← Living The Next Chapter: Candid Conversations with Authors and Writers for Readers Searching for a New Read
Living The Next Chapter: Candid Conversations with Authors and Writers for Readers Searching for a New Read
E303 - KT Carlisle - From the Bucolic Vermont, From Her First Pen to Her Murder Mystery Trilogy
00:52:53
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- [00:01]
A
Oh, I would say definitely lean on the people that you know in real life. I, I think that the funniest response that I've gotten to my book came from my neighbor where he said, I don't like any of your characters. They are all just so messed up. And I'm like, well, think about the people you know in your own life. You know, are they perfect or do they have flaws? You know, because it's so easy, I think it's easier for a writer to sit there and dream up this fabulous protagonist who is so likable and easy to fall in love with. But at the end of the day, that's, that's not what makes a believable character, because a character should be like a real person, and a real person isn't perfect. So, you know, you don't have to make them necessarily as messed up as, as mine, but they should be flawed to some degree. So I would say definitely keep that in mind when you're developing your characters. And then the second thing I will say, which I thought was very eye openening for me, was when I did send my book to my editor, she came back to me and said, I have no idea what any of these people look like. So that was my first draft. And she's like, you need to really go back and think about what they look like and just a real quick introduction to, you know, have a visual there. Because otherwise I'm just going through the story, inventing them in my own brain and that shouldn't be. So I said, wow, I just totally noticed, neglected that whole entire part of writing and didn't mean to. So that is, that is another thing to keep in mind is, you know, when you are first introducing them, try to find a way to real quick, give a strong visual because otherwise your readers are just going to be like, well, I made up this character now. And then 20 pages later, when you tell me they have blue eyes and I thought they had brown, I'm throwing for a loop.
- [02:10]
B
Everyone. Welcome back to Living the Next Chapter. I have an author joining me from my happy place, a place where I have been and I love Vermont. This time of year is like heaven. You got. You have to go. Probably the most expensive time ever to go to Vermont, but you need to go and just drive the back roads and see the colors and the amazing people. And KT is here from Vermont, which makes me so happy. Katie, welcome to Living the Next Chapter.
- [02:42]
A
Oh, thank you so much for having me. I'm thrilled to be here. And you are absolutely Correct. Vermont is stunning this time of year
- [02:51]
B
and the home to the nicest people in the world. Right, Katie?
- [02:53]
A
Oh, well, I'm a bit biased, but yes, absolutely. I, I agree.
- [02:59]
B
100. It's you. You don't. Yeah, you need, you need to be proud of that because you are. You are from one of the nicest places in the U.S. i think with the rolling hills, the mountains. Stowe. I would love Stowe just, again, the best people. We, we stayed in some bed and breakfast back in the day, and we left. We left a big piece of us in, in Vermont. So I, so I'm so glad to have you on the podcast and talk about your author journey. Welcome to the show. Can you tell everybody a little bit about how your author journey began? KT I really like to find the starting point.
- [03:37]
A
Oh, yeah. Well, we're gonna go all the way back. I have to take you to back when I was three years old, because that's really when it all started. And I always tell the story of my grandmother was watching me, and I was just so fussy with her, and she couldn't figure out what was going on or what I needed. And she just reached into her bag and gave me a pen, and I threw my arms around her and I kissed her. And the rest, as they say, is history. That was all I needed, to just hit the ground running and do that. So ever since then, I've just fallen in love with writing and reading as well. But it's just been, like, a constant part of my life for as long as I can remember. I. I've always really known that I wanted to pursue writing as a career, whether it was writing books or. Or writing the nutritional packs on the back of a cereal box. I just knew I needed to be writing
- [04:41]
B
nice, nice. And okay. So that's, that's definitely going back to the beginning. And I love that A pen is probably one of the greatest gift ideas ever. A world of all these expensive things we can buy kids nowadays to hand somebody a pen.
- [04:57]
A
Oh, my goodness.
- [04:57]
B
And to see joy on you, that is. I think I'm going to go now and buy a box of pens and just go hand them out.
- [05:02]
A
Yeah, you should. It'll be a great, A great gift to give away.
- [05:06]
B
I could just see some kids be like, what is this? What I'm going to do with this?
- [05:09]
A
Right? Can I use this to draw on my iPhone or whatever?
- [05:15]
B
Where do you plug this in? Yeah, no, it's a pen. But I love the idea that that pen became the, the starting point. For you, that you have that memory that is such a great memory.
