Kate Breslin

A Florida girl and former bookseller, Kate Breslin migrated to the Pacific Northwest where she lives with her guitarist husband and a persnickety cat. Author of travel articles and award-winning poetry, Kate received Christian Retailing’s 2015 Best Award for first time author, and her debut novel, For Such A Time, is a Christy award, RITA award, and Carol award finalist. Kate’s second novel, Not By Sight, will release in August, 2015. When she’s not writing inspirational fiction, Kate enjoys reading or taking long walks in Washington’s beautiful woodlands. She also likes traveling to new places, both within the U.S. and abroad, having toured Greece, Rome, and much of Western Europe. New destinations make for fresh story ideas.

Q: When you are writing, what treat do you like to keep you going?
Kate: Hot lemon tea, with the occasional Lindt’s dark chocolate truffle.

Q: Tell me about why you chose the genre you write in and what about it appeals to you?
Kate: I wrote poetry growing up, along with a few short stories, and I was a voracious reader—Agatha Christie, Nancy Drew, Phyllis Whitney, I still love reading mysteries! As I grew up I left the writing world to pursue my career, and then read mostly Tom Clancy, John le Carré, some Louis L’Amour (his spy stuff) as I had developed a taste for political and CIA thrillers. I was on a camping trip with nothing left to read when a relative handed me my first historical romance. It wasn’t long before I was hooked. For the next few years, I devoured HR and finally exhausted my supply of favorite authors. That’s when I decided to give novel writing a try. Why historical novels? I found I loved history, thanks to all those historical romance authors, who gave me a lesson without making me feel like I was in school.  And aside from discovering so many fascinating facts from the past and weaving them into story, I find it comforting to realize those who’ve gone before us went through pretty tough times and managed to survive; so maybe we can, too.

Q: If you were to pick one character out of your books that could materialize and become a real live person, a friend, who would it be and why.
Kate: Great question, Melony! I think I’d enjoy the company of Clare Danner, from my new novel, Not By Sight. She’s a bit prickly to start, but once you get to know her, she’s got wisdom beyond her years and she’s extremely loyal. I’d have to say fidelity in friendship is an attribute I prize most. Friends don’t have to be perfect (Lord knows I’m not!) but knowing they have my back is priceless.

Q: What do you do to get into “the zone” when you are writing?
Kate: I listen to music, mostly instrumental, from artists such as The Piano Guys, Helen Jane Long, or any Celtic music. And when I have plot snarl or need some inspiration, I’ll take a long walk, which usually helps solve the problem. Aside from that, there’s no magic pill for getting into the “zone” of the story. It begins with the conscious decision to sit down and write. First, I reread any pages from the day before, if I have them. If I’m just starting a new story, I’ll begin writing a possible scene. It doesn’t take long before I’m into my story and characters, and the camera is rolling in my head. For some authors, writing is a compulsion; for others, like me, it’s often more the case of being in the right mood. So I just would say to sit down and write anyway, whether the mood strikes you or not. The words WILL come.

Q: Please give me one fun fact about yourself that readers may not know.
Kate: I was once quite the motorcyclist, and received a lot of stares because at that time there weren’t many of us gal riders on the road. My first “maiden voyage” was riding along the North Cascade Loop in Washington State, a trip of a few hundred miles—and yikes! without a helmet (back before the helmet law, which I strongly believe in now!)

Q: Is there anything you would like to include?
Kate: I hope readers will enjoy my new release, Not By Sight. I’m already at work on the next novel for Bethany House, another WWI-era historical romance. And while each novel is stand alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll recognize a few names from Not By Sight in the next story!

Q: Where and how can readers connect with you?
Kate: I love to hear from my fellow readers! Please visit me at on my website where you can sign up for my newsletter (I promise NOT to clog your inbox!) or simply click on the social link buttons to find me on Social Media and other sites. Happy reading!

Melony, thank you for hosting me today!

READ MELONY’S REVIEW OF NOT BY SIGHT