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:
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.comFacebook: 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?
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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 ;-)
ReplyDeleteLoved 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!
ReplyDeleteCape Cod sounds like a beautiful place to live, and a wonderful setting for your book. Best of luck with it Katie!
ReplyDelete