- [05:26]
A
Yeah, it really was the catalyst for so many things in my life, but I always go back to that moment, and she always loved to share that story with me, too. So it's. It's something that bonded us really forever. It was. It was a great, great thing that she did for me there. But, you know, I guess as far as my. My author journey is really concerned, that didn't really start until this year when, you know, I just. I had recently lost my father about five years ago, and he was taken from us far too soon. Very talented man. He was an artist, and he was a big supporter of me on my, you know, creative writing journey. And he always told me, you know, don't give up. Keep writing. I can't wait to read that first novel. And unfortunately, he passed away before I could do that for him. And I just was. You know, I turned 30. I was like, man, am I really going to let my life pass me by without doing this? Not just for me, but for this man who supported me my entire life. I feel like I owe it to him now more than ever to. To do this and really take a chance on myself. So I talked with my husband about it, and he was like, no, go ahead, do it. Throw everything to the wind and just do it. So I did, and I knocked that first draft out in less than 100 days, and it just kind of fell out of me. And now it's like I open Pandora's box and the ideas are not stopping. I almost having trouble keeping up with them all.
- [07:22]
B
Do you feel like during the writing process that your dad's there with you, kind of helping?
- [07:27]
A
Oh, yeah, Yeah, I feel him there. You know, a lot of people say, oh, he's so proud of you. And a big part of me is like, you know, that that's great to hear, and I'm sure it's true. I just wish I could hear it from him. But I have him here, you know, with me. I. I know that. And I just. I. I hope that wherever he is, he's enjoying the book.
- [07:53]
B
Yeah, right. And I think the. The beauty of that relationship is that he's had a lifetime with you to. To show those proud moments. And I know that he would be so thrilled for all the response and the community around your book and the people that love and support you, that he gets to demonstrate that through them now.
- [08:15]
A
Which is kind of cool, saying that. That's a really great take on it. I love that.
- [08:21]
B
Right. So, like, you and I get a chance to meet. Like, how would we have ever met? We've not gone down those path. Right? So my world's better to have time with you, and I know my audience now gets to find out and fall in love with you as well. The re. The recency of what you've done, that's what's really interesting to me is you're seeing success already as the book goes out into the world and as you, as your writings go out. Talk a little bit about what that means to you as a. As a new author with new projects out there to hear back from, like, reviews and from your community. What does that mean to you?
- [09:00]
A
It's been very humbling. I will say that I was not expecting things to go quite so successfully, especially since I went the self publishing route versus the traditional publishing route. Not for lack of trying, but I did end up doing the self publishing thing and it was just so incredible to me. I think what is the most startling to me is the, like, joining Twitter. That was the moment where I was like, should I really even do this? I never envisioned myself to be someone on Twitter at all. And as I was querying agents, I realized that many of them are asking for your handle. And I said, oh, well, this must be important. I. I better check it out. So I did, and I'm so glad that I did, because, you know, you're saying, you know, the reviews and the success and, and all that, a lot of that has come from there. And I've been able to connect with some really inspiring people, really great authors that are within my genre, who have been so kind and accepting of me as an author, and not just accepting, but willing to support me. And I think it's important, especially for new authors, to just take that chance and reach out. You know, there are some people out there who might have an idea in their head like, oh, this author is so famous. They have such a big following. They'll never respond to me if I reach out to them. And it's not true. You'd be surprised. You know, a lot of people with big, big followings have gotten back to me immediately, and I'm like, wow, this is crazy. You know, they're not all full of themselves. They're just normal people like you and me trying to make it in an industry that is so highly competitive. And they really do just want to make good connections and, and build their community as well. And it's been really amazing to be a part of that and kind of step out of my Comfort zone because I am certainly not the kind of person who goes to social media for anything, but it's been really, really interesting.
- [11:21]
B
So, kt, we're going to talk about the power of the pen many times in our conversation today because I love the, that that's your starting point. But with through the power of your pen now, you as an author are that person for someone else. There's people listening to this show that are very early days becoming an author, starting their project, and they're looking to you like, I can't believe that Katie responded to me on, on Twitter. Like they're looking at you that same way that you're looking at other people. You, you've done it. You're, you're a published author, you're getting feedback, you're getting love from your community. And now people are looking to you as an example that they want to either emulate or they want to be in contact with. How does that feel for you to now be the one of the people that people look up to, the way you look up to others?
