Joining me today in a Covid-distanced interview is author Natalee Cooper. While writing heartwarming romance is her passion, baking is a close second. And eating said baked goodness. Like bread. Homemade, warm, delicious bread. She’s lived along the Wastach Front most of her life and, since it’s pretty gorgeous there, it’s not surprising she loves it! When not writing or baking, she can usually be found off on some adventure with her favorite person on the entire planet and the three minions they brought into the world. They are pretty fantastic adventures. Natalee suffers book hangovers more than is healthy, loves chocolate covered cinnamon bears, Mexican hot chocolate, and campfires. She also loves, loves, loves to connect with readers on social media, so be sure to reach out and say hello! She writes sweet contemporary romance and represented by Dawn Dowdle with Blue Ridge Literary Agency.
SS: Welcome, Natalee. Have you always been driven to write? Or did you begin writing in response to a particular stimulus?
NC: I distinctly remember the moment I searched my library for the newest release from ANY of my favorite authors, needing a good love story fix, and realizing there were none. Worse, it would still be months before any were released! So, I decided that maybe I could write my own, and a passion was born.
SS: If you have children, does being a parent influence your writing? To what extent?
NC: Absolutely, though maybe not in a way you’d think. I always tell my kids to reach for their dreams and dream big! This was something I had to remember to do for myself, too.
SS: Regardless of genre, what are the elements that you think make a great novel? Do you consciously ensure all of these are in place?
NC: Connections. What makes a great novel, to me, are the connections between the characters. When I read a book, I want to feel what the characters are feeling, experience their surroundings like I was there, and fall in love or get frustrated right along with them. This is definitely an element I work hard to create in my own writing. I want my stories to not just be read but experienced.
SS: What are you working on at the moment?
NC: My latest novel is titled Playing It Tough, and it’s is a sweet contemporary romance about a popular movie star and a tenacious pediatric nurse who reconnect for a children’s charity where they discover not only their mutual love of football, but an attraction worthy of the big screen. But the exposure that comes from the ever-present spotlight might prove too much for a girl barely keeping it together in a job determined to break even the toughest hearts.
SS: Which non-literary piece of culture could you not imagine your life without?
NC: Food, ha! I love every aspect food from baking and cooking, to sharing a meal with family or friends.
SS: If you were deserted on an island, which three people would you want with you? Why? One fictional character from your book, one fictional character from any other book, one famous person that is not a family member or friend.
NC: This is hard … Okay. I’d choose Jase Cutter from my book because he’s both city smart and isn’t afraid of a little hands-on, hard work. A fictional character from another book would definitely be Sophie from Georgette Heyer’s The Grand Sophy! Her wit would keep us laughing for days, and her resourcefulness would see us through any tropical storm. And a famous person would probably be Luke Bryan, the country singer. Every island needs good music.
SS: How do you give back to the writing community
NC: For the past three years, I’ve had the privilege of being on the committee for one of Utah’s largest writer’s conferences, the Utah Storymakers Conference. I love being a part of helping writers find their place and take their words to the next level.
SS: What would a fly on the wall see if he watched you while you are writing?
NC: Oh gosh. Probably me, making a lot of ridiculous faces at my computer screen. I tend to make facial expressions that match the mood or tone of what I’m writing, lol.
SS: Isabel Allende starts all of her books on January 8 because she started The House of Spirits on that date. Do you have any superstitions or creative rituals about your writing?
NC: Something I noticed about myself and my writing process early on is that I cannot start a story without a book title and names for my main characters. Placeholders would drive me crazy.
SS: Which scene did you find the most challenging to write and why?
NC: No judging, promise? I LOVE romance. I read a LOT of romance. But I RARELY read epilogues. I like to finish reading a story riding the high of two people finding their love at last, so to take my own story beyond that was a struggle—but not optional with my publisher. I am proud to say, however, that I’m pretty happy with how mine turned out in A Heart’s Design. 
SS: What are you most challenged by these days?
NC: TIME. Especially during this pandemic. Kids are home…a lot, haha.
SS: What books inspired you as a child? As an adult?
NC: I was a huge fan of The Scarlet Pimpernil by Emma Orczy as a teen. It is an all-time favorite, still. And it might sound cliché, but absolutely Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
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A Heart’s Design is available through:
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An excerpt from A Heart’s Design:
Steeling himself for another hour of photo ops and trivial conversation, Jase walked back into the gala—and right into a woman. A beautiful woman. The one he’d seen talking to Simon earlier. The jolt caused him to almost lose his balance, and his hands shot out to her waist, trying to steady them both. Her fingers grabbed at his arms.
“I am so sorry! I didn’t see you there.”
“It was my fault.” Jase cut off her apology, his attention going from the flush burning the curves of her cheeks to the cut of her neckline slanting just beneath her collarbone to gather below her right shoulder.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I? I was looking for a friend when I should have been looking right in front of me.” She let out a shaky laugh and took a step back. Or tried to.
Nice, Jase. He let go of her waist. “No, you didn’t hurt me.”
She brushed back a few dark strands of hair escaping her updo, and Jase had the strongest desire to stop her, liking the way they framed her face and the heat still lingering there. Instead, he gave his head a subtle shake. “Have we…met?”
“No. Well, sort of. I mean, not officially, but…”
Something about her was different. Refreshing. The way she fidgeted with the bracelet on her wrist told Jase he was making her nervous. There was none of the creeping into his space, which he hated, or the batting of thick, ridiculously long lashes he usually endured.
He racked his brain to place her. “Are you Dreschler’s daughter?”
“Richard Blakeley’s.”
“Oh.”
“I’m an architect, I mean, Madison. My name is Madison. Blakeley.”
And there was that blush again—the one that matched her dress. Both looked good on her. She held out a hand, her curved lips accentuating the humor in her gaffe, and Jase liked her even more. He vaguely wondered if he’d seen her work before, but he let the question slip away as their hands met. “Nice to meet you, Madison Blakeley. Jase Cutter.”
“I know.”
She winced and he felt a smile spread across his face.
“I should probably stop talking now.”
He laughed. “Please don’t.” The lightness in his chest surprised him after the disaster he’d just come from. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“My friend was supposed to be doing that, but I think he got cornered by the mayor.”
“Ah, good old Marty.”
“Exactly.”
Jase found himself grinning for the second time that night—a genuine grin. The girl in front of him was the opposite of the claustrophobia he’d fought all night. “Are you sure we haven’t met?”
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Natalie can be found on social media here:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
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