<![CDATA[Audrey Wilson

<![CDATA[Audrey Wilson - Blog]]>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 06:50:02 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[An Interview with Poet Curtis L. Crisler]]>Fri, 19 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.audreywilsonauthor.com/blog/an-interview-with-poet-curtis-l-crisler"(F)ind your voice, your voice on the page, and hone and develop it, no matter what."

Curtis L. Crisler is an award-winning poet/author, born and raised in Gary, Indiana. He received a BA in English, with a minor in Theatre, from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW, now PFW), and he received his MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He’s an activist for literacy, and a creator of things. Learn more about Curtis at www.poetcrisler.com

How long have you been writing?
Basically, since the fourth grade. That’s where I wrote a poem for Black History Month about Jackie Robinson that my mother helped me with. Although, it wasn’t until the 90’s that I took writing seriously and wanted to publish. So, I’d say officially, the last 30 years or so.

What has been your biggest inspiration as a writer?
There have been so many, but I think the biggest inspiration as a writer would be Cave Canem, Inc.—who has retreats for African American poets every summer. It was there I became a Cave Canem Fellow and got to meet many of the contemporary poets I was reading and so many more that would become Pulitzer Prize Winners, U.S. Poet Laureates, state and city poet laureates, winners of major awards, professors/teachers, entrepreneurs, musicians, playwrights, directors, coaches, and creative advocates to name some of the things they’ve accomplished.

Who are your favorite authors?
There are many, and for so many different reasons. Some classics. Some contemporaries. They vary in range. Yet, some good ones I’ve read recently are Angela Jackson-Brown, John Guzlowski, Nnedi Okorafor, Ada Limón, Sheree Renée Thomas, Jericho Brown, Kekla Magoon, Frederick Smock, Tyehimba Jess, Nandi Comer, Diane Suess, Tracy K. Smith, Jonathan S. Baker, Roxane Gay, Tony Brewer, Benjamin Percy, and Ray Bradbury, to name a few.

What is the best experience you've had in your writing career so far?
Northwood Middle School! There, they made me a rock star! They received my work in the fall, and in the spring I came for the day and they celebrated me. They turned my YA book Tough Boy Sonatas (out of print) into a fantastical cavalcade of artistic expression. The upper grades got the book. For the lower grades, I provided other poems. They used my work to create their own work. They created poems, stories, songs, videos, artwork and produced and directed all the behind-the-scenes stuff to make it happen. They had their work all over the walls in the hallways. It was amazing. I met the classes individually, then, they had me go to the gym, where the entire school was. It took my breath away when they said, “Welcome, Curtis L. Crisler!” The gym erupted! Their energy went through my body like electricity. Then, they performed their songs and poems and showed videos simulating their examination and understanding of my work. I read with them too. I think some of the videos are still on YouTube. Fantabulous!

Although, now, I’m doing some really great things with varieties of artists as the Indiana Poet Laureate. It’s really exhilarating to collaborate with others who are looking to communicate through artistic endeavors.

Have you experienced writer's block? If so, how did you get through it?
No, I don’t believe in writer’s block. I used to think I did, but then I had a deep conversation with one of my professors, Rodney Jones, in grad school and we addressed how we were always writing, and how sometimes that writing isn’t anything but crap, until it’s not. You write your way through the crap to get to something worthwhile. We never just sat at a blank screen or before a blank white page waiting on inspiration or a muse. We had bunches of starts, ideas, possibles, and crappy things. We were actually writing, even if the writing was crappy. We knew that “the work” was to keep producing until that something “good” came along. Most times, I’m doing “the work” of moving beyond “inspiration” and “crap” and getting to the something that’s working, then playing with what’s working to make it into a poem, a story, a play, an essay, or a book.

What's your writing process like?
I have a friend (a poet) return to our alma mater (the school I am now employed) to present his work. When asked about his writing process, he basically said that he writes when he’s obsessed about something. I understood that, and I felt the same way, for the most part. There’s no outlining for me. I’m always writing or incubating on getting to the page, when I have other duties before me (teaching, touring, reading, and the like). Most times I’m writing early in the morning—3rd shift. Yet, I can write at any time of the day. I tend to write in my chair by the window, the most. For atmosphere, I go to YouTube and put on music sometimes. This changes if I’m not home. Then, I just write wherever I’m located. A layover in an airport is a great writing arena.