- [12:15]
A
It's kind of wild. You know, I, I, I try not to really think about it that way because I'm still very much adjusting to that as my new reality. You know, I, I wake up sometimes. I'm like, how is this even happening? And if it's a dream, please don't wake me up. But I, you know, I just try to, you know, take it one day at a time and be humble about it and realize that, you know, yeah, I am getting some success and that's great, but there's always work to be done, there's always improvements to be made, and there's always something new to learn. So I, I try to keep that in mind and, and just not be one of those people who's like, oh, I, well, I've made it and I don't have time for all of this. Like, that's, that's not who I'm, I am, I want to help people too. Like, they've helped me. And I think that at the end of the day, you'll find that most writers feel that way because it is such a struggle, especially, especially in the beginning and even before, I would say the beginning, it's a struggle to even get to the blank page. So to have a strong support network is really so important, and I'm really honored to be a part of that now in all ways, I love it.
- [13:44]
B
Now, before we hit record, you mentioned an update that you got a Kirkus review. Now, for those like Me who are not an author yet and not don't really understand what that means. Can you, could you unpack for us what that means to be reviewed by Kirkus? Like, because I've hear other authors talk about this and it's like, oh, you got a review, great. But there's something special about that for you as an author. Can you explain to us what that means?
- [14:16]
A
Absolutely. So Kirkus is a very prestigious organization that almost, I mean, they exclusively review all works and it's, it's almost a little terrifying when you submit to them because they have this disclaimer where it's like, we get very honest reviews. And if you're unhappy with your, our feedback, you know, like they even give you the option to not publish the feedback in case it is bad because you know, they're, they're not there to, you know, toot your horn or anything. They're there to give you honest feedback. So when I submitted, I just, you know, you just have those doubts. They're never gonna go away. I think all writers just suffer the same self doubt and anxiety. Like, oh, even if they've been published countless times, they're always going to have that voice of doubt in the back of their head, like, oh, maybe it won't go so well. And that was definitely me. So when I, I did get the Kirkus review back and it was very positive, I was like, wow, okay, that's, that's what I needed. I need that confidence boost. So it's, it's a very big deal though because of just the notoriety of them as an organization and.
- [15:33]
B
Yeah.
- [15:33]
A
And everything that they, that they do. And I just appreciate that so much. I'm very thankful for them having read it and reviewed it and it's great.
- [15:45]
B
Okay, so Katie, let's, let's not dance around it anymore. Let's get into the content of what you're writing. There's a lot of, a lot of great books coming from you now and in the future. So can you give us some insight around where the idea came for, for your book and kind of lead us through a little bit of what we're going to fall in love with which we buy your book?
- [16:06]
A
Yeah, absolutely. So Reasonable is the first in a trilogy that I have planned and it is a murder mystery. And I guess the inspiration for that really comes from my personal obsession with true crime and all things that are a little bit maab. So I, you know, I was very inspired by the unfortunate circumstances that happened in Idaho recently with the college murders that happened there. That was a big source of inspiration for me as I began writing and as I started to shape the killer in my book series, I realized that I was drawing a lot of inspiration from Jeffrey Dahmer. A lot of what is discussed in the book has to do with this idea of obsession and addiction in all forms. And I think that at the end of the day, a serial killer really is an addict and is obsessed with their target. And there are many instances, especially in Jeff Predahmer's life, where he did try to reach out and get the help that he needed for that and didn't really know how to articulate it in a way that would result in any meaningful intervention. So he was sort of a lost cause. And not to, you know, diminish the horrible, horrible things that he did. But I. I always felt a little sorry for him because he did try, and it just didn't work out. And I wonder sometimes, you know, could he have been helped? Could there have been something done to prevent all of the tragic things that happened afterwards after he wasn't helped and he was left to his own devices? So there's a lot of that woven into the story and, you know, just how imperative it is to communicate honestly with one another and the things that might happen when you don't.
- [18:35]
B
Yeah. Can you introduce us to some of the main characters in your book?
