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www.deltalivingmagazine.com
April – June 2014
DELTA READS
toddlers, so quiet isn't necessary.
On weeks when I'm disciplined, I
try to write from 7 a.m. to noon.
How does it feel to have a
published novel (on her own,
ladies and gentlemen! Cue ap-
plause!)? Did you do anything
to celebrate?
I'm ridiculously happy! My
friend Kitty Buchner helped
me format the novels for Kindle
and CreateSpace publishing. Af-
ter she volunteered her time for
each formatting session, I bought
her lunch at Subway.When sales
of Hammered first took off, we
celebrated by adding the potato
chips and chocolate chip cookies
to our Subway meals. We're not
exactly party animals.
When publishing the novel
yourself, did you encoun-
ter any roadblocks or was it
smooth sailing?
Kitty, a former university re-
search librarian and middle school
librarian, has advanced computer
technology skills. She got us past
the hurdles.There's a little more to
the process than following the di-
rections that say "simply upload."
How does your husband sup-
port you when you're writing?
My husband Hasso assumes I
can do anything. His attitude in-
spires confidence. I didn't ask him
to read the first book until after
it was published. It was cold feet
on my part. He's a serious, highly
skilled and respected newspaper
editor. I feared his reaction to my
rambunctious fiction style.
Do you have children? Ages?
Has your writing talent rubbed
off on them?
We have two adult sons, Trent
and Dave. Both of them do scien-
tific writing associated with their
jobs in chemistry and marine biol-
ogy. I don't know if they've tried
writing fiction.They should.They
write well.
Were you born and raised in
Oregon?
I grew up in Burbank, CA, and
moved to Oregon after I gradu-
ated from what was then San Fer-
nandoValley State College.
In high school, what stereo-
typed category did you fit
into?
Definitely more social than
brainy . . .
What sort of "extra-curric-
ular" activities do you enjoy
when you're not writing?
My husband and I ride a tan-
dem bike and play tennis (badly.)
I enjoy going to the Oregon
Coast, but still miss the warmth
and sand of the California beach-
es. I like gardening, but I'm better
at planting than watering.
Do you miss being a middle
school principal?
Being around middle school
kids energized me. There's always
something unexpected happening.
I miss that.
Favorite foods?
Pomegranate and cotton candy,
but not together.
Favorite "cheat-on-your-diet-
day" food?
My guilty pleasure is salted ca-
shews and real Coke with all the
calories, all the caffeine, and all the
artificial color.
Who are your heroes?
I like "surprise heroes," the or-
dinary people who happen on the
scene and don't think twice about
leaping into action to rescue an-
other person who is in trouble.
Which authors are your favor-
ites?
Jennifer Crusie, who writes
laugh-out-loud light fiction and
romance, is a favorite. Her book
Agnes and the Hitman is a good
place to start. There's also Mi-
chael Connelly and his character
"Harry Bosch." If I go back a few
years, I totally enjoyed reading Jan
Karon's Mitford series of stories
set in the tiny fictional town of
Mitford, North Carolina. I also
have a collection of Christmas
books that I re-read every De-
cember.
What music do you like?
Country. The Zac Brown Band
is my favorite.
Do you religiously watch any
TV shows or movies?
Public Broadcasting's Doc
Martin is one I never miss. I also
like HGTV's home renovation
programs that let you enjoy all
the remodeling and redecorating
without the mess of the project
in your own home.
Favorite holiday? Why?
Thanksgiving. It's about family
and food and there's no fuss about
gift selection. July 4th would be a
close second.
Rules you live by?
Play nice(ly). Be honest and
helpful.
Kathy can be reached at
DesignerMysteries@gmail.com and
she answers all e-mail.The two books
are available on www.amazon.com.
She says,“The third book in the series
is coming. Honestly, it is. I just have to
mull over a few plot snags before I sit
down at the computer keyboard.”
Photos by Charleen Earley