What's the longest time it's taken you to write a book and what's the shortest?
The longest time it’s taken, and is still in flux, is thirty years or so. Yet, in those thirty or so years, I’ve written thirteen books, and have six other manuscripts I’m working on, three finished. I might just save those so when I die, I’ll have stuff still being produced for a while.

The shortest time took me a week or two. I tore my Achilles tendon playing basketball in the faculty vs. students event for homecoming. After the operation, I laid on the couch with my left leg on the back of the couch, while my mother rocked in my rocking chair, watching over me and falling to sleep. It was Christmas time. With all the above happening, I believe I was in the right head space to receive what became Black Achilles, by Accents Publishing.

What is your favorite genre to write and why?
It would be poetry. She is my baby, my forte. Everything starts from poetry—fiction, drama, CNF, essay, etc. It’s the one most connected to my soul and breath. As Lucille Clifton once said, “I’m open to poetry, so poetry comes to me.” I feel the same way. All the other genres feed off of that for me.

Are you self-published or traditionally published? Do you prefer one over the other?
When I started I did self-publish a book that really showed I wasn’t ready to publish. I did learn from that experience. A book takes time. That doesn’t mean you can’t self-publish. Self-publishing is up to the individual. Also, self-publishing, these days, has changed and can give the author more opportunities than it once did, outside of traditional publishing. There are successful authors that have used self-publishing and made it that way, or they have made it into traditional publishing, depending on the numbers of books they’ve sold.

I have published in a variety of ways. Many of my books have won contests, have been chosen by editors, or were done under contracts. These are probably ways that most people without an agent may try to publish. These are hard to do, as so many submitters are going for the one prize. Whereas, an agent can get you into places you’d not get in doing the above-mentioned. This is not even considering e-books and the like. But, as you can see, there are a variety of ways to publish. It all comes down to what the author wants or is looking for.

How do you handle rejection?
Rejection comes with the territory. Like an actor, you must audition to get the role. As a writer, you must submit to get published. There are a number of ways to get published, but one can’t let that get in their way of publishing, not if they want to get their work out there. Yet, it isn’t fun to get rejected, but it builds character and shows you how to put your best work out there. There have been times when I didn’t win the contest for a book, but the editors liked my book and then published it. That would not have happened had I not submitted. So, it can become tolerable. At this point. It doesn’t bother me as much. It makes me want to work even harder, actually.

Tell us about your most recent book. What did you enjoy most about writing it? What challenges did you face?
Doing Drive-bys on How to Love in the Midwest is about taking notice of my environment and how death, change, and getting older can imprint one’s surroundings in that indelible part of the mind that one can’t escape. We must use our voice and be who we are on the page. The titular poem is one I didn’t really want to share as it’s a personal one that happens with a friend. I didn’t want to objectify her, but writers objectify all of the people/objects/things they write about. She is so precious to me. Also, I had to share her with the world. I want others to be inspired by her, hopefully, helping them with their writing. Her liking the poem made it easier to put it out there.

Also, it was difficult writing poems (tornado/prose, epistolary/letter, and other free forms) to people who died in the vast past as well as recently. There is a burden it puts on me. Yet, there’s a release from it too. Death does not stop them from talking. There are still conversations to have with our dead. Once I realized that, I was open to receiving and having those conversations with or surrounding Emmett Till, Breonna Taylor, Zora Neale Hurston, and those who had to (and are still dealing with) the earthquake on May 12, 2008, in Eastern Sichuan, China, along with the floods in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

What's the most inspiring feedback you've received from a reader?
Once, there was a young boy, who vehemently told me about how much he hated poetry, with all his heart, but he said he liked my book, Tough Boy Sonatas. That letter is still in my desk.

What's next for you?
A lot of things are in flux and progressing simultaneously. I’m teaching at Purdue University Fort Wayne. I’m still the Indiana Poet Laureate. We will be doing an anthology around my collaborating with Hoosiers. I am slowly creating new work and getting some published. I have three manuscripts (fiction, poetry, and craft) that are looking for homes, and I have three manuscripts that are being born as we speak (all poetry).

What is the best advice you could give to a fellow writer?
Langston Hughes said, “Bury yourself, poet, in your own words. Otherwise, you are dead.” So, find your voice, your voice on the page, and hone and develop it, no matter what. Also, some people say they want to write, but they push writing back beyond the other things they are doing. Writing is a pain in the ass. You can’t push it to the side and expect gold to appear when you do it. It is work. Hard work, like anything else. Having your voice on something that you create should mean something to you. Each and every time you do it.