- [18:39]
A
Absolutely. So Catherine Clark is the main character. We enter the story on her. We just get right to it. She is arrested because she is found covered in the blood of her best friend and holding the murder weapon. So the police zero in on her as suspect number one. They lock her away in prison, and she's facing a life sentence for her crime, and she is a recovering alcoholic, and because she is so in such a drunken stupor at the time of her arrest, she really can't remember if she did it or not. So there's a big question looming over the novel as to whether she was responsible or what really did happen that night. Was there somebody else there that she just stuck? I can't remember. And a lot of her memories, not just about the night in question, but also from her time in college, come into play because there is this event that happened during her college years where one of her neighbors commits suicide, or so everybody thinks. And she. It's very unexpected. So there's a. A question about, you know, why did she do this? Did she even do it? And why would that be related in any way to Kat's journey getting arrested? So there are a lot of different threads being Pulled a lot of different twists and turns that I have planned for people. So it's. Without giving too much away, that's pretty much the crux of the mystery, is what really happened that night and what really happened to Mia Davis, who is the neighbor who committed suicide.
- [20:47]
B
So did you know at the beginning when you picked up that pen, that magical pen we talked about, that this would be a trilogy right from the beginning?
- [20:54]
A
You know, I didn't. I really thought this was going to be one book. And I got about halfway done and I realized, oh, man, there's way more to this story, and if I put it all into one book, we're going to have a Stephen King length novel here. And that will never get published. So I decided I need to break this up into three segments. And I'm glad that I did, but I'm really excited for the sequel. And I know a lot of people, they reach the end and they get back to me and they're like, that's it. That's such a cliffhanger. I'm like, well, you have to wait for book two to find out more.
- [21:40]
B
So what I'm envisioning, Katie, is when I. When we're cooking, we kind of have like, three different things going at the same time. We're not just cooking one specific item for the menu. We're doing the side dish, we're doing the main dish. We're doing all these things at the same time. Are you kind of writing all three at the same time or are you just doing one dish at a time?
- [21:59]
A
That's a really good question. And it's kind of both. Right. So as I'm writing the first book, I have all of these ideas for the second and the third, and I will write these down and sort of use them for outlining later. But I am going one at a time, and I'm doing it that way because I think that it helps me keep track of details. There are a lot of details in this book and a lot of different, you know, like I said, twists and turns. So I think by doing it one at a time versus attempting to write them all at once will help me avoid making mistakes or, you know, having the dreaded plot hole where things are just, you know, not adding up. So that's why I've taken that approach. So, yeah, that's. That's how I've been doing it.
- [22:56]
B
Because for me, if I'm as a. As an outsider looking into the process with my limited knowledge, I would be thinking, how am I going to make this big story arc work across all these different stories in these different releases so that everything makes sense. And I don't write myself into a corner. And I can't explain something where I'm like, oh, no, I didn't even think about this new character. That has to be part of the third book. I didn't realize I needed them back in the first book. And you get all this kind of mumbo jumbo going on where you're trying to make sense of it all. As an author.
- [23:30]
A
Yeah.
- [23:30]
B
I would have to have some kind of big spreadsheet or some big whiteboard and kind of, okay, person A goes from here to here to here to here.
- [23:37]
A
Oh, yeah.
- [23:38]
B
Like, do you have this. Is that kind of how you map things out?
- [23:40]
A
Oh, yeah. So I have so many different documents on. On this book and. And the two books that are coming out after it, and Excel spreadsheets and handwritten notes, notes in my phone and all. All sorts of things to really keep me on track and. And have me make sense of. Like you said, like, I. I really want to prevent that feeling of being backed into a corner. Right. So as I was mapping out this story, I realized, you know, oh, one way I can make this make sense is have it be from multiple points of view, which it is. So we have Kat's story in the beginning. We also go into detective Rachel McGowan's perspective in book one, and then in book two, we explore some other people's points of view to get some answers about things that maybe those first two women weren't in on, so they wouldn't have known. So there are things, you know, exploring things like that and techniques like that is very helpful, especially, you know, for new writers who are, like, struggling with that sensation of being backed into their own corner by their own writing. I think it's worth taking a step back and saying, okay, what devices can I use, such as multiple points of view, to explain some things in a way that is digestible and appealing to the reader? So I'd say, yeah, just being aware of the story arc and. And how you can explore different avenues to make it work the best that it can.
- [25:42]
B
So I. While we're recording this kt, I think I might be just hungry because my mind seems to be going here. I talked about cooking different meals at the same time. You just said digestible. And so my mind is kind of going to food for some reason. But I have one more thing around food. As a musician myself, I kind of draw on inspiration from a variety of sources. And I call it my recipe. So a little bit of this music I like, a little bit of this artist, this style I like and all that combined makes me and my music happen because I'm pulling from all these different recipes and all these different ingredients to create my music. So for you, as an author who is a part of your ingredient list, who do you draw inspiration from?
