Fab Writer Friday - Meet Katie Schickel

Featured writer today is Katie Schickel, author of Housewitch and the upcoming The Mermaid's Secret. I can personally recommmend Housewitch. It's a captivating read that I couldn't put down! Here's more about Katie:

 
Tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you as a person?
I’m a mom and a writer. I’m a fresh-air enthusiast, adventurer, and ocean lover. I’d take a weekend camping over a weekend at the spa anytime. I get cranky if I’m away from the ocean for too long. Surfing is my latest passion. I’ve hitchhiked across Australia, been marooned in Panama, surrounded by thousands of barracuda in Key West, and I can name every country in Africa. I love to tell stories.
 
How did you know you wanted to be a writer?
When I was in college, I had no idea what I wanted to do in life (rather, I had LOTS of ideas, but couldn’t narrow it down). Last semester of senior year, I took a class called Intro to Journalism that blew my mind. The professor was a staff writer for TIME Magazine and a former reporter for The Washington Post. He sent us on assignments around the city, got us interviewing people from all walks of life, and I was hooked. My first job out of college was with a daily newspaper as a reporter on the police beat. I’ve written and edited for several magazines as well. I came into fiction writing late in life.
 
What is your favorite of all the things you’ve written?
That’s tough. There’s a scene in my next book, The Mermaid’s Secret, that makes me giggle every time I read it. My main character, who is sometimes a mermaid sometimes a human, encounters a young girl dressed up as a fairy. The two mystical creatures have a charming conversation about being magical.
 
What are you working on right now?
I’m working on a novel about a cupid who has lost his faith in love.
 
What is your best memory from your childhood?
Playing in the treehouse with my brother and sister in our backyard. In my memory is was the tallest treehouse in the world with many levels and secret hideouts. In reality, I’m fairly certain it was a piece of plywood stuck in an apple tree.
 
Tell us about a book you’d recommend. Why do you love it?
Euphoria by Lily King. The writing is gorgeous, the story is riveting, and the characters are deep and complex.
 
How do you come up with ideas for your books?
I keep a folder that I stock with notes, interesting articles, dreams, and impressions. I’m lucky in that I have a husband who is a great brainstorm partner.
 
Describe a perfect writing day.
At the computer at 8 a.m. Internet is down, so I can’t go online. Bang out 1,000 words by 10 a.m. Go to the gym. Come back, write another 500 words. Walk the dog. Get a call from my agent telling me I’ve just landed a contract. Celebrate that evening with kale salad and steaming bowl of parsnip soup. Go to bed at a reasonable hour.
 
Describe a terrible writing day.
At the computer at 8:00. Futz around on twitter and Facebook for a couple hours. Have a snack. Write a sentence. Spend an hour putting things into my shopping cart on Athleta. Write another sentence. Eat. Nap. Get one more sentence in before kids come home. Snack. Tell myself I can get work done after dinner. Heat up some leftover mac-and-cheese. Sit on the couch watching reality TV til 11 p.m. Beat myself up for being such a useless slacker.
 
Do you ever make public appearances? Where can we meet you in person?
My appearances are between Boston and Portland, Maine. I post my appearances on my website, katieschickel.com.
 
Where can we find your titles?
Independent bookstores, Barnes & Noble stores, and Books-a-Million stores. Online, I’m on amazon, B&N, BAM, Powells, Indie Bound, Kobo, and Indigo.
 
Click on the book cover below to link straight to Amazon and get your copy today!
 

 

 

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