]]><![CDATA[An Interview with Author Jack Finn]]>Mon, 10 Mar 2025 17:30:56 GMThttps://www.audreywilsonauthor.com/blog/an-interview-with-author-jack-finn

Jack's debut horror novel, The Seven Deaths of Prince Vlad, was released by Anuci Press (2024). He has three books being released in 2025. His werewolf duology Prey Upon the Lambs (April 2025) and The Desolation of Hunters (September 2025) will be released by Anuci Press. Velox Books is releasing an anthology of Jack's short stories in 2025, tentatively titled They Come When You Are Asleep.

His short stories have been included in Terrorcore Publishing's Doors of Darkness, January Ember Press’ Horrorscope 4, Dark Village Publications’ Twelve Months of Horror, Voices From the Mausoleum’s Howlin' for You, and Edge Weaver Books upcoming Tales from the Cursed Edge.

How long have you been writing?
I started writing for publication in 2021. Then it was mostly on Stubstack and Medium, but the positive reception I received from readers totally blew me away. I started writing longer works, and after getting a few short stories published in anthologies, I signed my first novel deal with Anuci Press in 2023.

What has been your biggest inspiration as a writer?
First and foremost, it’s my wife, I would never have had the courage to put pen to paper if it was not for her. Beyond that, and I know this is going to sound cliché, but it’s the readers. More than an author or a writer I consider myself a storyteller, and to find an audience that these stories resonate with has been a tremendous inspiration.

Who are your favorite authors?
My holy trinity of horror writers are Adam Nevill, Gerald Brom, and James Brogden. I read everything those guys write. I think James Brogden’s Bone Harvest is one of the best folk horror novels I ever read, it’s a gold standard for me—just brilliant. Everything Adam Nevill writes leaves me in awe, the guy is an absolute generational talent, which technically I guess is bad for me since we’re about the same age and generation. There should be a class on Brom’s work–Krampus, The Child Thief, and Slewfoot-–are books I will read repeatedly for the rest of my days. I have said this in other forums, Richard’s monologues in Brom’s latest work, Evil in Me, is the best serial killer writing since Hannibal Lector—hands down, fact.

I thought Nicholas Pullen’s The Black Hunger was the best written, most original, horror I read in 2024. He is an author to watch.

Paul Tremblay’s Horror Movie and Mason Coile’s (the late Andrew Pyper) William were both next level in terms of storytelling and twists.

Last year for the first time I read HP Lovecraft’s works since they are so influential on so many authors and I was curious what cosmic horror was all about. There are definitely some great works that build off of his concepts, The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle and Hailey Pipers’ The Worm and His Kings immediately come to mind. Though I have to say, nobody captures the atmosphere and vibe of Lovecraft like Christopher Michael in his Danforth: Eldritch Tales of WWII: Tomb of the Black Pharaoh.

What is the best experience you've had in your writing career so far?
Overall, meeting, connecting with, and befriending so many talented writers. The horror writing community was very warm, welcoming, and inclusive. I feel very at home and that is a great place to write from.

Have you experienced writer's block? If so, how did you get through it?
Oh hell yeah, everyone gets writer's block. The best way to get through it for me is to talk through the story with someone, whether it’s my wife or another writer and just toss ideas and thoughts around until the logjam in my head clears.

What's your writing process like?
I try and write, or at least research, every day. My writing process is very chaotic. I don’t outline on paper, but I constantly run through the story in my head. I use music a lot and will play certain songs as I write if the beat gives me the feel for the scene. It's controlled chaos but it works.

What's the longest time it's taken you to write a book and what's the shortest?
That’s hard to say. My first novel took about two years, but I was active duty military so the amount of time I was able to dedicate to writing really ebbed and flowed. If I am able to apply myself time-wise, I think I can typically get a first draft done in 3-4 months.