- [26:28]
A
Well, one of the authors that I most recently discovered through Twitter and who has actually become a very fast friend of mine is Nikki Shearsby. And she has become a really just amazing go to author of mine that I love to read now. So she's in the psychological thriller category. I love the Robert Galbraith Corman Strike series as well. That one always stuck with me. And yeah, I mean it's really all across the board though. I try to read as much as I can from as many different authors as I can. A lot of self published authors as well. Because of course it's very important to support other people who are on a similar journey as yours. But yeah, I mean I, I would say those are my top two. Oh, Morgan Shami as well. She has some great work. I just finished up a book today by, I think her name was Jamie Day. Let me just double check that for you because I have it up right here. Yes, Jamie Day, the Block Party. That was a good one. So, yeah, I mean, I think, you know, there's an old saying, and I think it's very, very true, is that in order to be a good writer, you need to be a good reader and you know, just taking the time to not just approach the blank page every day, but to sit back and read, you know, and I think that for me personally, because obviously I, I still have a day job, so, you know, I'm not, I'm not quite there yet. I have not reached state Stephen King status where I get to sit back and enjoy my work and riches based solely off my creative writing. But in between my day job and my creative pursuits, I will take an hour to just read something completely unrelated to what I plan to write and just enjoy the story. And then I'll approach the desk and be like, okay, now how can I apply what I just learned to, to what I am doing here?
- [28:45]
B
Do you ever have a worry that you, you might start to parrot another author and you're not writing from your perspective anymore? You're. Because you're so heavily influenced by somebody you admire that it kind of seeps its way into your writing and you're like, I'm starting to Sound like my favorite author. Now, is that ever a concern for you?
- [29:04]
A
You know, I. I can acknowledge that that is a concern for maybe for some other people. For me, I really try to keep it in separate boxes, you know, because that is something that I. I try to be as aware of as possible. Because you don't want to just mimic people. You're there to learn. You're not there to parrot or imitate, you know, So I. I just try to, you know, of course you pick up on things that you say, oh, wow. Like, maybe, maybe I'll use this word. I love this word that they used. I'm going to try and find a way to use it in my own writing someday. So what I'll do is I actually keep, like, a list of my. Since we're in the food arena, my delicious words that I find while I'm reading. And I'm like, that tasted good while I read that. So I'll go back and dip into that later.
- [30:04]
B
Put you on the spot. What's one of those delicious words? I'm curious.
- [30:07]
A
Bucolic was one that I.
- [30:09]
B
Wait.
- [30:10]
A
Yes, okay, please.
- [30:13]
B
Definition, please.
- [30:13]
A
Yeah, so it's just actually, Vermont is bucolic. You might describe Vermont as bucolic because it is, you know, very rural. Rolling hills, that kind of landscape. Is that what that means? So when I. I came across that word and I had the same reaction. I said, huh? What exactly does that mean? And I. I looked it up and I said, oh, boy, that is a good one. I really like that. So I've. I've used it several times since reading it. And I'm like, yeah, that was good.
- [30:46]
B
There you go. Everyone listening at home, the word of the day, Bucolic. So there you go. There you go. We got it. We just added that to our dictionary. Somebody told me a long time ago, if you use a word once, like, sorry, this one word, use it in three sentences in a row, It'll be yours for the rest of your life. And I'm like, come on. And they use. They use. They just. They use delved. And, like, would it be a word I ever used? Delved. I delved into that topic, and they used it three times in front of me. And now I can't get the word out of my head.
- [31:14]
A
Yes.
- [31:14]
B
So bucolic. There you go. So now you got me thinking about this now.
- [31:18]
A
So, yes, the bucolic region of Vermont. You'll always think of it that way. Now.
- [31:24]
B
Now I'm stuck for that, for life. Thank you, kt, for giving me that little mind warning.
- [31:29]
A
You're so welcome.
- [31:31]
B
Okay, one thing we chatted about before we hit record was some of the authors that listen to this show are unaware or currently experiencing rejection letter for a. When they submit their book to. To. To the powers that be. And they, they see that first letter arrives and they're like, can it be? Am I now fit, rich and famous and can be on. On the podcast with Dave and like kt? And they're like, wait. And then they open it and it's a no. And what a heart wrenching moment when you pour your life and your heart into this. You think you did a great job, and for some reason it's a no. You have a unique perspective on a no. Can you kind of explain both sides of your unique perspective on a no?
