We were lucky to catch up with Cate M. Turner recently and have shared our conversation below.

Cate M., thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I have one distinct memory of five-year-old me, sitting at the dinner table with my parents. My mom asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I didn’t hesitate with my answer, “I want to be an author!”

Twenty-three years later, I typed “The End” on a completed manuscript. For a week, I pondered what to do with it. Dared I share my writing with anyone, let alone the world? Yet, after feedback from complete strangers, strangers who gushed about the story and said they couldn’t wait to see it published and on their shelf someday, I decided to go for it!

Cate M., love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a homeschooling, tea-drinking, nature-walking, stay-at-home mom by day, romantic suspense author by night. I’ve been writing ever since I could hold a pencil. Even before I could spell, I was folding stacks of paper and stapling it into books, then illustrating and writing nonsense words all over it. The end result looked like a book, I thought. And I loved creating books as much as I loved reading them. This love of the written word continued, even as a teenager. I was always writing stories in notebooks, and eventually on the computer. As a young adult, one project took top priority. It was simply called “That One Archaeology Story.” A good friend of mine was my designated alpha reader who read chapter-by-chapter, and every few months, she’d ask for the next installment. It was a fun way to keep in touch since, after college, I moved to Germany, traveled the world, found work as a tutor, and later worked for various airlines. After “That One Archaeology Story” was eventually named “The Stolen Papyrus” and later turned into a whole trilogy called “The Artifact Guardians.” I queried “The Stolen Papyrus” to agents for about a year, then I decided to try submitting to mid-size presses. My persistence paid off. I finally got an offer from Limitless Publishing, and my career as an author began. In July 2019, “The Stolen Papyrus” was released to the world. Then Covid hit, and I decided to self publish the rest of the series. I love the total control it gave me over the look and feel of my stories, and I don’t see myself going back to traditional publishing yet. Even without a publisher pushing the buttons, I can glance at my shelf, see my titles proudly displayed among the other books, and think “Wow, I did that.”
I’m mostly drawn to write romantic suspense in exotic locations with a fun archaeological twist. While I’m no archaeologist, I have taken part in digs, learned how they work, and have even found artifacts myself. Being so close to history never ceases to excite me! It’s one of my passions, and I hope that comes across in every story I write.
I enjoy using an archaeological dig as the setting and adding in relatable, complex, flawed characters. Then I throw in a murder or two, maybe a theft, and from there, the possible storylines are endless.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Imposter syndrome can cripple a writer, but encouragement comes when you least expect it. I’ve been in the middle of a project and so full of self doubt I can’t see anyone enjoying my silly ideas. They seem so ridiculous, so badly written, I’ve often asked myself what’s the point? Yet one day, I opened my email and someone had written me a lengthy message telling me how much they loved my stories and they considered me one of their favorite authors. A favorite! To know that complete stranger enjoyed my words that much means more to me, is more rewarding, more motivating, than any royalty check.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The most supportive thing I’ve experienced was the frequent prodding from my friend, Sara. If she hadn’t kept asking me for more of my story, it may have never been finished. Being a published author would have possibly remained a childhood dream. So, if you have a writer or artist friend, cheer them on! Whether it be asking about the next chapter, or sharing posts online, don’t stop talking about it, especially on social media. Cheerleading creatives online does wonders, not only to motivate the artist, but to spread the word. And best of all, sharing, liking, and commenting on social media costs you nothing. So spread the word, your friend has created something! And that is amazing.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://catemturner.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/cmtauthor
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/cmtauthor
• Other: http://goodreads.com/cmtauthor