Best-selling author Katie O’Connor lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She married her high school sweetheart and is living her happily ever after. She is the mother of two grown daughters and is extremely proud of her five grandchildren.
She is the founder of The Write Chicks, a private romance writer’s group in her hometown. Currently, she is chapter president of the Calgary branch of the Romance Writers of America. In the past, she’s been their secretary and has also served on the organizing committee for When Words Collide, a reader and writer conference in Calgary, Alberta.
Katie’s career path has been long and twisted, with most of her life devoted to her family. She’s been a waitress, chambermaid, cashier, store manager, as well as a lab and X-ray technician. She’s been a small business owner and is an avid quilter and crafter.
She’s dabbled in writing since high school because something drives her to create stories. She swears it’s impossible for her NOT to write. Unsatisfied with one genre, Katie writes contemporary romance, erotic romance, fantasy/paranormal romance, romantic suspense, and erotica.
She believes in all things
magical, including dragons, fairies, UFOs, ghosts, and house pixies. But most
of all she believes in love, romance, and hope.
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Katie's
Kittens: https://www.facebook.com/groups/345891595596122
What would you write if you knew you couldn't fail?
Hmm. That's a tough one. Honestly, fear of failure isn't huge
for my writing ego. Don't misunderstand, I always worried about reader
reactions to my story, and those negative reviews do hurt. But for me, I simply
write the stories I have to tell and write them the best way I can. I've
already stepped out of my box with my Creative Career Planning for
Authors Workbook. I knew I had important information to share with
writer's, so I bit the bullet and wrote it. My next big step, the one I'm more
afraid of, it the sequel to that book which is a life planner. It's about how I
planned my life into a place of career success and general happiness. I'm
worried that nobody will want to read a life planning book that isn't from a
medical professional or life coach. But, again, I have information to share, so
I'm putting it out there.
How do you know your book is finished?
I'm a pantser. I write by the seat of my pants. I create two
well detailed main characters, and a couple minor players. Then, I set them
loose and follow them to see where they go. I generally have a couple plot
points in mind and know where they'll end up, I just don't know how they'll get
there. The rough draft is done when they achieve their happily ever after. Of
course the edits are next. That's tougher for me to know when it is finished. I
make four to six passes through the entire book. I look for phrasing and
comprehension flaws, plot holes, characters acting out of character for who
they are. I keep going until it feels right. Then, it's off to beta readers
for feedback. After that comes another two rounds of edits and a professional
editor for the final polish. In short, the book is finished when it reads
nicely, the story is finished, and it has an emotional impact on me.
Do you write full or part time?
I am a full time writer. I write seven days a week. I rarely
take a day off. If I'm not plotting, or writing, I'm working on social media,
book keeping, advertising. There's a lot of behind the scenes work when you are
an author. But generally, I spent six to eight hours a day at this writing job.
When the words are flowing well, I can spend up to twelve hours behind my desk.
How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?
Each book is its own entity. The story itself determines how
long it will be. Generally, it takes about 30 days to write a 65K word romance.
Some stories are harder, some are faster. I just take the words as they come,
and when they don't come, I force them. My record is 48k in 8 days, by hand
with a pen and paper. I'm old school, my mind works better with a pen than with
a keyboard.
What is the most difficult part of the artistic process?
Honestly, this varies day by day. Some days I cannot write a
description. Other days, all my characters sound the same when they talk. But
generally, it's remembering to include all of the senses. I want at least three
senses in every scene as I find that brings the scene to life. Touch, scent,
sight, sound, taste. They all need to be there and add to the scene without
being blatantly visible.
What is your next project?
I am a multi-project author. When I'm struggling with one,
another takes its place. I hop back and forth. But in a general sense, I'm
planning to finish my Coyote Creek and Three Moon Falls series next. When I'm
not working on them, I'm working on that life planning workbook, and a book
about positive self-talk and how it can change your life.
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A
LESSON IN LOVE: (EBook and print) |
Fired from her job and accused of a crime she has not committed,
Tricia Paxton retreats to Coyote Creek to recover from trauma and rebuild her
career. Though she shields herself from the past, her secrets challenge her
relationships, and her new position as an elementary school teacher further
complicates personal boundaries when an eye-catching stranger requires lessons
of his own.
Carefree bachelor, Riley Flint, has problems, too. While focusing
on building a veterinary practice, his plans grind to a halt when a daughter he
has never known enters his life. Accepting the troublesome news that the mother
has passed away and her maternal grandparents cannot offer their care, he
assumes the responsibility of raising his daughter. But he has little
experience with children and the girl needs more instruction than a man can
give, so Riley approaches the new teacher for help.
THE CREATIVE CAREER PLANNING WORKBOOK FOR AUTHORS: (Print only)
Are you tired of reading dull as dishwater books about
organizing your writing career?
Are you looking for career planning help that doesn’t put you to sleep or make your head spin? Does your logical brain interfere with your creative brain?
If this describes you, and if you’re looking for a revolutionary approach to planning your writing career, this workbook is for you. We’re going to color and doodle our way to the perfect career plan. The plan that suits you.
Yes, I said color. With actual crayons. Like a five-year-old child, we’ll let our minds soar while our fingers color and doodle.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a longtime author or a beginner. You
might be highly productive; you might just have a few stories to tell. Whoever
and whatever you are, there is an ideal career path for you and best-selling
romance author Katie O'Connor will guide you there.
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