- [32:24]
A
Yes. So I had the privilege of being an intern at a literary agency in New York, and I was responsible for fielding the submissions that came through and passing them on to appropriate agents who might offer representation. So. And part of that responsibility, unfortunately, was sending out rejection notices to those that I didn't think that we could help. Not because they necessarily weren't talented, but just because I knew that it wouldn't be a good fit for the agents who were above me. So, you know, there is that aspect. And of course you hate to break a writer's heart because like you said, you know, you spend so much time. Some people spend years and years and years just perfecting their manuscript only to be told, nope, not for me. And, and that sucks, right? You know, there's no way around that. It sucks for the people who are sending the rejections, and it really sucks for the people who are receiving them. And I have received many. When I finished Reasonable, I really gave it a good shot and, and tried to go the traditional route and send out, you know, query letters to literary agents and, you know, across the board, it was, it was a. It was a no. And I knew that going in for a few different reasons, the biggest one being that my word count was too high. So your audience may not be aware, but traditional publishing standards dictate that between 70,000 to 90,000 words is what you should aim for. Mine is 133,000. So I kind of put myself into a corner and said, well, I'm gonna give it a shot anyway. And, you know, I won't, I won't sugarcoat it. It's not fun to get the rejections. But I think that it's also important to keep perspective because a rejection doesn't mean that you aren't good. It doesn't mean that others won't enjoy your work and it doesn't even mean that the agent didn't like what they read. It just, it could be so many different reasons that they are sending the rejection. I've gotten people who told me, hey, you know, your query was very interesting, but I don't have the capacity right now to take on new clients or hey, you know, it really is the word count now, maybe try and edit it down, you know, so there are, there are different reasons for why that might be coming your way and I just don't get discouraged because everybody has a unique voice and that voice deserves to be heard. Whether you do it the traditional way, you do it the way I had done, the self publishing way, you know, just get yourself out there and, and find your reader base because they exist. It's not, it's not a one size fits all approach anymore because of the, the world that we live in where technology is so easily accessible and we have these tools at our disposal. It's, it's completely, it's not just possible, it's, it's been done time and time again where, you know, self published authors are just as successful as published and they're able to make books that are of the same quality, if not better. So don't, don't diminish your wins and don't take that too much to heart. Certainly take it to heart a little bit. There may be some good feedback there, especially if an agent does provide you with a lengthy response. I'd say listen to it because they took the time to sit there and write that out. Whereas a lot of times they, they, they call them form rejections where they're just, you know, kind of automatic replies sort of, you know, and so when you do receive one that is more personalized and mentions things, take it to heart because these are, these are professionals, right? They, what they have to say matters too, just as much as what you have to say matters.
- [37:05]
B
Yeah, that's, those are wise words, Katie. I think again, if you've never experienced a rejection letter and it can be devastating, but I think it's perspective.
- [37:17]
A
Yeah. You know, I'm not sitting over here saying I didn't cry when I got my first rejection like I did. Okay, it's out there. I, I definitely cried. But you pick yourself back up and you say, you know what? I did learn something from this experience and I'm going to keep pushing forward because at the end of the day, if you can still say, I believe in my work, then it's worth it to keep going.
- [37:47]
B
Again, that's. Those are wise words and they're lived words, which I like. It didn't come from a. You didn't just see that on a post somewhere and went, hey, that's a good quote. I'm going to say that. No, he actually lived it. So, you know. And again, you've lived both sides of it, which I like as well. So again, talk a little bit about just character development for an author as well. Any tips from your point of view on creating a believable character for your book?
- [38:16]
A
Oh, I would say definitely lean on the people that you know in real life. I. I think that the funniest response that I've gotten to my book came from my neighbor where he said, I don't like any of your characters. They are all just so messed up. And I'm like, well, think about the people you know in your own life. You know, are they perfect or do they have flaws? You know, because it's so easy, I think it's easier for a writer to sit there and dream up this fabulous protagonist who is so likable and easy to fall in love with. But at the end of the day, that's, that's not what makes a believable character, because a character should be like a real person, and a real person isn't perfect. So, you know, you don't have to make them necessarily as messed up as mine, but they should be flawed to some degree. So I would say definitely keep that in mind when you're developing your characters. And then the second thing I will say, which I thought was very eye opening for me, was when I did send my book to my editor, she came back to me and said, I have no idea what any of these people look like. So that was my first draft. And she's like, you need to really go back and think about what they look like and just a real quick introduction to, you know, have a visual there, because otherwise I'm just going to through the story, inventing them in my own brain. And that shouldn't be so said.
