Add a former Andover resident to the best seller list and to your personal library. Cathy Beauman, a resident of Andover for 18 years, just released her first three romantic suspense novels and became a best-selling author along the way.
Cathy attended Andover Elementary/Middle School for most of her grade school education but moved frequently as her family’s employment changed. “We moved fairly often, but I’ve always considered Andover home. I moved back to Andover from the Midwest at 20. I missed the small town feel, the beautiful mountains, and the friendly faces that rarely change.”
A graduate of NHTI in Concord, Cathy began her professional career as an educational aide and substitute teacher for Jane Slayton at AE/MS. Cathy later moved to the Franklin School District where she was the district-wide Personal Care Assistant specializing in the care and unique needs of young children with moderate to severe disabilities.
Cathy and her husband Brian started their family while living in Andover. “I met my husband while working summers at Lake Sunapee Country Club as a waitress. Our children happily attended AE/MS, where they received an amazing start to their education. Both boys are excelling in advanced schools because of the start they received from Mrs. Slayton’s caring staff.” Cathy’s oldest son attended AE/MS for kindergarten through sixth grade, and their youngest son attended Proctor Preschool and kindergarten at AE/MS.
“Unfortunately, a job change has uprooted our family again, and we’ve had to move away.” Cathy and her family moved to Clarksville, Tennessee in the summer of 2010.
Like all family moves, there were some bumps along the way. “My husband had left a very stable job at Dalbello Sports to pursue a high school teaching career, but there was a time when I had a hard time finding a job because the Clarksville school system starts earlier than in New Hampshire. They had already hired their staff for the upcoming year and didn’t have any vacancies.”
During this down time, Cathy discovered she had a passion.
One night, she picked up a pencil and began to tell a story. A few months later, Cathy was sending her story off to editors, who deemed her work not good enough. “I was crushed. I had poured my heart and soul into my story and didn’t expect the rejection.”
Frustrated, but not willing to quit, Cathy refined her writing skills and pushed her character development to another level. Now, two years later, that same first story, Morgan’s Hunter, is a best seller! “In hindsight, the rejection was the best thing that could have happened to me. It forced me to be more focused in my writing and pushed me to the level of success that I am now experiencing.”
Cathy, writing under the pseudonym of Cate Beauman, has published the first three books in her Bodyguards Of LA County series: Morgan’s Hunter, Falling For Sarah, and Hailey’s Truth. All three are featured on Amazon’s 100 Hot New Releases, and the fourth book of the series, Forever Alexa, is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2013.
Cathy still thinks about Andover all the time and often finds herself homesick. “We live in a much larger city, deep in the South. I miss the scent of pine in the air, the beauty of the mountains just outside my door, but more than that I miss the enthusiastic educators at AE/MS, the friendly faces and quick conversations at the gas stations with people I’ve known forever.”
For more information about Cathy and to read the first five chapters of each book, please visit CateBeauman.com. Cathy can also be reached on Facebook and GoodReads.com.