What is your favorite genre to write and why?
I typically write horror, occasionally I’ll dip into dark fantasy, but I think the genre I like most is horror. Specifically, folk horror. I like to take a contrarian approach. So much of our folklore and classic horror tales are about people encountering some monster or malign force. I tend to take the view that we are the malign presence and those creatures are more than justified in the terror and carnage they sow. I take a very dark view of religion and religious institutions in specific and I think that comes out very evidently in my writing. There are no priests casting out demons in my books…at least not successfully…but there are plenty acting badly. In my debut novel, The Seven Deaths of Prince Vlad, I approached it from the angle that history is written by the victors and Dracula was the tale Van Helsing wanted told. But what if what occurred was vastly different. I think horror is a fertile ground for that kind of experimentation.

Are you self-published or traditionally published? Do you prefer one over the other?
I do have a self-published anthology (Legend of the Deer Woman) and several works either out or in the process of being released by indie presses. I love the control and flexibility of self-publishing, but the business side of this industry is really tough and you want a savvy publisher who can navigate that with you. Ideally, a writer can follow in the footsteps of authors like Adam Nevill, who built a name publishing traditionally and then took control of the business side and now publishes his work under his own imprint.

How do you handle rejection?
Oh, man, I’d love to have a great answer for this one, but the truth is that rejection is soul crushing. You pour a lot of yourself into your work, get to a point where you feel really good about it, and then send it out into the world to largely get obliterated. Ultimately, if you persevere you’ll find someone, an agent or publisher, who believes in your work too and then it’s off to the races. Until then it’s just brutal.

I feel like when I get a rejection from a publisher or an author, I morph into that scene in The Two Towers when Gollum is arguing with himself, Gollum: "You don't have any friends. Nobody likes you", Smeagol: (with his hands over his ears) "Not listening. I'm not listening."

The truth is there are so many writers out there today and publishers and agents are just absolutely overwhelmed by the number of submissions. I feel for those folks, I truly do. I curse them up and down with every rejection in my Gollum voice "Curse them! We hates them!" but in my calmer Smeagol moments I feel for them.

Tell us about your most recent book. What did you enjoy most about writing it? What challenges did you face?
I have a werewolf duology coming out this year from Anuci Press, (Prey Upon the Lambs & The Desolation of Hunters). I would say the story follows in the tradition of Brotherhood of the Wolf, and takes place in the final days of Czarist Russia. As winter looms, a wolf of unusual size and intelligence descends upon the rural nineteenth-century Russian village of Obrechen. Forgoing local livestock, the beast preys upon human victims, confounding the local constabulary and hunters, whose efforts to kill the beast meet with disaster. The village priest blames the wolf’s deprivations on the presence of Galina Sekova, mistress of the Countess of Kalinin, secreted away in a cottage outside of Obrechen. Aided by a young village girl in her employ and an outcast boy orphaned by the pogroms of Kalinin, Galina seeks to unravel the wolf’s secret before they become its next victims.

It’s a story I have thought about for a while and really thrilled to get it out in the world. The story started out as a short story, then grew to a novella, and eventually a duology. I wanted to put a different spin on the traditional werewolf tale with a new kind of mythology to it. The biggest challenge was making sure that I kept within the boundaries of what was realistic for rural 19th century Russia in terms of culture, technology, and everyday village life.

What's the most inspiring feedback you've received from a reader?
Ok, this may sound odd. But I talked to a reader that really loved some of my short stories, and when we started to chat with him I realized that he loved the story I told but pictured aspects of the story so much differently than I did when I wrote it. At first I was like, “oh, damn, I feel this guy liked a completely different story than I wrote.” But then I realized, but loving my story but picturing things differently he made the story his own. I think one of the pitfalls writers get into is feeling they need to describe everything for the reader so that they picture it just the way they do. You have to let the reader picture some things their way to make the story their own too. Growing up The Hobbit was, and is, my favorite book of all time. As a kid, way before the movies came out I had very vivid pictures in my head of what the elves and dwarves looked like, but Tolkien is very sparse in his description of either race. I filled in those details and the story became very dear to me.

What's next for you?
This year my Wolves of Kalinin duology, Prey Upon the Lambs and The Desolation of Hunters, is being released by Anuci Press; I have an anthology tentatively titled They Come When You Are Asleep coming out from Velox Books, and I have a short story in Edge Weaver Books' Tales from the Cursed Edge. I recently completed work on a supernatural serial killer novella called Wilson that blends the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with Carnivale and I am currently looking for a home for it.

I am finishing up a dark fantasy novel and I have several novellas in the works, including two Western horror novellas, a Cold War era horror tale, and a military horror that draws upon my deployment experiences. I am also in the preliminary stages of a unique horror tale that I am going to keep under wraps a little longer but I am really excited about.

