Article and Interview by Elise Cooper
Beginning of Forever by Catherine Bybee is a story of passion and following one’s dreams. There are deep and meaningful family and friend relationships.
The heroine Emma must contend with a misogynist father who refuses to allow her to be a part of the family wine business. To make matters worse, he has put her ex-husband in charge. Intent to run the family wine business one day, she finds that the men in her family want only to push her out of it. But she has other plans. To take some time off and decide what she will do Emma accepts a gift of a wine tasting tour in Italy.
Both Emma and Gio, the hero, are given for their thirtieth birthdays, a trip to wine country in Tuscany Italy. They form an instant connection and attraction during the three-week tour. Gio wants to continue the relationship once they return to the States and is willing to jump through some hoops to make it happen. After returning to California, they continue to see each other. The relationship takes a turn when an unexpected issue makes Emma reevaluate some things in her life with Gio right by her side.
This is a heartfelt and emotional story that includes struggling with medical issues and family. The humor and banter in the story are a welcome release for readers as they go on a journey with the hero and heroine.
Elise Cooper: Did you know anyone with the disease hemochromatosis?
Catherine Bybee: That would be me. I was diagnosed after I asked to check to see if I was anemic because I bruise easily. They ran an iron panel. When it came back it was very high. They repeated the blood work. They sent me to a specialist. At the end of the day, they found out my iron counts were incredibly high. As I wrote in the story, I had the same scares as my heroine, Emma. As Emma referred to, we dealt with vampires. Now a couple of years later my liver is free of all the iron. Now I only must go to the vampires every two or three months.
EC: How would you describe Gio?
CB: He is a kind “player.” He does not try to score more girls on his bedpost. He is the culmination of the hot guy people want in their life with a high degree of loyalty. He is charming, caring, and excepting. He is flirty, a teaser, but is also family minded. He is a protective brother to his sister Chloe.
EC: How about Emma?
CB: She is a little jaded because of having to deal with her misogynist father. She is down to earth, direct, competitive, and confident, also flirty.
EC: The relationship?
CB: She does want her happily ever after. They are both very competitive and are intrigued by each other. There is some Yin and Yang. He wants to find her vulnerability. They have a completely different parental dynamic going on in their lives. He has a widowed mom who still dearly loves her late husband and is very supportive of her children. Emma is completely opposite because her mom always buffered the dad. They have a committed relationship from day one without realizing it. Having the same birthday was a little sign from the universe that she should not blow Gio off.
EC: Did the lost luggage scene ever happen to you?
CB: No. I just had to get Gio and Emma alone. This way they went together in a car to buy her some clothes. I wanted her to wear the $5 vendor T-shirts instead of the Chanel and Versace. She has class and sophistication, and this enabled me to bring her down to earth more.
EC: What was the role of Emma’s father, Robert?
CB: He is a jerk, a misogynistic, a self-centered dad. He uses the purse strings to try to control everybody. He is domineering.
EC: Were “The Golden Girls” based on anyone?
CB: Yes, the four women in the book are based on those that come from the villages in Florida. One of my best friends moved there. These women in the villages, a massive retirement community, drink a lot. They were a culmination of what I saw in the villages in Florida. It is like Disneyland for adults. They drink alcohol like it is a soda.
EC: Next books?
CB: It will be Salena and Ryan’s story titled The Whole Time, out in November. It was so much fun to write. Ryan is Emma’s brother and does not rely on the dad and only tolerates him. He rides a motorcycle. Salena’s down on her luck. I threw her into the D’angelo system by her taking over Gio’s apartment. They both have controlling parents. The characters from this book will be in it.
At some point I plan on writing Mama D’Angelo’s book with possibly Dante’s mom Rosa’s story in the same book.
The book after this one is a first in a series. It will have a billionaire theme with dysfunctional wealthy families. There is corporate espionage and twists.
EC: THANK YOU!!
