 I recently had the privilege of interviewing Kathryn, author of The Saint's Mistress, which is now available in hardcover, paperback, and digital formats. I only interview authors whose books I highly recommend, and you can read my review here. Who were your greatest literary influencers? My earliest and strongest literary influence was Charlotte Bronte. I first read Jane Eyre when I was in sixth grade and I loved it so much that I immediately went right back to the beginning and re-read it. (Sixth-graders back in those days had lots of time on our hands) I think it was Jane Eyre that implanted in me the desire to write female characters who are morally and emotionally strong. Stephen King admits his wife rescued his first bestseller, a sci-fi thriller entitled Carrie, from the trashcan after he’d given up on it, deciding it wasn’t any good. Should this happen to you, would you consider another’s opinion or follow your own instincts? Why? The opinion of someone else I trusted would probably make me think again, but I would only pick the book out of the trash can if I still felt passionate about it. Without a passionate interest in my characters and story, I would have a hard time picking back up on something I felt had failed. Many authors find writing from the opposite sex’s perspective a challenge. Do you agree and how would you suggest they get over that hurdle? No, I don’t find that hard. I’ve written a couple of short stories from the male perspective that I thought were pretty good. But, with that said, both of my novels and almost all of my short stories are written from a female perspective. How much time do you devote to writing each week? Do you have certain requirements such as absolute quiet/isolation, a cup of tea, a favorite inanimate object, a cherished furry critter curled up nearby, or maybe listening to your favorite music? Time per week varies. When I’m hard at work on a novel, I work about 20 hours per week. But, oh, am I picky about requirements. I can only write in my home office, at a time that I rigidly set aside, and I must have quiet. The only exception is, when I am really stuck, sometimes I try writing outdoors, or in a coffee shop or in a library, and that often breaks through the block. Did you utilize an outline when writing The Saint’s Mistress? If you answered yes, did you adhere to it or allow the manuscript to meander? If you answered no, why do you think the application ineffectual? I don’t start with an outline. I start by just writing. When I get about halfway through, I start thinking about where I want the story to go, and then I will write an outline. That’s what works for me. I am completely non-judgmental about what works for anyone else. How should an author deal with negative reviews? (Asking for a friend ) Do you mean besides letting the words burn into your brain until your brain bleeds and scabs over and then picking at the scab? Besides that? I generally try to remind myself that literary criticism is very subjective and my stories will not appeal to everyone. I have absolutely hated books that other people adore. I wrote a scathing review of The Mermaid Chair several years ago, a book that was a best-seller and which many middle-aged women cherished like it was the Bible. Okay for them; just wasn’t for me. How long did it take you to write The Saint’s Mistress? How did you feel once you finished it? And what was the most difficult scene to write? It took me about a year to write the first draft, and another year of rewrites. I felt so exhilarated when I finished it! I could hardly believe I did it. And I loved it so much. The hardest scene was definitely when Leona’s son died. I was so emotionally attached to her that I suffered with her. I even cried. It’s evident you spent a great deal of time on research. Were you surprised Aurelius never identified his mistress? How did that discovery affect you? Did such blatant disrespect/dismissal anger you? Or did you consider possible ulterior motives? Most historians believe that he left her unnamed out of respect for her privacy, and I tend to agree with that. Her disappearance from history actually worked for me in the end, because I could make up most of her story. What do you consider the most important elements of effective writing? Having a really interesting story to tell. I love gorgeous use of language, but, for me, it is not sufficient all by itself. Which is why I am a novelist and not a poet. I leave the poetry to my daughter and son-in-law. During the editing/revision process, many writers read their work aloud. Give your audience some insight into Kathryn’s Editing Process-101. It is lengthy. First, I do a rewrite of my own. I look for chapters that don’t lead anywhere and should come out, character inconsistencies, plot holes, dull language, grammar errors, etc. Since time and place are important in historical fiction, I also try to be sure that there is enough detail in each chapter to put the reader in the historical era. Then I take the book or story to my writing group and get their feedback and do another rewrite. How important is marketing to a book’s success? What tools (social media, etc.) are beneficial to an author, particularly one who is relatively unknown? I had pretty good success with Goodreads ads, but Goodreads doesn’t allow ads any more. I threw a launch party for The Saint’s Mistress and pleaded with all my friends to put reviews on Amazon. So, I had lots of reviews pretty quickly. I had bookmarks made up to give to everyone I met, and I got people like my dentist to keep some at their place of business. I also had a lot of success with book fairs at local bookstores and author talks at libraries. I don’t think writers generally like to market their books, but it is absolutely necessary in the current literary environment. Get to know Kathryn! Purchase The Saint's Mistress 
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