!
Kate's Events
Kate at the 2011 booksigning for the Romance Writers of America in New York, NY
League of Extraordinary Ladies Craftacularstravaganza
Friday, December 2nd, 2011, 6-9pm
Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Kate will be signing books at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood as part of the League of Extraordinary Ladies' Craftacularstravaganza, from 6-9pm. Come get your holiday shopping done early!
Kate's Most Recent Event:
'Readers for Life' Literacy Signing
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The New York Marriott Marquis
1535 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
Kate joined over 500 other romance authors at the RWA National Conference to sign her latest releases to promote literacy.
Kate Comes Clean
So… Kate Noble.
That's me.
Is your hair naturally curly?
Yes.
Really?
Yes. Moving on…
How did you start writing romances?
I have to assume that the vast majority of romance writers started out as romance readers. We wouldn't be writing them if we didn't love them.
I began reading romances when I was about thirteen, and my visiting cousin left behind a sweet series historical romance. (Sadly, the title is lost to memory.) After that, I gobbled them up wholesale from my local library, and when I got an after school job, I began my own library. It was alphabetized. Yes, I'm that person.
I started seriously writing romances when I found myself in a job that did not fulfill my ambitions creatively or sustain me financially. So, to keep myself amused, and out of debt (because writing is free), I started working on what became Compromised.
I was astonished by the support I received. One of my coworkers read my pages, and kept asking for more. My mother was convinced from page one that it was worth publishing, and my brother, who was serving in Baghdad at the time, said it was the best romance novel he'd ever read. (Granted, it was the only one he'd read, but still.) Without their encouragement, I don't think I'd be writing romance novels today.
Cool. So, what're some of your favorite romance novels?
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Reckless by Amanda Quick
There are too many others to list, but these are the books that got me hooked, and seriously thinking about writing romance.
Favorite movie?
Haven't seen it yet. I'll let you know when I do. But for now, Jaws is a placeholder.
Do you have a favorite color?
Blue-green… dude, what's with asking me all my favorites?
I don't know, I'm just trying to get to know you. Isn't that what these questions are for?
These questions are for asking me about writing, not speed dating!
Fine. So, what can we expect from you writing-wise in the future?
I'm working hard on my next novel, my kitchen table is littered with research and takeout detritus. It's due out within the next year, and it's about… nah, I think I'll keep that to myself. But I guarantee it will be a lot of fun.
You are such a tease.
…I can live with that.