- [39:56]
B
Wow.
- [39:57]
A
I just totally neglected that whole entire part of writing and didn't mean to. So that is, that is another thing to keep in mind is, you know, when you are first introducing them, try to find a way to real quick, give a strong visual. Because otherwise your readers are just going to be like, well, I made up this character now and then 20 pages later when you tell me they have blue eyes and I thought they had Brown, I'm thrown for a loop.
- [40:27]
B
So I kind of feel like we're in court right now and you're leading the witness because you just set me up for my next question. So. Well, so well done, by the way. But do you find that there's elements of you in your characters and part B? Did your dad make it into this book at all?
- [40:46]
A
So I would say that I am definitely Kat in this book. And I say that not necessarily because I am, you know, a recovering alcoholic, but I think that so much of what Kat has been through in her personal life stems from things that I have experienced. And I almost imagine her to be the version of me that I would be if I didn't have the support system that I do have because I have had a challenging life. It's not, it's not been easy, and it could have very well turned out the other way for me.
- [41:31]
B
Yeah.
- [41:33]
A
And I'm thankful for the people that I have in my life. I have a wonderful husband. My in laws are the most fabulous people that you will ever meet on the face of the earth. And they, they make me stronger. And I would say, though, that, yeah, at the end of the day, though, Cat is definitely. A lot of me is in Cat and my dad, I wouldn't say he made it into this book, but there are definitely things related to Cat's father that I have lived through. For example, you know, she discovered her dad attempting to take his own life, and that is something that I, that I live through. And I ended up having to save my dad's life from himself. So that was a very traumatic thing. It brought us very close together. But it was very, you know, it was hard. It was really hard. And it had a deep, deep impact on me as a person, on him as a person. And I think, you know, that's definitely one of those things where if I didn't have the people that I do have in my life to keep me strong, that very well could have been something to destroy me. So it's, you know, there, there's a lot there. And, But I, I, I think that just kind of goes back to what I said before about making your characters believable with their flaws. Because it's not always roses and sunshine and rainbows. You know, life's hard, and we have to keep that in mind. And I think most writers do. I think at the end of the day, a lot of writers turn to writing because it helps them heal and make sense of things that don't really make sense.
- [43:29]
B
Okay. See, that Wasn't anticipating that answer by any means, but I'm so thankful that you felt that you could share that with us because I'm sure there's people listening who have had some sort of experience like that in their past, and we're living it right now. And to hear you say that kind of validates them.
- [43:47]
A
Yeah.
- [43:47]
B
That there's someone else out there that can see the world the way they see it. So thank you for sharing that.
- [43:53]
A
Oh, of course. You know, I mean, I just really think that that is, in mental health especially, I think is just one of those things that is very, very important to me. And letting people know that it's okay to not be okay and speak up when you aren't because there's a lot of people out there who would be so heartbroken if the worst happened to you. So, yeah, just be kind to yourself and get the help that you need if you need it, because it is out there.
- [44:29]
B
It's amazing. So, Katie, I have one more question for you at the end here. Been so gracious with your time, and I do want to keep the door open for you as more and more of these books come out to have you back to catch us up on the next, you know, the next in the series. So, please, the door's open. Anyone from Vermont is more than welcome. You know, it's bucolic and everything here in Vermont, so. Right. So there you go. I got to use the word again before, before we. I ask my last question, though. Kt, can you talk through your website and tell us more about how we connect with you?
- [45:06]
A
So you can find me@ktcarlile.com I am on Twitter, probably most active there at K ktcarlile. I'm also on Instagram at K period T period Carlisle. And I am on Facebook @k period t period Carlisle, period author. So those are all the places that you can find me and my work and updates about the sequel, which is coming this spring 2024. I'm very excited.
- [45:38]
B
Nice. And again, you got to come back and talk about it, okay?
- [45:43]
A
Oh, I absolutely will.
- [45:45]
B
Yes. Okay, so my last question for you. I'm around the website. I have it up the entire time while we're talking. I love your website, by the way. It's beautiful. Can you talk just briefly for the authors listening? The power of having a website for you as an author. Maybe some of the elements that you should have on your website for people who are coming to to find you the first time, because the way yours is laid out all of your links are there that we've already talked about. But I just love how your website presents. Can you just talk to the authors that are listening about the power of having your own website? Why? Is this important?
