10Q TUESDAY WITH Kathleen Ann Gallagher

1. How did you start your writing career?   I’ve been writing since I was a little girl.  I started with short stories and poetry.  Even thought I loved using my imagination, I put my writing aside, and focused on a career in nursing.  One day at work, a friend and I discussed our dreams of becoming a published author.  We wrote our first sentences while we were on break.  Ann and I made a promise to write for at least an hour each day.  Well, we did it!  Soon after, I started attending conferences and learned about the craft from every source I could find.

2. Tell us about your favorite character from your books?   I’d have to pick Madeline Young, the heroine from my upcoming release Echoes at Dawn.  She is able to triumph over her troubled past, and pursue her passion, despite multiple stressors. She becomes her elderly mother’s caregiver, and faces the challenge without reservations. Her mother Katy happens to be a witch with dementia.  As Madeline handles her new role, along with the demands of being a single parent, she finds strength from researching her family’s past. Her determination to get what she wants in life makes me proud.  She is willing to risk losing the love of her life to stand by her beliefs.

3. Do you believe in ghosts?  Yes, I do. In this world there are things we can’t explain.  When music plays by itself, you can’t blame it on faulty electricity. Or can you?   I believe there’s usually a reason for someone to return. Maybe they have unfinished business to settle.   My upcoming release has a few ghosts of its own.   There’s something intriguing about an unsettled spirit.

4. When in the day/night do you write? How long per day?  I do my best writing in the morning.  I can write for a few hours at a time.  I’ve written for eight hours, with a break or two in between, depending on what I’m working on.  When my fingers start hitting the wrong keys, I know it’s time to stop.  The day goes really quick when I’m focused. Sometimes I stay in my pajamas typing away all day.

5. What is your favorite color?  I love dusty rose.  I once had a pink living room.   

 

6. If you could spend the night anywhere where would it be?   I’d love to spend a night in a hotel along the seafront of the Tuscany Coast. The coastal scenes of The English Patient were filmed there. 

7. Does your significant other read your stuff?  My husband read the manuscript of Echoes at Dawn when it was in the very early stages.  He had a tear in his eye at the end, and it was a rough draft.  I think he’ll be surprised to see how much it has changed. 

8. What book are you reading now?  I’m reading The Strangely Beautiful World of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber, and Audrey’s Door by Sarah Langan.  I also have five new Decadent books to read.

7. What are your favorite TV shows?  I have to admit I’m an American Idol fanatic.  I love seeing dreams come true.  I also like Celebrity Apprentice, and most recently found a great new show called The Cape.

8. Tell us about your favorite restaurant?  That’s easy. My favorite place to dine is The Washington Inn.   It’s in the historic district of Cape May, in New Jersey.  The food is magnificent, and the desserts are out of this world.  One of the entrees I love is the Jewel of the Sea.  It’s prepared with a mixture of seafood, and a lemon garlic herb sauce, over a bed of linguine. They have a professional and skilled staff.  I would highly recommend it to anyone who visits Cape May.  It’s one of the top romantic places in New Jersey.

9 .If you could be an animal, what would you be?  I think I would be a cat.  They always seem so relaxed.  I’d love to sit in the window purring as I watch birds all day, or take a long nap in the afternoon. Cats don’t have a care in the world.  My owner could take me to the groomers to get my hair done. They might even put little bows in my hair. People would pet me, and feed me treats.  I know I’m silly, but you asked.   

10. New York or LA? Why?  I’d say New York for now.  I love Broadway, shopping in the village, the museums, and the restaurants. There’s always something exciting going on.   I’ve never been to LA, so I’ll let you know if I change my mind after RT.