Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Meet Katie O'Sullivan


Our guest today in My Writing Corner is Katie O'Sullivan, author of the new book, My Kind of Crazy. We’d like to know about your writing journey.  Katie, How did you get started?
Hi, and thanks for inviting me onto your blog! I’ve wanted to be a writer since second grade, but it took me until my youngest went into full-day Kindergarten to get serious about writing fiction. A friend dragged me along to his writing class and I’ve been writing ever since. My daughter graduates eighth grade this year, and my fifth published book comes out this summer! All five have been with small press publishers, this last one with The Wild Rose Press. My Kind of Crazy is available on Kindle right now, and will have a world-wide all-format release on July 30.

Tell us a little about your newest book, My Kind of Crazy

My Kind of Crazy is a sweet romance, set in a seaside town on Cape Cod. Harwich Port in the off-season is a really small town, where all the year-round residents know you and all your business. My main character, Kendall, was recently dragged through the rumor mill because of her philandering husband and the ensuing divorce. She’s trying to keep her head down and get her bed and breakfast back on track for the upcoming season, and has no intention of getting sidetracked by the cute new guy in town. But we all know, life and love don’t always happen according to our plans. Here’s the back-of-book blurb:

Kendall Roarke is betting everything on making her Harwichport Bed & Breakfast into the premier wedding destination on Cape Cod, despite her recent messy divorce.

Jonathan Reynolds moved back to the Cape to take over his uncle's business and start fresh after his own marriage ended. He's not looking for anything complicated - until he meets Kendall, with her big plans and wild mop of curls.

Throw an unruly foster puppy and an uptight new neighbor into the mix and things get a little crazy. Now Kendall has to decide if it's the kind of crazy that she can live with... for the rest of her life.

 The story sounds fascinating. What gave you the idea for this story in particular?
I’m one of those year-round Cape Cod residents, and love how our bustling tourist mecca turns into a string of sleepy small towns in the off-season. Many of my quirky characters are based on real people, as my friend Dorothy would like me to point out. (She even let me name her character ‘Dorothy’ so she could tell people it was really her!) I also love stories of second chances that turn into happily-ever-afters.

This particular story was influenced when my husband surprised the family with a new puppy one spring. A Saint Bernard puppy, just like in the story, only I gave Kendall the option of saying no to the adoption, lol. Although we’d had plenty of dogs before, and smart dogs, we’d never had a Saint in our lives. They are a different and stubborn breed, and make for funny tales of misdeeds.
What are you working on now?
My current WIP is another Cape Cod romance, this one set in Provincetown. Most people know P-town for their flamboyant gay and lesbian festivals and events, or the thriving art scene, but because of its location at the very tip of the Cape, the town’s roots are based in fishing. There’s a great nonprofit organization based down there – The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies. My main character, Charlie, is a visiting environmentalist studying ocean ecology. He meets Emma, a local girl with deep ties to the community and a jealous boyfriend. Problems arise… and I have to keep writing before I tell you any more!

What would you tell beginning writers?
You need to set aside time every day to write. Blogging counts, but you should add to your manuscript word count every day or it will never get finished. Every. Day. If you need help getting jump-started, take a class or join a writing group. There is nothing like a deadline to help motivate you to get the words onto the page!

What do you read when you are not writing?
I would describe myself as a voracious and omnivorous reader, which translates to I read a little of everything. My favorite genre of the moment is dystopian YA, just because it seems there’s a lot of good stuff out there right now. But I also love reading all types of romance, and love romantic suspense.

What are your favorite things to do when you are not writing?
Reading, walking the dogs on the beach, reading more, watching my oldest son play soccer (yes, I’m a soccer mom), watching my other son and daughter on stage (both in school and at the local community theatre), volunteering at school, watching movies with the family, hanging out with friends… nothing too crazy. I wish I had cool hobbies to talk about – surfing or kiteboarding or running marathons – but that’s not me. I’d rather curl up with coffee and a book or pour wine and laugh with my friends. I’ll have to think about this more and make up some good stuff for the next interview!

How can readers reach you or find you online?
Website: www.katie-osullivan.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKatieOSullivan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OkatieO

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/katieosullivan
Amazon buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/My-Kind-Crazy-Katie-OSullivan-ebook/dp/B00J9OV8P4/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399718896&sr=1-2&keywords=my+kind+of+crazy
Thank you so much for joining me in My Writing Corner. I love sweet romances and I've ordered a copy of My Kind of Crazy. Any questions or comments for Katie?

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for asking me to visit, Rebecca! This was a fun interview, but I'm still trying to make up with a more creative hobby to chat about next time ;-)

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  2. Loved the interview! The book sounds very good. I've never been to Cape Cod being a west coaster and now a midwesterner. But love beaches!

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  3. Cape Cod sounds like a beautiful place to live, and a wonderful setting for your book. Best of luck with it Katie!

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