Welcome to my virtual hub! Today I’m featuring middle grade fantasy author, Kathryn Rossati, who is a fellow author-mate with Next Chapter, and also writes time travel tales. We’re definitely kindred spirits! I loved the questions that she sent me to answer for her blog post recently, so I asked Kathryn if she’d like to be a guest on my blog, and answer those same questions. She loved the idea, so without further ado, here are the results of this collaboration. Enjoy…
Welcome, Kathryn! When
did you realise you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve loved writing
down stories since I was very young, as I daydreamed a lot and wanted to keep
those daydreamed worlds safe. In terms of writing professionally, as soon as it
dawned on me that people actually wrote books for a living, I knew that’s what
I wanted to do – so perhaps age eight or nine.
What's your latest
book about?
My latest
published novel is an upper middle grade time travel story, called Naturally
Nic/k. The story focuses on an autistic girl called Nic, who ends up back in
time along with two of her bullies, who immediately vanish in the bustle of the
Thames Tunnel Fancy Fair. Nic bumps into a young magician, Nikolai, whose
brother has gone missing, and decides to team up with him to find out where her
bullies and the missing kids from all over London have been disappearing to.
The story is
written in dual point of view, with chapters alternating between Nic and
Nikolai’s perspectives, and it was great fun to create their individual voices.
It’s also the first novel I wrote after receiving my autism diagnosis back in
early 2019, and I drafted it at a time when my mental health was really quite
low. I’ve very proud of how Naturally Nic/k turned out considering that, and it
feels wonderful to have written a character that young autistic people can
connect with.
Where do you get
your ideas from?
My ideas for books
and poems can come from anywhere. Naturally Nic/k was inspired by my husband,
who practices card tricks as a hobby, but some of the things that sparked my
other books and poetry collections have been turns of phrase, being out in
nature, mishearing something, a specific piece of artwork, and other forms of
media like TV series and films. Music always fuels my creativity too.
Do you have any
writing rituals?
I like to write
once all the housework is done for the day, so it’s not cluttering up my mind.
(I have ADHD as well as being autistic, so my mind is rather cluttered and busy
anyway.) I like a quiet space to write in, though that’s not always possible if
my parrot and budgie are playing a game of ‘who can shout the loudest’ –
fortunately, I’m used to their shenanigans, so that doesn’t tend to distract me
too much (plus I have ear plugs if they or any sounds from outside get too
overwhelming). I’m also a fan of having a good cup of tea next to me, though I
often forget about it and only remember when it’s gone cold.
What do you hope
readers will gain from reading your work?
Escapism, first
and foremost. I’m a huge reader myself, and I know the power of settling down
with a good book after a stressful or overwhelming day, so my hope is that my
books can provide that comfort and enjoyment for someone, if only for a short
time.
I also hope that
readers will really connect with my characters and the worlds they live in, and
particularly in the case of Naturally Nic/k (and a few of my upcoming books),
find themselves represented in the narrative.
Who are you
favourite authors?
It’s so hard to
choose, because there are so many authors whose books I love, but as of this
moment, I can think of:
Diana Wynne Jones,
whose books cover just about every type of fantasy you might imagine.
Thomas Leeds, who
is a spectacular writer and the first author I’ve read who wrote a fantasy
adventure trilogy featuring a main protagonist with a brain injury and epilepsy
(starting with Jayben and the Golden Torch).
Alan Gibbons, who
wrote the amazing Legendeer series which completely blew me away when I read it
as a child, and which I still adore now.
Jonathan Stroud,
who wrote the excellent Lockwood and Co. series which really got me into
paranormal fiction.
Do you have any
dreams about where you'd like your writing career to go? (like film
adaptations, merchandise, having your book on everyone's shelves?)
It would be lovely
to see a stage or screen (either film or series) adaptation of any of my books,
but what I would really like is just for more people to discover them.
What's your
favourite book/film/song/piece of art?
It’s tough to
decide on what my favourite book is, but I’d say Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana
Wynne Jones. I love the characters, the world, and just the cosy vibes it gives
off while reading. It’s one of those books that I can read again and again and
always find something new to love about it.
My favourite film
is probably The Mummy (1999) which I’ve loved ever since it came out. I’ve
always had a fascination with Ancient Egypt (even though I’ve never delved deep
into researching it – not yet, at least), and I love a good adventure with some
humour, so those things make a winning combination for me.
For music and
songs, I think The Mummers’ Dance by Loreena McKennitt is my favourite; I even
had it playing at my wedding! It always makes me think of long treks,
adventure, and being swept up in a story, and it’s one of the songs I turn to
if I’m having a bad day and need something soothing.
My favourite piece
of art is by surrealist artist Max Ernst, and actually has a few different
titles as it was renamed a few times: The Angel of Hearth and Home/Fireside
Angel/The Triumph of Surrealism. I first came across it when I was researching
surrealist painters for my art G.C.S.E. many years ago, and something about it
really captured me. The story behind the painting is actually about the chaos
of politics (or there abouts), but I didn’t know that until recently. I think
the reason why I like it is that there’s this fierceness and confusion
surrounding the figure, but also a sense of deep pain. It’s very thought
provoking.
Any hobbies or
things you love to do?
I’ve been learning
to paint with watercolour and gouache for the past two years, which I very much
enjoy, and I also love to go for walks in nature. Unfortunately, as I have a
dynamic disability (hypermobility spectrum disorder and dysautonomia, for
anyone who’s curious), I’m not able to go out for walks as often as I’d like.
Fortunately, the house my husband and I rent has a lovely garden and we have a
birdfeeder, so I often watch the birds outside. I also like playing computer
games, mostly fantasy adventure games like The Legend of Zelda (which I’m a
huge fan of).
Any other fun
facts you'd like to share about yourself or your writing?
I have several
writing projects in the works this year. I’m currently drafting my first ever
fantasy novel aimed at adult readers, self-editing a paranormal upper middle
grade book which I’m very excited about, and working on a commission involving
the Isle of Wight National Landscape (which means I get to develop my nature
writing). I also have a poetry collection due to be published all about nature
and wildlife, which I’m looking forward to sharing.
and middle grade fiction, as well as poetry. She’s also an aspiring artist, focusing on watercolour and gouache.
Kathryn loves most genres of fiction, with a particular
soft-spot for books inspired by mythology and fairy tales, and often
incorporates those ideas into her own work. She also enjoys narrative
non-fiction about nature, folklore, and history.
She always looks forward to hearing from readers and fellow
writers, so if you're a fan of her books or have questions about writing and
publishing, feel free to reach out with questions, feedback or just to say
hello.
You can connect with Kathryn Rossati at her website: https://linktr.ee/kathrynrossatiwrites
