Monday, November 6, 2017

Interview with Katt Anderson

Today we welcome Katt Anderson to the blog. Katt, share your blurb.

Smoky Mountain Brides by Katt Anderson and Pam Watts Harris

Kyla Porter and Becki Hunley had been friends since childhood. They had gone to church and school together and had graduated from the University of Tennessee. They parted ways when Becki moved to Nashville to enter the country music field while Kyla continued her education in veterinary school and eventually moved to northern Mississippi to practice veterinary medicine.

Scarred by a tragic ending to a relationship, Kyla finds it hard to trust any man, even the handsome teacher she meets at Graceland, who seems too good to be true. Becki finds the perfect man for her, a handsome doctor she meets at church, and both she and Kyla become engaged within a few months of each other. They had always dreamed of being each other’s maid or matron of honor when they married, but their plans are in jeopardy when their wedding dates are in conflict. Will they be able to solve their dilemma, or will their dream die?


 How has being published changed your life?

My first book was self-published, and I realized how hard it was for new authors to become published. My life took a big turn at that point, and we, my husband and myself, decided to open a publishing company. I’d worked for a printing company and a newspaper and thought I had all the knowledge needed to open our business. Not so! During the last five years I’ve learned a lot about publishing and marketing. I’ve enjoyed each minute I’ve spent in the publishing and writing industry. 

I still write, but not as much as I’d like to.

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading the Bible first, then when I have time I’m reading The Kill Zone which is a boxed set by several authors, most of them my favorite suspense authors. Most of my reading consists of manuscripts to be published.

What would be your dream vacation?

I’d love to go back to Scotland. This time I’d like to go to Skye and see more of the Highlands. We stayed in the Lowlands before. I have a nephew who lives in Glasgow, and we get to visit with family, plus have a guided tour of Scotland. My husband wants to take a train from London to Glasgow and get off the train at the Central where the train station was filmed in Harry Potter. Of course there is no Platform 9 1/2.

 How do you choose your settings for each book?

All of my settings so far have been places I’m familiar with. Callie’s Mountain and Suzannah’s Hope were set in the hills of East Tennessee where I grew up. My part of Smoky Mountain Brides is set in Nashville, Maryville, and the Smoky Mountains. My daughter lives in Nashville, and I lived close to Maryville and the Smokies. The one I’m working on now is set in my husband’s home community, not a town.

 What advice would you give to a beginning author?

 
Study the craft. Read books about writing. Read books of your genre by other authors. Write every day.

Will we know what happens to your character after the end of the book?

Sometimes I do write a sequel. Smoky Mountain Brides is a standalone. If I do write a series, you will see bits and pieces of previous characters. The Cozy Mystery I’m working on will be several books. I’ll have some crazy characters we’ll want to follow.

  Where do you like to write?

I have a dedicated office. I can think better in front of my computer. I have a bright pink desk chair and Celtic music playing.

How do you handle distractions?

If something comes up that need to be attended to, I’ll stop what I’m doing and see to it. When my office door is closed, my husband knows I’m working. Phone calls are usually the biggest distraction, but I’ll answer a call and go back to work. I check emails and facebook several times during the day, but I turn the volume off so I can have some peace and quiet

What’s on the horizon for you?  What will you be writing next? 

The biggest thing on my horizon is publishing books. We have a goal to publish 20 books in 2018. I’m lucky to have a great cover designer, acquisition editor, and copy editor. They take a load off me and I can concentrate on podcasts, blogs, and marketing. We do stay busy.

At this moment I’m writing a Cozy Mystery, Nothin’ Shady Ever Happens in Shady Valley. This is a remote valley on top of the Appalachian Mountains. It is so beautiful and laid back that something shady has to happen there. There are four ways to enter the valley and three of them are over mountains. The fourth is through a beautiful forest with a creek running beside the road. My husband was raised there, and I love the relaxed atmosphere. There will be a series with several kooky characters along the way. Here’s a working blurb.

“Nothin’ shady ever happens in Shady Valley until Daisy McQueen inherits her grandmother’s farm and finds a dead body in the cranberry blog.”

Share a holiday tradition or recipe

We have a tradition in our family that started a long time ago. I don’t remember when it started, but the children look forward to it each year. Our Christmas begins with a country breakfast of ham, biscuits, gravy, eggs, fried apples, sometimes fried potatoes, but always with homemade apple butter and Grandma’s Red Jelly. Grandma’s Red Jelly is frozen strawberry jam, but the grandchildren gave it the name when they were small. They are now in their 20’s and teens, but the name sticks. We make the apple butter each fall in an open brass kettle outside under an open flame like our grandparents did. One tradition we love.

Share your bio and links.

Kathy Cretsinger writes under the name of Katt Anderson. She lives in Kentucky with her husband of fifty plus years. They have two grown children, four grandchildren, no cats or dogs, but a few squirrels who live around the walnut trees. When not writing, you’ll find Kathy people watching, reading, enjoying her flower garden, going to activities her grandchildren are involved in, or helping authors with their manuscripts. Kathy also speaks at writer’s conferences. She and her husband, Jerry, are owners of Mantle Rock Publishing LLC. You can visit her at www.mantlerockpublishingllc.com


Link for Smoky Mountain Brides


3 comments:

Marilyn R. said...

Great interview with Katt Anderson. Anderson's travels to Scotland is something I would enjoy, too. The blurb about Smoky Mountain Brides draws my attention, so I'll add it to my never ending list of TBR list.

Laurean Brooks said...

Stories set in the Appalachians intrigue me. The Shady Valley books sound interesting. I can't wait to meet the characters.

This is a great interview Katt Anderson is unique person who has the drive and persistence to reach her goals and to help others reach theirs. I admire her for that.

Kathy Cretsinger aka Katt Anderson said...

Thanks, Laurean and Marilyn R. I do appreciate what you've both said. I enjoy writing and helping other authors. We all tell a little about ourselves in our books. I know I've done that in all of mine. Have a blessed day. Laurean, I'm coming along with "Nothin' Shady Ever Happens in Shady Valley." It is a real place. Can't wait to show it to the world.

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