Interview with Cat Gilbert, Author of False Reality

What can you tell us about your new release, False Reality?

False Reality is the first book in my new mystery series — The Molly McMurray Mysteries. The main character is none other than Molly McMurray, a feisty little redhead intent on getting on at the local police force so she can pursue her life-long dream of becoming a detective. Unfortunately her dream begins to unravel as she starts seeing things no one else can. What she sees and why, I’ll leave for the reader to discover, but it’s a twist I think they’ll enjoy.

False Reality has a different feel than my other series, The Taylor Morrison Thrillers. That series also has a psychic twist to it, but Taylor is more of a loner, fighting to protect the people she cares about, whereas Molly is very family-oriented, fun-loving and dedicated to her mission. Unfortunately, the appearance of Kaegan threatens to derail her plans. Molly’s fight to hang on to her goals while trying to solve a murder and avoid her stalker makes for a wild adventure because, in False Reality — nothing is quite what it seems.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I don’t know that I was so much inspired as pushed into it. That’s sounds odd, I know, but I’ve always been a story teller. I think I got it from my Grandfather, a wee Irishman that could spin a story that would keep you on the edge of seat. I loved it. So when I grew up, I made up wild tales for my daughter at bedtime and wrote short stories that I sent out as letters to family. I don’t know how many times I got told that I needed to write them down, but I didn’t. Being an author seemed like a pipe dream back then, so I just kept telling stories, keeping them filed away in my head. Then we moved to China and I finally had some time so I decided to give it a try. I had no idea what I was doing. It was a steep learning curve, but eventually I figured it out and the words just flowed onto the page. Before I knew it, I had four or five books out and I love it. I kick myself for not doing it sooner, but then again, maybe it wasn’t the right time. It is now.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

I can’t pick a top 5 books. There are just too many to choose from. I can give you the five books/authors that affected me most.

1. Ice Station Zebra (Alastair MacLean) I read it in the back seat of our car on a trip to visit my grandparents and ‘froze’ the whole way there, even though it was summer. That was a long time ago and I still remember it.
2. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) I devoured it, curled up in one of the ‘good’ chairs in my parents formal living room. It was quiet there and no one EVER came in, so no one looked for you there. You could lose yourself in a book for hours.
3. Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell) What can you say that hasn’t been said. The movie was good, but the book…
4. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon) The first ‘series’ I can remember reading. The first time I saved up to pay full price for a hardback of the next book the minute it was released…
5. Grave Sight (Charlaine Harris) She’s known for True Blood, but it was her Harper Connelly series that hit the mark for me. You see, Harper is psychic. The story got me thinking and…writing.

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

Charlaine Harris. I’d ask when the next Harper Connelly book is coming out – LOL!

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

Seeing where the story goes. I write my characters. The characters write the story. It’s always a surprise.

What is a typical day like for you?

I wish I could say it was writing, but it isn’t. I’ve got a house on the market, a farm that needs tending, a dog that wants to play all the time, family to take care of. Then there’s shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry. I’m lucky that my husband helps out with those things so I have time for writing and ‘book’ business. In short, my typical day is busy, just like yours. I just spend part of it in front of the computer, writing books.

What scene in False Reality was your favorite to write?

I think my favorite scene is when Molly discovers who or what Kaegan really is. It’s the big reveal in the book and the basis for the rest of the series.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Just do it…

Time is short so seize the day. Carpe Diem.

Cat Gilbert is the author of the new book False Reality.

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