"Today I have the pleasure of chatting with amazing author, Kathleen Andrews Davis. Kathleen, I welcome you to talk about your books today. I've read and reviewed Smoke and Mirrors. It's a wonderful book, congratulations."
Thank you, Deanie, I'm excited to be here as well and I appreciate your compliment regarding my book."
Have you always
been interested in writing?
Actually, I hated writing in school. I was a math, science, and phys ed
student. Phys Ed of course being my
favorite! I didn’t start enjoying
writing until I had to do it on my job where I had to do business
communications, press releases, policy and procedures manuals, and marketing
materials. My favorite assignment was as
the managing editor of an in-house newspaper.
I liked everything about that project.
Do you have a
favorite story that you’ve written?
I don’t do a lot of short story writing, so I would have to
say a story I wrote for a contest (and took second place) about driving on the
left side of the road when a friend and I traveled to Ireland.
I called it Left is Right.
Do your books
usually have a central message to share with your readers?
I try very hard to have the subliminal message of strong
moral background and good common sense.
Are you working on
any projects now?
Yes, I’m working on the third book in the Emerson’s Attic
series; it will be called Quiet Heart. When I can squeeze it in, I also work on my
second adult manuscript which is entirely different than Emerson’s Attic.
What are your goals for this year?
a. Publish Quiet Heart.
b. Get marketing
organized to a point where it will take less time in the future.
c. Get an agent
interested in my first adult manuscript.
Is there anyone in
particular who encouraged you to write?
Yes, I have a wonderful friend, Carolyn Sparks, who is my
mentor and muse. She never stops
encouraging me. You, as a writer, know
how important it is to have someone who keeps you on the straight and narrow,
or in Carolyn’s case we like to say the yellow brick road. Carolyn not only encourages me, she
proofreads. She also, unintentionally,
gives me lots of ideas from her own experiences. She has wonderful stories from which I
sometimes take ideas, with her permission of course.
What age range are your books most appropriate for?
Emerson’s Attic is for middle-grade readers, ages 9-14. However, I believe it really depends on the
reader. I’ve had some youngsters say
they think the books are too hard and others tell me they’re too easy. And, I’ve had adults tell me they enjoyed the
books. I will say that I do not “write
down” to young readers. Since Emerson,
the main character, is a time traveler I use vocabulary, historical facts, and
geography from every place she goes. In The Blue Velvet, I used references to
classic books such as Pride and Prejudice
in the hope it would spark interest in readers to read those books.
Can you please include links where your books can be
purchased?
Both books are available in paperback and e-book.
Books can also be ordered by any Bookstore through their
distributors Ingram or Baker and Taylor.
Would you say your writing is any particular style?
Hmmm, I would say my style is simple narrative. I try to write clean without unnecessary
adjectives and fast-paced to keep the reader interested.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I didn’t set out to write historical fiction but readers are
now telling me that’s how they would describe Emerson’s Attic. I research
every time period where Emerson travels and try to be as accurate as possible
with details. Apparently, this research
has paid off if readers feel they are learning something when they read Emerson’s Attic, and that puts a smile
on my face.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I didn’t set out to write historical fiction but readers are
now telling me that’s how they would describe Emerson’s Attic. I research
every time period where Emerson travels and try to be as accurate as possible
with details. Apparently, this research
has paid off if readers feel they are learning something when they read Emerson’s Attic, and that puts a smile
on my face.
"It was fun to spend time with you today, Kathleen. Best wishes in all of your endeavors."
