Debut Author Bash & Giveaway: Kate Watson

Today I have the pleasure of hosting author Kate Watson for the Debut Author Bash. Kate is the author of the Seeking Mansfield series, with book 1 Seeking Mansfield coming out in 2017 and the next book Shoot the moon releasing February 2018. Her books are contemporary, with great characters, and have the ability to speak to everyone. Kate also happens to be one of the amazing authors that I have had the pleasure of meeting at a book event here in Utah. Music is very important to me, especially when I read, so Kate was kind enough to provide us with a music playlist for both books, Make sure to leave a comment on this post and include your email address for a chance to win both books in the series!

Book Blurb:

Seeking Mansfield (Seeking Mansfield #1)

Sixteen-year-old Finley Price has perfected two things: how to direct a world-class production, and how to fly way, way under the radar. The only person who ever seems to notice Finley is her best friend, the Bertram's son Oliver. If she could just take Oliver's constant encouragement to heart and step out of the shadows, she'd finally chase her dream of joining the prestigious Mansfield Theater.

When teen movie stars Emma and Harlan Crawford move next door to the Bertram's, they immediately set their sights on Oliver and his cunning sister, Juliette, shaking up Finley and Oliver's stable friendship. As Emma and Oliver grow closer, Harlan finds his attention shifting from Juliette to the quiet, enigmatic, and thoroughly unimpressed Finley. Out of boredom, Harlan decides to make her fall in love with him. Problem is, the harder he seeks to win her, the harder he falls for her.

But Finley doesn't want to be won, and she doesn't want to see Oliver with anyone else. To claim Oliver's heart—and keep her own—she'll have to find the courage to do what she fears most: step into the spotlight.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Book Blurb:

Shoot the Moon (Seeking Mansfield #2)

Despite what his brother—and sponsor—thinks, nineteen year-old Tate Bertram isn’t an addict. He has the 30-day chip to prove it. But when his father learns Tate’s been running an illegal card room out of a friend’s dorm to pay off old gambling debts, Tate is cut off. With his family no longer talking to him, his aunt Nora offers him a chance to intern for her political campaign. Juggling school with the intense internship, Tate finds himself buying scratch-off lottery tickets to take the edge off.

Tate is surprised to find the beautiful and calculating Alex Wolf—his first crush and the girl who taught him how to gamble—volunteering with Nora’s campaign, too. Soon, Tate is more drawn to Alex than ever. Her mind games stick in his head, but her vulnerable, softer side gets into his heart. But as tensions rise along the campaign trail, Tate is forced to question whether he’s really addiction-free, after all.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS meets ROUNDERS in this high stakes tale of the cost of winning and the price of redemption.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I always write to music, but it’s typically to movie scores or to bands like Radiohead where the voice feels more like an instrument than something distinct and meant to draw its own attention. However, when I’m outlining and revising, I find that most of my chapters end up having a song that just feels like the chapter or scene I’m working on. So I’ve broken my playlists down by chapter and hope that the emotion in these songs can help connect readers even more to my books.

Finley would no doubt feel that the choices for SEEKING MANSFIELD are a bit melodramatic, while Tate would feel the SHOOT THE MOON playlist could use more swagger. They may be right. Who am I to say?

SEEKING MANSFIELD Playlist

1. Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop – Landon Pigg

2. The Fear – Martin Hall

3. Criminal – Fiona Apple

4. Oceans - Seafret

5. All We Do – Oh Wonder

6. I Can’t Make You Love Me / Nick of Time – Bon Iver

7. Take a Walk – Passion Pit

8. We’re Going to be Friends – The White Stripes

9. On My Own – Les Miserables soundtrack

10. Bad Girls – M.I.A.

11. Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

12. I Just Don’t Know What to do With Myself – The White Stripes

13. She’s My Best Friend – Velvet Underground

14. Riptide – Vance Joy

15. I Dare You – The xx

16. Television Romance – Pale Waves (???)

17. Ways to Go - Grouplove

18. Something About Us – Daft Punk

19. Is There a Ghost – Band of Horses

20. Dr. Baker – Beta Band

21. She’s Got You High – Mumm-Ra

22. Us – Regina Spektor

23. 3:14 Every Night – The Social Network (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)

24. Two Against One – Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi ft. Jack White

25. A Woman’s Worth – Alicia Keys

26. Clair de Lune - Debussy

27. Burn – Hamilton

28. Defying Gravity - Wicked

29. I Still Remember – Bloc Party

SHOOT THE MOON Playlist

1. Six Underground – Sneaker Pimps

2. Tennis Court - Lorde

3. On We March - The Social Network (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)

4. Everything in its Right Place – Radiohead

5. Firestarter – The Prodigy

6. Bad Habit – The Kooks

7. Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High – Arctic Monkeys

8. Love is Blindness – Jack White

9. I’ll Follow You Into the Dark – Deathcab for Cutie

10. Because I’m Me – The Avalanches

11. Weapon of Choice – Fatboy Slim

12. Just - Radiohead

13. Karma Police - Radiohead

14. The Prayer – Bloc Party

15. Human – Rag’n’Bone Man

16. Float On – Modest Mouse

17. Sweater Weather – The Neighbourhood

18. Would You Fight For My Love? – Jack White

19. You Don’t Own Me – Grace feat. G-Eazy

20. Believer – Imagine Dragons

21. Where Is My Mind - Pixies

22. Heathens – twenty one pilots

23. We Will Walk Through Walls – Electric President

24. The Pretender – Foo Fighters

25. Not an Addict – K’s Choice

26. Dr. Baker – Beta Band

27. Hurt – Johnny Cash

28. No Distraction - Beck

29. All the Bones – Electric President

30. Hand Covers Bruise – The Social Network (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)

31. Come Down – Anderson .Paak feat. T.I.

32. In Motion – The Social Network (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)

33. Two Against One – Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi feat. Jack White

34. Mr. Gone – Electric President

35. Turn Away - Beck

36. Safe and Sound – Electric President

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author Bio:

I'm the tenth of thirteen children, with eight of my nine older siblings being brothers. You can imagine how hard that made dating in high school. Born in a village in Alberta, Canada, I've also lived in Israel, Brazil, Utah, South Carolina, and I now call Arizona home.

I have a BA in Philosophy from BYU and worked for several years as a senior director of student services at a private university.

I love travel and good food (and trying gross food in the name of adventure--I've eaten haggis, for heaven's sake). I view speaking in accents as a natural part of life (and, yes, my husband adores me in spite of that. Or because of that, probably, because it's awesome). I believe my soul is composed of the words of Jane Austen and the music of Jack White. I think most people are wonderful, but bookish people are best.

My husband and two children are the absolute loves of my life and my favorite people in the multiverse.

I'm represented by Dawn Frederick of Red Sofa Literary.

My debut novel, SEEKING MANSFIELD, comes out May 16th, 2017, with the companion novel to come in 2018. I'm also a contributor to Eric Smith's WELCOME HOME anthology.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Facebook

*****Don't forget to leave a comment for the chance to win both amazing books!*****