- [46:21]
A
Oh yeah, absolutely. So, you know, in, in my non author life, I actually am, I own my own web design and marketing company. So I have a pretty unique. Personally, of course. So I have a pretty unique perspective there as well. But so I'll always be a strong proponent of building a website and a good website. So I'll say the following on that, which is, you know, definitely make sure that you have a strong homepage. You want to have your, your book front and center, plenty of high quality headshots and imagery throughout. You know, designated page for your book, designated page for press and media and a designated blog. And I say the blog. I know it's, you know, you're already writing a novel. What the heck do I need to be writing blog posts for? But it's very, very important in terms of SEO, which is search engine optimization, which is the way that Google and other search engines interpret your website. So definitely, I would say take that into account not only as far as your blog posts are concerned, because Google is now looking more closely at websites that are updating with new content more regularly versus those that are stagnant and not updating. So you know, I always advise, I advise my clients the same thing. You know, you want to have at least two blogs a month just to stay relevant in Google's eyes. But in more than that, take care of your metadata, things like your,
- [48:08]
B
your
- [48:08]
A
page titles, your meta descriptions, your image, alt tags especially. And it, yes, yes. So like all these kinds of things speaking, speak to each other. And the more you're able to pay attention to those types of things, the stronger your website and your, your web presence will be.
- [48:28]
B
Overall, it's great. Yeah. You want a website where people go and stay. Yeah, just bounce right away and of course click off.
- [48:37]
A
Yep. So, and of course, you know, if you're, if you're not, you know, a strong web designer, you don't have the resources to devote to hiring one. You know, my, my website was built with WordPress because I, I'm knowledgeable in that enough to, to navigate that. Which can be a little bit daunting and complex for somebody who might not be in that space. But I can definitely recommend Squarespace as a strong alternative. And Wix.com is also a great place especially for those who need the drag and drop features that it offers in Terms of design offers a lot more customization, I think, than, certainly than Squarespace. But it's, I would say that's probably the, those are the two ones that I would recommend for newbies who, who don't really have the, the web design chops.
- [49:40]
B
Yeah. And to own your own domain too is, yes, you, that's your piece of the Internet. So you definitely want to have some place that you own. It's great to have social media. We love it. But to have your own place to send everybody to, no matter what happens in social media world, we still have KT Carlile.com so that's, that's great to have as well.
- [50:00]
A
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Definitely want to invest in that domain name. So. And they're affordable too, so that it, that makes it good.
- [50:10]
B
Amazing. Casey, thank you so much for this. You've, you've shared so much, so much great information. Again, I'm going to go have a snack now. It's going to be bucolic the whole time, you know, but, so there you go. I'm trying to use that word all day today. I'm going to try that on my wife and see what she says. She's going to tilt her head slightly to the right and go, what did you just say? So that's going to happen. Yeah. Wait, am I supposed to be offended?
- [50:36]
A
What was that?
- [50:37]
B
So that's going to happen later today. Just let you know. But you've taught me a new word. You've helped all of us to understand how to, how to approach writing, what to do when you hear a no, which is great. And I think you're going to have a bunch of new readers who are going to fall in love with your book, kt.
- [50:53]
A
Oh, thank you for saying that, David. I hope it is true. And even if it isn't, I am just so thrilled to have been here and to talk to you and be a part of your show. So thank you for having me. Once again, amazing.
- [51:05]
B
And you got to come back, everyone. Ktcarlisle.com Definitely go out and get the first in the trilogy and we'll have links to everything in the show. Notes. As always, please support these amazing authors. Leave an amazing review when you purchase a book online or in person, however you want to do that, and let everyone know how amazing our authors are as they put their works out into the world. And thank you, kt, so much for being part of the show.
- [51:34]
A
Thank you.
- [51:40]
B
Thank you for being part of Living the Next chapter. Hey, look it. We're, we're having such a great time talking to authors around the world. If you are an author and you would like to be on this very show, I would love to talk to you. Living the Next Chance chapter dot com. Living the Next chapter dot com. Living the Next chapter dot com is the best way to get in touch with us. There you'll find our social media and blah, blah, blah, la and such. You author, soon to be author, new author, currently writing your book, author, published authority. We need you here. The seat's empty, microphone set up. We're waiting for you. Living the Next chapter dot com. We would love to have you on the podcast. Yeah, I am talking. I'm talking to you. Yep, you should be here. We'll see you at Living the Next Chapter Dot com.