So on the writing side of the house things are moving really well. On the business side of the house I am hoping to get agented if I find the right fit or the right fit finds me.

What is the best advice you could give to a fellow writer?
There’s really two pieces of advice that I wish I could go back in time and give myself.

The first is to just find your voice and tell your story. When I started writing I got really wrapped around the axle because I felt like my writing did not read like any of the authors I liked. In time I realized that was a good thing, I want to sound like me, not someone else that was successful writing in their voice. Once you get over that hurdle, just tell your story but leave some things to the imagination of the reader.

The second, and this was a tough lesson for me to learn, writing is an art but publishing is a business. The business side of this industry for new authors is tough and time consuming. Until you land a big publishing deal, you are going to spend almost as much time promoting you work as you are writing. Be prepared for that.

You can find Jack's books on his Amazon page and be sure to follow up on Instagram.

]]><![CDATA[An Interview with Author Jessica Huntley]]>Sun, 09 Feb 2025 17:06:48 GMThttps://www.audreywilsonauthor.com/blog/an-interview-with-author-jessica-huntley

Jessica Huntley is an award-winning and best-selling psychological thriller author. She's an ex-British soldier and Personal Trainer and has been writing almost non-stop for the past four years. She is now the author of sixteen books, including two trilogies, six standalone thrillers, two anthologies, a co-written horror project and a novella. She is both self-published and traditionally published with Inkubator Books and Joffe Books. She writes books for thriller readers who like their stories dark and twisty with complex, yet memorable characters, who often suffer from relatable mental health disorders. When she isn't writing, Jessica is either keeping fit, walking her dog or looking after her young son.

I'm super excited to interview Jessica today! Not only is she an incredibly talented author, but I also had the pleasure of her reviewing my new thriller The Ever End. Thank you for joining me today, Jessica!

How long have you been writing?

Officially, I’ve been writing since April 2020, but unofficially, I’ve been writing books and stories since I was 10. I’ve always loved creating stories. As a child, they were always only for me to read, but now it’s surreal to have so many readers who enjoy reading what I write.

What has been your biggest inspiration as a writer?

It’s mainly other authors who inspire me, especially authors who have started out as self-published, including John Marrs, Freida Mcfadden and Colleen Hoover, who are now some of the biggest authors out there today! There’s hope for me yet!

Who are your favorite authors?

I have many! But my auto-buy authors are John Marrs, Lucy Clarke, T.M. Logan and Chris Carter. My favourite self-published authors are Hayley Anderon, T.M. Lunn, Eric Woods and Sara Kate.

What is the best experience you've had in your writing career so far?

I think it has to be going to a book event and have readers come up to me who I’ve never met before ask me to sign my book and have a selfie. Literally was the most surreal moment of my life. That, and having a publisher reach out to me directly and ask me to work with them. Oh, and reaching Amazon Number 1 Bestseller on publication day of my latest release, Horrible Husbands. A proper pinch me moment!

Have you experienced writer's block? If so, how did you get through it?

Yes and no. But I wouldn’t call it proper writer’s block. I’ve stared at a screen for ages and barely come up with a few words, but after a walk to clear my head, I can write. However, I’ve always written a whole page and thought it’s utter rubbish and deleted it all. Sometimes, a break is all that’s needed.

What's your writing process like?

With my self-published books, I generally “make it up as I go along”. It’s how I’ve always written and I find it the most freeing in terms of allowing the characters to make me where they want to go, rather than try and keep them in a box. I write every single day without fail, unless I’m super busy, travelling or sick as a dog. And I’m most productive in the mornings after the child is at school and I’ve completed a workout, had a shower and got a coffee. I mainly write at home in my office or on the sofa with my laptop and dog on my lap.

What's the longest time it's taken you to write a book and what's the shortest?

The longest time it’s taken me to write a book is 2 years and the shortest is 3 months.

What is your favorite genre to write and why?

I mainly write psychological thrillers. I have written horror, but most of my books are thrillers. I like to read thrillers too. I enjoy them because thrillers often mess with your head. You think you’re reading about one thing, but actually it ends up being something else. I like to be surprised when I read, so I want my readers to feel the same.

Are you self-published or traditionally published? Do you prefer one over the other?

