Oh the people I’ll meet on social media and the places I’ll go. I met Author Kate Foster on Twitter and discovered she lives in Australia, one of the places I’ve always wanted to go. I asked to be interviewed on her blog, and she accommodated with fun questions. Now it’s my turn to interview Kate. She will be launching a wonderful new book, PAWS, on April 7, 2021.
Dog Lover
Barb: Tell us a little bit about yourself and include a tidbit of information not many people know about you.
Kate: Thanks for having me! Okay, I’m a very happy mum of three boys, a passionate dog lover, and also now a children’s author. I worked in numerous jobs after dropping out of school, picking up life experience along the way and meeting many interesting people, but I always read, wrote, and edited. I don’t think I was aware that my calling was there, travelling with me through most of my life the whole time. At the same time, I needed the wisdom and maturity of being a bit older before understanding what I needed to write. I love writing quiet books about kids and dogs, but I also LOVE writing horror for kids as well. Kids need more age-appropriate scary books and I hope one day I can find a publishing home for some of mine.
PAWS
Barb: You are going to be launching a book entitled PAWS on April 7, 2021. Congratulations! Tell us about this book and your journey in writing it.
Kate: Thank you so much! I carried the bones of PAWS around with me for a while. The story has many parallels to my life, and for that reason I think I was unknowingly waiting to be in the right place, emotionally and mentally, before writing it. And when I did start drafting, it happened very quickly – and, annoying as this may sound, it hasn’t undergone any substantial revisions since. Heaps of small ones, but no biggies. It’s a light book, quiet, sweet, hopeful, and I think, in the time we’re currently living, it’s a story plenty of us need. I hope it warms people’s hearts and restores some good vibes and kindness.
Barb: You have a unique way of using social media to launch your book. Tell us about that.
Kate: I have a WHOLE THING planned on my release day that I can’t talk about just yet as I want it to be a big surprise. But basically, I’m working on making a little corner of Twitter and Instagram all about cute, funny, fluffy, and huggable. I want cuddly and loving to be the focus of my book launch that anyone and everyone can join in with over the course of a few days. Of course there will be a giveaway or two happening that I hope will encourage users to participate – and I have some fabulous gifts available for winners!
Blog
Barb: You write a blog where you interview other authors. Tell us about your blog and how you choose who you’re going to interview.
Kate: Yes, I’ve always loved supporting authors in all the ways I can. It’s a tough world out there to get your name and book in front of readers, and if I can help I will. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that, no matter how hard we all try, writers can’t help but compare their journeys to others. We fixate on what appear to be overnight success stories of six-figure deals – and in reality these are few and far between. I feel it’s important to see all the hundreds of less than glamorous battles which writers have fought. So, a lot of my questions revolve around how a writer came to be published: how long did it take to land an agent/deal; why did they choose the path they have; what advice can they offer new writers, and so on. I think it’s fascinating seeing how many different routes there are to launching a book and I hope by reading the interviews, writers can see that their journey is just as valid. I don’t just interview traditional published authors and illustrators either. Self publishing is a great option and the perfect choice for many.
Rejection Care Package
Barb: You just launched a Rejection Care Package. Tell us about that.
Kate: Well, actually, that’s a couple of years old now! It’s a free resource available to download from my website (and needs an update if I’m honest) which I put together with the help of a few buddies and illustrator love-of-my-life Katrin Dreiling, to help with the LOOOONG querying quest and painful sting of rejections. I’ve received rejections that I never expected to hurt as much as they did, and sometimes lifting myself out of that hole was tough going. At times I could refocus that negative, and at others I just needed to find comfort and to self care. So, the package offers ideas and links and incentives that might assist others who are also putting their work out there.
Advice
Barb: Do you have any advice for someone who is starting out as a new author?
Kate: Never lose sight of why you started writing in the first place. Try to focus on that enjoyment, that sparkle, and cling to it. If you plan on being published one day, that road is bumpy and so much beyond the writing is out of your control. So, write for fun, to escape, to bring smiles, and to enrich your life too.
Spare Time
Barb: Tell us what you do in your spare time.
Kate: Read. Eat. Watch cooking shows on TV. Rewatch my favourite movies time and again. Walk and play with my dogs. Walk with my kids (if they can peel their lazy butts out of their beds!). And spend way too much time scrolling Twitter!
What are You Working on?
Barb: Tell us what you are working on now
Kate: Sure! It’s another middle grade contemporary with kids and dogs. Surprise surprise! Or not. It’s about a group of autistic children thrown together to learn ways to regulate their emotions and handle social situations. But, what they don’t see coming is the mystery and heroic rescue that they will have to do together. I’m having so much fun writing this one as it has some hilarious interactions between the kids.
Barb: Thank you, Kate. It was fun learning a little bit more about you and your writing journey. Best of luck with PAWS – I know you’ll sell tons of copies.
Follow Kate
Follow Kate on the following social media sites:
Purchase Kate’s book at the following online links:
Amazon Australia
Goodreads
Booktopia
Book Depository
More Dogs
Something that Kate and I have in common is our love for dogs. My new book, Larry’s Words of Wisdom, contains feel-good messages for life and love as seen through the eyes of a dog. The dog, Larry, happens to be my yellow lab mix we rescued from the Arizona Labrador and Giant Breed Rescue (ALGB). A portion of all sales will be donated to the ALGB to assist with their rescue efforts.
You can purchase Larry’s book on my website for a very good price. Upon checkout, please enter your mailing address and to whom the books should be inscribed.