Catherine Bybee

Catherine Bybee is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total, she has written thirty-nine beloved books that have collectively sold more than 11 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned The Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, The Most Likely To series, and The First Wives series. 

Instagram: @CatherineBybee

Facebook: @CatherineBybee

TikTok: @CatherineBybee1

Favorite non-reading activity?

My favorite non-reading activity is traveling. Hands down. You might have been looking for an easier answer…like gardening or quilt making. But the truth is, when I’m not writing I’m either on a plane or planning on being on a plane visiting someone or someplace. A big bonus to this non-reading activity is the story prompts I accumulate when visiting far-off places.

Have you ever experience imposter syndrome?

I think the easier question is when do I “not” experience imposter syndrome. I would argue that for the first twenty novels I wasn’t sure if I deserved a seat at the published authors table. Long after hitting all the best seller lists and reaching my first million/five million readers…I would walk into conferences expecting that no one would recognize me or want to stand in line to talk to me or have me sign a book. Alas…that is not the case. I’m grateful for every reader that reminds me I do deserve a seat at the table.

Not all books are for all readers…when you start a book and you just don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?

If I start a book and I’m not feeling it, I will often give it a few chapters. But I don’t read beyond that if it’s not for me. There are too many books and too many authors on my list to waste time with something that isn’t engaging. I’m a big fan of ‘peaking’ into the book for a sample to avoid investing myself. That said, if repeated reviews promise that the book picks up, I’ll try and stick it out.

What’s the difference between being a writer and an author? 

The difference, for me, between being a writer and being an author is simple. A writer is someone who actually sits down to put a story on the page. They don’t become an author, IMHO, until that work is complete.

There are plenty of “writers” out there. People who say they are writing a book, want to write a book, or have a great idea for someone else to write a book. And then there is the author, arguably a published “writer” who has put in the work to take what they have written to get that body of work published. Either self or traditionally published, both require a vast amount of work to achieve. I would even go on to say that an author is anyone who has “finished” a manuscript. Even if it is never published. 

Do you speak a second language? Do you think differently in that language and does it influence your writing?

First, I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m anywhere close to fluent in any second language. However, I can fumble my way around Spanish and get my point across. And travel throughout Italy speaking Italian with slightly less grace, but a darn good accent for both if I do say so myself. I love languages! I’m fascinated by anyone who masters a second language and aspire to do the same in my life. Do I think differently when speaking them… hmmm? I suppose I do. I feel a bit more worldly and feel I have a slight edge when I pick up on what people are saying when they think you can’t understand them. Does it influence my writing? 100%! I have many heroes and heroines that speak a second language and with that, stories grow and morph in my head. I see no reason not to use every tool you have in your writer’s toolbox when creating fictional worlds.

Oh, yeah… I am fluent in “teenager”. It’s a fascinating language that isn’t part of any college curriculum but needs to be mastered in order to communicate with your kids once they are in middle school. I highly recommend!