Author Interview with Kate Willis

 

   Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful day filled with family and good food. There are many things that I am thankful for, and one of them is good authors. A good author can take you to places you have never seen, and on adventures you could never imagine. Today we get to meet Kate Willis with an interview we recently did. She is the author of 3 lovely books, and hopefully many more to come.

 

Hi Kate, Can you please tell us more about yourself and the types of books you like to write?

First off, thanks so much for having me! I'm excited to get to you know you all better today. ;) I'm a homeschool graduate from a large, creative Christian family. (I like to call my siblings my "artist colony" since we are constantly bouncing ideas off each other.) I'm also an aunt to four sweet little boys, an avid reader, and currently taking a few college classes. Two of my favorite things are red shoes and chai tea. ;) I have many stories in the works, but the three that are published are mainly for middle-grade readers. The Treasure Hunt and Enjoy the Poodle Skirt are both contemporary mysteries, and The Twin Arrows is a "kingdom adventure" (a.k.a. fantasy without magic or creatures) journey story. They all have strong family relationships in common. ;)

What inspired you to begin writing?

I've been a bookworm since the beginning, and that eventually turned to writing. ;) I bought my first bright pink notebook when I was just barely learning to write. The main thing that spurred me on, though, was my older sister Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick. She's a great storyteller, and when she published I knew I wanted to. My siblings and my delightful readers have also been a great inspiration. ;) There's nothing like someone loving a story to make me want to write more. ;)

 

What is your book, The Twin Arrows, about?

Here's the fancy synopsis thing...

Two children. Two journeys. Twin arrows.

Ryla follows her father’s parting instructions as closely as she carries his gift. Her protectors are kind, and safety is certain inside the convent’s strong walls. But now she must leave and what lies ahead is uncertain…

Her brother Drewin won’t wait any longer. The knight promised to escort him isn’t coming, and gossiping neighbors threaten to reveal his identity. He strikes out on his own, sure he can outrun the danger…

It's an adventure mostly, but also a bit of a "coming of age" story. ;)

 

If you had to pick your favorite character in the book listed above who would it be, and why?My readers ALWAYS say Sir Larkin. I do think he's pretty awesome, but I relate to Ryla a lot and had the most fun crafting her. We both struggle with fearfulness. I loved writing her and giving her a moment of bravery. So, I think I'll go with Ryla as a favorite. ;)

Do you have any new books you are working on?

Books galore, yes. :D :D When I'm not doing homework, I'm working on releasing some Christmas stories for Kindle, writing the first draft of Legend, the sequel to The Twin Arrows, and revising a young adult novel set in a near future world. (I'm really excited about this one! :D) 

 

Thank you for doing an interview with us Kate, do you have any final thoughts you would like to share?

Thanks so much, LeAnne! This has been fun. ;) Final thoughts? Dear readers, we authors love writing stories for you all. Thank you so much for leaving reviews and sharing your favorites with friends. You don't know how much you inspire us. ;) Dear writers, you rock!!! Keep on writing stories. Even if no one will ever see them, they are beautiful pieces of your heart and practice for the stories you will share. Don't be afraid to fill twenty-one notebooks of cringe-worthy stuff like I did. :D Dear everyone, eat chocolate, please. Chocolate is the best.