Interview with Sweet Romance Author Ruth J. Hartman

Ruth is a multi-published author of sweet, funny romances, a children’s book and a memoir. She also works part-time as a dental hygienist. She’s been married for 30 years to her best friend Garry. They live in rural Indiana with their two spoiled cats.

Welcome back to my blog, Ruth. You write Humorous Contemporary Romance. Please tell us about Better Than Catnip.

Roxy Williams loves cats more than anything. She runs a stray cat shelter and that’s pretty much her life. Until she meets Derek Weller and his dad, Max. Derek has to complete community service for fighting in school and the only available place is the cat shelter. Derek has only lived with Max for a short time, due to his parents not being together. So Max is unaware that Derek had a bad experience as a little boy and is now terrified of cats. Max and Roxy try to figure out how to help Derek while at the same time, figure out where they stand with each other.

Every story you write has humor and includes a mischievous cat. Where did you get your inspiration for this novel?

I think I used a little bit of every cat I’ve ever had (and that’s a lot!) for this one J. There are over thirty cats in Roxy’s stray cat shelter, so that’s lots more purrs and meows to go around.

What kind of research did you do for this book?

I already knew a lot about cats and their care, but I did do some research on actual rescue sites. Two of the cats we’ve had have been from rescues, also, so I had those experiences. Also, since I’ve live-trapped and had neutered and released, over a dozen cats myself, that part of the story was partly my experience, too.

I love it when authors add real life situations to their stories. Do you ever put real experiences in your books?

Roxy, the heroine is goofy and clumsy. That’s me, all the way. And Max, the hero, is my husband Garry. A large man who commands respect just by being who he is. But also, he’s loving and gentle, too. I’ve never had children, so Roxy’s inexperience with kids was a reflection of me, too.

Thanks, Ruth, for this fun interview. For those who enjoy a humorous book, check out Better Than Catnip.