INTERVIEW WITH KATE GEORGE

Please welcome award winning writer, Kate George. She's author of MOONLIGHTING IN VERMONT and CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN' (released March 1, 2011). She lives in Vermont with dogs, kids, and when we did this interview - snow.

You can reach her at www.kategeorge.com. Her books are available at www.mainlymurderpress.com, amazon.com or can be ordered from any bookstore.

AKA - Tell us a something about yourself that you would normally only share with close friends.

KG - I’m scared of the dark. Seriously. I know nothing changes when the lights go out, but something about the night can get to me. I both love the night, the quiet, the starts, the moon on the snow, and hate the night; the dark, the quiet, the feeling people are looking at me through the windows.

AKA - What activity (cause, charity, organization) consumes your time when you’re away from the keyboard?

KG - Well I have four kids. Piano, basketball, play practice, the list goes on and on. The feeding and care of children ages ten, thirteen (twins) and seventeen consumes much of my free time. I also work full time. After those two things, and writing, I sew, quilt (yes it’s different than sewing to me), knit (badly) and talk to my far flung friend via the internet.

AKA - Tell us about your most recent release.

KG - Oh, that’s California Schemin’. I’m rather proud of this book at the moment. I’m sure I’ll start to hate it again when I have to read aloud from it over and over and over, noticing all the mistakes. But for now I’m liking it a lot.

There’s murder, of course, and a great deal of the book takes place in Northern California where I grew up. It was fun to write about a place that I am very familiar with, but where I’m not living at the moment. The story is maybe seventy percent California, twenty-nine percent Vermont and one percent Washington, DC.

Bree is in California with Beau, supposedly recovering from the events that happened after the first murder when a body falls into her life. Yes I’m using the word falls on purpose. If you want to know why you’ll have to read the book! Ask your library to order it.

Anyway, back on track now, Bree becomes the focus of some very bad people and she spends a lot of time trying to save herself from the people who are trying to save her. Yes, it gets complicated! But it’s full of fun and high jinks, and hopefully a few laughs!

AKA - What is the hardest part of writing for you?

KG - Quiet time. I don’t have any. I’ve learned to write in all kinds of circumstances, and to block out the noise, but it so much easier to write when it’s quiet. I really miss the year I got to stay home and write.

AKA - Are you a glass half-empty or half-full kind of person?

KG - Half full. Actually all the way full.

AKA - Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

KG - If you want to be a writer you must write. That means finding time to put your butt in the chair, turn off the internet, phone, TV, email and write. Even if it’s just a few minutes every day. You can’t produce a novel if you don’t take the time to write.

I like Nike’s tag line: Just Do It.

AKA - Quick. Your five favorites – author, actor, movie, song, quote.

KG - Author: Jennifer Crusie, she writes fabulous character rich romances, and she’s very accessible. I really admire her willingness to connect with other writers and help them get better.

Actor: Colin Firth. Just because he’s Colin Firth.

Movie: I can never think of movies. I know there are bunches I like, but when I start to think about it I can only remember the one I saw last.  Up! Is a very sweet movie. Also everything with Colin Firth, but especially the BBC Pride and Prejudice Mini-series.

Song: The JCB song. It makes me squishy inside.

Quote: Don’t Postpone Joy and also Life Rewards Action. I don’t know who said them but I try to remember them daily.

AKA - Kate has graciously offered to give away a signed paperback of CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN' to one reader, and an e-book copy to another. I'll pick two names at random from comments based on Kate's prompt question below.

KG - I’d like to hear what genre readers like the most. And do you tend to read serious or light books? Would you rather laugh or cry when reading a book? 

AKA - Great questions, Kate. I can't wait for the comments to start rolling in. Thank you so much for dropping by. I'll select a winner sometime next week.