We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kathleen Donnelly. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kathleen below.
Kathleen, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
Becoming a full-time novelist has always been a dream of mine. I love reading and I love creating so writing fiction is a win-win. I learned through trial and error and by reading the genres I enjoy the most. There’s no better way to learn your craft than reading other authors and seeing how they did plot twists and structured their novels. This helps with writing my books because I have a better sense of all the important elements such as pacing, character, setting, etc.
If I could go back in time and tell myself anything, it would be to never give up my writing time. Before I was a full-time writer, it was easy to set it aside for other things. This slowed down my learning process because writing, like all skills, only improves with practice. When I realized I wanted to fulfill my dream, I knew I had to make time and commit to writing every day. Plus, I loved what I was doing. I took classes and continued learning, but the most essential skill was simply making the time to work on my own books. This was also the obstacle that stood in the way of learning more. Once I made my writing a priority, my goals and dreams started to become reality.
For all writers and creatives with a big dream, persistence is the key. There will always be people in your life telling you that you can’t make a living being a writer or rejecting your work. But if you keep going there will eventually be a “yes.”
Kathleen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I grew up in Colorado and I have a deep love for the mountains. I was also lucky enough to have animals in my life and participate in things like 4-H. All of this led to a career as a K-9 handler for a private company. I loved the work, but I always knew that I wanted to pursue writing. I decided to try writing romantic suspense with a K-9 character that would help her handler solve crimes in the National Forests. This led to my first book in the National Forest K-9 series where Maya Thompson, my protagonist and U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer pairs up with K-9 Juniper. It was a lot of fun to put the things I love into a novel and that book, Chasing Justice, became my debut in 2022. I feel having experience as a K-9 handler helped bring out authenticity in my books and allows the reader to experience what it’s like at the end of the leash.
Since then, I’ve published two more books in the National Forest K-9 series—Hunting the Truth and Killer Secrets. I am currently working on the next two books in the series along with starting a new story, Colorado K-9 Rescue, with different characters and a new K-9 for Harlequin Romantic Suspense.
I know from personal experience how dogs can help their handlers solve everyday mysteries. I’ve enjoyed incorporating this into my fiction and creating four-legged characters to complement their human partners. I love creating tension and suspense through mystery and romance. My goal is to create thrilling page-turning reads that will entertain and allow the reader to escape to another world.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I love it when someone enjoys my books and sends an email telling me how much fun they had reading the series. For me, the first and most important thing is that I’m writing something I love and a book I’d like to read. But to make a living as a writer, you have to reach readers and connect with them. I know how books have helped me through tough times in my life and how characters have inspired me. If I can do that for someone else then it’s the icing on the cake when it comes to writing and publishing.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I love reading and losing myself in other worlds, meeting fun and inspiring characters and wanting to know how a book ends. It’s my goal to create the same feeling in my writing and learn from my journey. I love losing myself in a good book and when I write, I lose myself in the story. I see it in my head like a movie. I want that movie to come through via the written word. That’s what keeps it fun.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kathleendonnelly.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorkathleendonnelly/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKathleenDonnelly/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-donnelly-84552545/
- Twitter: https://x.com/KatK9writer
- Other: Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kathleen-donnelly
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22280955.Kathleen_Donnelly
Substack: https://substack.com/@authorkathleendonnelly
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kathleen-Donnelly/author/B099S92QPJ
Image Credits
Piper Anne Worcester
Kathleen Donnelly