An Interview with Ryan Hollatz & Catherine LaCroix

Award-winning authors Ryan Hollatz and Catherine LaCroix are a husband-and-wife team who co-author the hit LitRPG, Everyone’s a Catgirl! Both were born and raised in Arizona, and they met as friends in 2006, then married in 2023. They began co-writing in 2021 in addition to freelance ghostwriting, personal commissions, and journalism work. When not at their desks, they’re busy serving two budgies, five snakes, and six tarantulas.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

Cat: I’ve wanted to write full-time since I was six years old. As soon as my teacher put a spiral binding on my first “book” and I saw it sitting in my elementary school’s library, I was hooked. Ever since, I’ve read as many books as I can get my hands on and have worked to improve my craft with every chapter. My favorite authors are Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, Jacqueline Carey, and Chuck Palahniuk. Though, I would love to have lunch with Yoko Taro one day (creator of the NieR series). His writing inspires me so much, and I have a tattoo sleeve based on the games.

Ryan: It happened after I played Final Fantasy 8 – I realized how much I loved the storytelling, and it made me want to create my own worlds and concepts. For writers, Brandon Sanderson inspires me. For games, Phantasy Star showed me a love of exploring new worlds while carrying a dark undertone; there isn’t always a happy ending.

What inspired you to start writing this book?:

We had each tried publishing our own books on Amazon in 2012. Cat’s was Victorian fantasy/romance, and Ryan’s was science fiction/fantasy. They didn’t do well at all. So we moved to commission writing to practice more and then learned about LitRPG (Literary Role Playing Games). Since it’s a genre with game elements and we share a love of video games, we teamed up to write something that would subvert everyone’s expectations. The first cover looks cute and unassuming, but the world is a dark and dangerous place.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

It was actually very easy to find. It was one of the first things we came up with. While we were initially discussing the story, Cat said, “I’m sending Matt to a world where everyone’s a catgirl.” The rest is history.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Cat: “Bells in Santa Fe” by Halsey would be the main theme, “Major Crimes” by HEALTH and Window Weather, “Play With Fire” by Sam Tinnesz and Yacht Money, “Daylight” by David Kushner, and “When You’re Gone” by Shawn Mendez.

Ryan: Xenosaga 1 “The Last Battle” was my pick for the upcoming Volume 5.

Describe your dream book cover.

We’re very lucky to have the covers we want! We work with GBS Artworks who does an incredible job realizing our ideas. We just received a sketch for Volume 5’s cover this morning, and it’s going to be the best one yet.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

Cat: I’ve been a baker, a wine sommelier, a customer service agent, in insurance claims and sales, and a food caterer. I have a deep respect for the art of wine and spirits creation. I’m always learning something new!

Ryan: I’ve worked in the food industry and as an insurance agent. Why should I tell them something they shouldn’t know?

What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?

Cat: I’m still reading constantly to learn. I just finished The Martian and I loved it. I’ll read any genre and/or author – it’s how I improve my craft.

Ryan: I’ve found that everything from The Stormlight Archive is really comfy; it gets me in the mood for worldbuilding. I also love The Blade Itself, and it helped me a ton with the combat in Everyone’s a Catgirl! I like how gritty his fight scenes are.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

We hope that there’s at least one character or situation that our readers can connect with. Something that helps them feel acknowledged and not alone. There are so many characters in the series that deal with a lot of very real problems, and we hope our readers can share in their wins.

Every open-minded reader is a perfect reader. Come along for the ride!

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.