BIO

Here’s the short version:

Catherine Avril Morris lives and writes in Austin, Texas, where she consumes as many breakfast tacos and double-Americanos as possible. When she isn’t eating, reading or chasing the two- and four-legged beasts—er, that is, children and dogs, who destroy—er, that is, live in her home, she is dreaming up sensual love stories with a pulse of humor and a whole lot of heart. Another fun fact: A long time ago, Catherine had a role in a little film called Dazed and Confused that became a cult classic.

And here’s the longer version:

Catherine Avril Morris is a romance author, a freelance writer, a mom, a musician, a reader, a runner, an enthusiastic eater, a loafer, a dog-walker, a breaker-upper of spats between children, a prolific cusser, a dreamer, a worrier, and an amateur gardener and chef…not necessarily in that order. She lives with her three children and two dogs in Austin, Texas.
Along with her romance writing, Catherine co-authored Dare to Be Kind: How Extraordinary Compassion Can Transform Our World with YouTube star, motivational author and anti-bullying activist Lizzie Velasquez. Dare to Be Kind is both a memoir about Lizzie’s incredible life and a call to arms for one of our culture’s greatest needs at the moment—simple kindness.
A longtime regular contributor to websites like Free Fun in Austin and TheAstrologer.com, Catherine also writes essays on romance novels and other books, as well as on parenting and grief. She was a cast member in the 2012 Listen to Your Mother show in Austin, in which she read a personal essay about her first child, August, who died unexpectedly at birth in January 2010.
A longtime regular contributor to websites like Free Fun in Austin and TheAstrologer.com, Catherine also writes essays on romance novels and other books, as well as on parenting and grief. She was a cast member in the 2012 Listen to Your Mother show in Austin, in which she read a personal essay about her first child, August, who died unexpectedly at birth in January 2010.
Catherine also writes for Ruby’s Rainbow, a nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships for adults with Down syndrome who are pursuing a college education. This cause is near and dear to Catherine’s heart, since her own daughter, Pearl, happens to be “rockin’ an extra chromosome.” Pearl is the coolest! (Of course, so are her little brothers, Zephyr and Emil, who happen to be typically developing kids.) Read this article Catherine wrote about Ruby’s Rainbow to learn more about what this incredible organization is all about.
And, yes—back in the summer of 1992, Catherine had a small but pivotal role in the Richard Linklater film Dazed and Confused, which was filmed on a tiny budget and starred a bunch of unknown actors who ended up becoming really, really famous. (Uh…Catherine wasn’t one of those ones.) The film was released in 1993, ended up becoming a cult classic, and was even inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in 2013. Catherine got to attend the film’s 20-year reunion and screening as well as the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. There she met Quentin Tarantino, who told her he loved her last scene in the movie—”That was the quintessential scene of the ’90s,” he exclaimed, which pretty much made Catherine’s year.
Catherine’s dream since she was a young teenager was to be a romance novelist. Her favorite romance writers are Judith Ivory, Jennifer Crusie, Sherry Thomas and, of course, Nora Roberts.