I am both! I started out self-publishing my books, but about a year and a half ago, I was approached by Inkubator Books who asked me if I was interested in writing for them, so I said yes! Then, amazingly, one of my books got picked out of the submission pile and Joffe Books signed Horrible Husbands. Both publishers are happy for me to continue to self-publish, which is amazing.

How do you handle rejection?

I accept it and move on. No point crying over it. If I can learn from it then great, but if not then I just keep going. Rejection won’t stop me.

Tell us about your most recent book. What did you enjoy most about writing it? What challenges did you face?

My most recent book that’s published is Horrible Husbands, about a group of three best friends who have married horrible men. They set out to get rid of them ... permanently. It was such fun to write, as it does have some humour to separate from the very dark themes throughout. I loved writing about the friendships and how they overcome challenges by sticking together.

What's the most inspiring feedback you've received from a reader?

I had a private message from a reader once who said that my book Jinx changed her life and that she’ll keep fighting through her trauma no matter what. It was the most amazing feeling.

What's next for you?

Next, I have a self-published book out on the 1st of March called The Murder Maze, which took me over a year to write and finish. Then, I have one book out with Inkubator in April and then another with Joffe Books in May, so it’s all go go go!

What is the best advice you could give to a fellow writer?

Don’t stop writing. If writing is what you want to do, then don’t stop. Just write. Make friends with other authors, share your experience and if you get a bad review, then don’t take it personally.

Learn more about Jessica at www.jessicahuntleyauthor.com. You can also follow Jessica at Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, and Amazon. Plus, free copy of You Die..I Die a short thriller story available if you sign up for Jessica's newsletter!

]]><![CDATA[An Interview with Author Katherine Mezzacappa]]>Fri, 31 Jan 2025 02:39:09 GMThttps://www.audreywilsonauthor.com/blog/an-interview-with-authror-katherine-mezzacappa

I had the pleasure of meeting the wonderfully talented Katherine Mezzacappa while in Dublin, where I was invited to speak at the Dublin International Writers' Festival in September of 2025. Katherine was hosting a book signing at the iconic Hodges Figgis bookstore for her newest release at the time, The Maiden of Florence. Katherine is not only an accomplished, talented author, but also a truly remarkable individual. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview her for my blog.

Audrey: Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview, Katherine. I'm so excited to hear more about your writing career.

Katherine: Thank you for inviting me onto your blog today, Audrey. I’ve been looking forward to our conversation since our meeting at the last International Dublin Writers Festival.

Audrey: You spoke in Dublin about the craft of writing historical fiction. Can you tell me a bit about why you chose that genre?

Katherine: I didn’t know what to start with. I originally planned to write contemporary romance, back in the 1990s. I pitched a short novel to Mills & Boon (Harlequin in the US); they gave me kind feedback but declined my book. Then life got in the way (business career, children, relocation) and I wrote only non-fiction for a while (magazine articles, an academic text, a Human Resources manual) until a dear friend convinced me to join her on a creative writing Masters being launched in Canterbury (England), where I was then living. For my submission, I wrote part of a novel set in wartime Italy and realised historical fiction was what I was meant to be writing. I got feedback from the selection board that ‘I forgot why I was supposed to be reading this, I was so immersed in it.’ Another faculty member said that I wrote in an ‘old-fashioned way.’ I took that as the compliment he said he intended. I understand where that came from. I was a pretty introverted adolescent who took refuge in books. I’d read everything by Thomas Hardy by the time I was fourteen, along with the Brontës, Jane Austen, George Eliot and so on, most of which wasn’t historical fiction but fiction from history. This taught me about voice (though I didn’t know it at the time); as a regular reviewer (for the Historical Novel Society) and as a manuscript assessor, I too often encounter good stories marred by the protagonists talking and behaving as if they are my contemporaries. Consequently, for each book I write, I read a vast amount of material that people were reading at the time my story is set: novels, yes, but also newspaper articles, memoirs, court reports etc. For instance, for my novel The Maid of Lindal Hall (2023, writing as Katie Hutton) set in England in the 1930s, I read Agatha Christie novels of that decade, though I wasn’t writing a crime novel, because Christie catches a turn of phrase, a reference that captures the spirit of the age.

I write some contemporary fiction too, under the name Kate Zarrelli, alongside my longer projects, with protagonists who are a lot younger than I am. I eavesdrop on younger people’s conversations on public transport and check things with my sons and their girlfriends! Updated, the novel that was turned down in the 1990s was published about five years ago and has been followed by two others, with a fourth in press.

