We chat with author Cate Ray about The Younger Woman, which sees a woman’s confession about her husband spark a dangerous cat-and-mouse game.
Hi, Cate! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Yes, hello from Bath, England! It’s a beautiful city that I was lucky enough to be born near and to live in now. I write suspense thrillers and am known for trying to stretch the boundaries, highlighting voices we don’t always hear from in this genre. My stories are woven with empowering messages as equality is something I’m passionate about, no matter where it applies.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
When I was teeny tiny. I have embarrassing scraps of stories in the attic that I wrote as soon as I could hold a pen. I always knew it was what I wanted to do.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- The one that made you want to become an author: The St. Clare’s series by Enid Blyton (As a child, I was obsessed with these stories set in a girls’ boarding school!)
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Wicked (I’ve never read anything like it before and still don’t know how I feel about it.)
Your latest novel, The Younger Woman, is out February 25th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Thriller. Featuring. A. Mid-life. Woman!
What can readers expect?
A domestic thriller about an empty-nester who, after too many drinks, tells her darkest secret to a complete stranger, only to later regret it. Expect lies, betrayal, cocktails, laughs, a sense of being followed and something awful about to happen…
Where did the inspiration for The Younger Woman come from?
From one of my closest friends, who told me honestly how it felt to have an empty nest. My books are often sparked by real-life conversations.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
The younger woman of the title was really enjoyable because she’s an unusual character. It’s always fun writing the people who don’t fit into a box, especially women.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Yes, just facing the fear of writing about a fifty-year-old in a thriller space stalled me for a while. But once I’d taken the plunge and got going and thought of ways to make it work in a way that would feel relatable no matter the reader’s age, then I was up and away.
What’s next for you?
My new thriller is written and with my agent for editing. It’s completely different to anything I’ve written before and I can’t say too much yet! But I’m very excited about it and hope to be able to share more soon…
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
- The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
- Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
- The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffmann
- This is a Love Story by Ann Napolitano
- Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old