Audrey: That last example suggests a degree of resilience is needed as a writer.

Katherine: Absolutely. I have a dear friend, a sculptor living in Oregon. She told me about her art school reunion a few years back. She said, ‘I wasn’t the best sculptor but I was the only one still working as one.’ She’s a superb sculptor, but her point is that you just have to stick at it. A couple of instances: I wrote The Ballad of Mary Kearney back in 2016, my second full-length attempt after the novel I wrote on my Masters programme. It got some great feedback but no takers. I went on to publish four books (as Katie Hutton), then under my own name, The Maiden of Florence. But I kept faith with Mary Kearney (and kept revising) and the book was published by Histria (Las Vegas) in January this year. The other instance is The Maiden of Florence. It was due out in September 2022 but six weeks before publication date the publisher’s site went down and he wasn’t answering emails. The business had failed. There were no signals this was going to happen. Dispirited, I started the submission round all over again, ended up with four offers and Fairlight, the new publisher, is magnificent.

Audrey: As a writer myself, I always love hearing advice from other writers. What advice can you give on the writing process?

Katherine: I have advice for writers around resilience. One is, ‘it’s a habit, not a hobby.’ You have to treat writing like work, even if it’s often a struggle to earn money from it. The other is, ‘you can’t revise a blank page.’ In other words, write every day but don’t worry about whether it’s good or not. You can fix it the next day. What also works for me is having at least two projects on the go at once. That means if I can’t see how to go forward with one story, I work on the other. When I come back to the first one, the problem has usually un-knotted itself. Also, be easy to work with and gracious, even if not everyone in the publishing world will always treat you with the same professionalism.

Audrey: When we were introduced in Dublin at the launch of The Maiden of Florence, you told a curious story of how the story came into being. Could you share that with our readers?

Katherine: That was a real stroke of luck. I’d accompanied my son to a medical appointment but because we were running late, I’d rushed out without a book or my Kindle. In the doctor's waiting room there was a choice of gossip magazines (this was pre-Covid) and one lone medical journal – dedicated to erectile dysfunction. My excuse is that as a novelist the psychological causes of this affliction had to be of interest. It had one tiny historical column. It provided the bones of the story of my novel, of a girl taken from a church-run orphanage in Florence in 1584 to act as a proof of virility for the heir to the dukedom of Mantua, as a condition for his dynastic marriage with a Medici princess. The unsuspecting orphan was provided with a husband after the event; he was bribed with a considerable dowry. I tell her story, from her point of view (barely heard in the historical record) and then create the story of the marriage.

Audrey: What other sources of inspiration would you recommend to those who want to write historical fiction?

Katherine: Visit historic sites, out of season if possible. Look at portraits in museums, and if you see a face that seems to really be looking at you, research any symbols you find in the painting. Do they hold something that has meaning, like a piece of coral, for instance? How are they dressed? Costume museums are a great source too. As mentioned above, read literature of the time.

Audrey: What are you working on now?

Katherine: I’m venturing into historic crime, with the first of a series set in Renaissance city state courts. My protagonist is a physician, trained at the School of Salerno. Women were trained there too in the Middle Ages but I opted for a male protagonist because he would have more agency. I have also started on a novel set near Edinburgh in the 1920s, inspired by a stray comment I heard some years ago. When this old man was a child, the gentry in his village lost their only son in World War I. He left behind a baby he’d fathered on a local girl, but the grandparents refused to acknowledge the little boy. When the memory resurfaced, I could ‘see’ this young woman holding her child’s hand, standing at the gates to the grandparents’ estate.

I also have a novel out on submission. It’s the story of Lucie Dumas, the mistress of the man of letters Samuel Butler. He found her as a streetwalker in Islington in 1871. But this isn’t a Victorian ‘Pretty Woman’ story. She had left behind a child in France whom she would never see again. Some years into the arrangement with Butler, he introduced one of his friends and paid for him to visit her once a week as well. Her response to this arrangement is not recorded.

Audrey: Thank you so much, Katherine! I'm sure our readers will find your story and advice very helpful. I know I did!

Katherine's book The Maiden of Florence as well as her other work can be found on Amazon and where books are sold.

You can follow Katherine on Bluesky and Facebook, and learn more about her on her website.

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