Dear Mr. Knightley was her first novel, a contemporary story with a dash of Jane Austen and other nineteenth century writers thrown in for the fun of it. Her second novel, Lizzy & Jane, released in late 2014.
The following is a November 2014 interview with Katherine.
AT THE END OF
THE INTERVIEW
Be in to win a set of both
Dear Mr. Knightley and Lizzy & Jane
by Katherine Reay
Two sets to be won
Contest open to entrants Worldwide.
(Print copies USA only - digital copies elsewhere)
Contest runs from 7-21 November NZDT
I’m a writer, wife, mom, runner, tennis player, tae kwon do black belt (how random is that?), wanna be chef, disorganized housekeeper, compulsive vacuumer and a horrific navigator... In fact one of my son’s favorite stories to tell friends is that I argue with my car’s GPS system before going my own way— sure that I know better. It’s a gift…
I’m a lot of different stuff really, with a wide range of interests. And after that frenetic list, you would never believe I’m fairly quiet and a complete introvert.
What inspired you to become a novelist, and did you always want to write?
I’ve always been a “secret” writer –developing stories and writing them on scraps of paper. And prior to fiction I did a lot of analytical writing – and do get to bring some of that to my fiction behind the scenes – but the novels began in earnest in 2009 when I was injured and healing at home. I spent months reading and eventually writing. And here I am – happily healed and happily writing.
What do you think is significant about Christian fiction?
Fiction in general gets past our defenses and touches our hearts in a way that no other writing can – it employs our imagination. Couple that with God’s love and you’ve got powerful stuff – and that is the story. And we get to tell it – in a variety of ways because that’s how it plays out in life, in a variety of ways.
I hope they see something of themselves, or a situation or a character – if only a tidbit – that resonates with them. If a reader can relate to some aspect of the story then it will come alive to her, including all the experiences, issues, struggles and joys the characters face. When closing the book, I hope she knows something more or different, or feels something new and affirming about Christ and herself. I also hope she has “gotten lost” in a wonderful tale – for that is a lovely experience.
What has been the most surprising aspect to becoming a published novelist?
The friendships. Is that an odd answer? I expected all the writing and the work. I expected the bad reviews and am blessed by the good. But I did not expect all the wonderful friendships I’ve found with other writers, bloggers, readers, my publishers… I can’t tell you how many wonderful people I now know!
How has being a novelist impacted your relationship with Christ?
I am more dependent upon him than ever. He knows full well I can’t do it without him and now I recognize it too. J In all seriousness, I do rely upon my relationship with Christ for every aspect of a novel, from the writing process to the content. Many of the struggles and questions I pose for characters rest upon faith questions I dig around in myself. In fact – little secret of mine – I am always reading a CS Lewis book to keep myself asking, answering and digging.
Ah… I have a wonderful husband and three fantastic kids and I would like to always be present and love them the best I can. I would also like to not move again. That’s a good goal as we have just made our ninth move in sixteen years.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I hang out with my family and friends and I run – lots. When this comes out, I will have just finished the New York Marathon – so find me on Twitter or Facebook and please make sure I’m still standing. J I also play tennis and practice tae kwon do. I haven’t studied that in a few years so I’d like to return soon. And I read…. I read almost every spare moment I’ve got. And vacuum… that makes me happy…. See we are now back to the first question….
What can you tell us about your debut novel?
Dear Mr. Knightley is about a young woman, Samantha Moore, who learned to protect herself by hiding behind literary characters. She adopted their personas when scared, in danger or when she needed understanding friends. But this device now begins to hurt her (as all hiding eventually does) and others and she must lay it down to find her own voice, her own life and her own story. It’s packed with fun literature references, characters whom I adore and a lot of action in Sam’s life. I hope she gets a rest soon.
Lizzy and Jane has just released. I loved writing this story and I adore the characters within it. And it’s got all the big guns: sisters, conflict, food, Jane Austen, Hemingway (threw you there, didn’t I?), love, and breast cancer. That last one is a bummer, but it’s a reality that so many of us experience either personally or walking the journey with family and friends. Basically Lizzy and Jane is the story of a young woman, Lizzy, who has excised love from her life and, as she helps her sister through chemotherapy, she starts to put it back in – in all its wonderful and varied forms.
And after that, comes Victoria(n) to be released next fall. Victoria(n), by the way, is not the title. That’s just what I call it my head. It might come out as Two Thieves on a Journey of Adventure and Redemption in England. Who knows? It’s the story of two women who come together as one begins life and another ends it. Both have much to learn and a final adventure to experience. I know that’s vague, but love the story, so please don’t let the dreadful titles or the horrid blurb scare you.
What would you like to say to your upcoming fans in New Zealand and around the world?
Thank you for spending this moment with me. And please get in touch. If you end up reading Dear Mr. Knightley or Lizzy and Jane please let me know. I’d love to hear from you.
Do you have any parting words?
Thank you. (written boldly and said in an equally emphatic voice)
That really says it all.
by Katherine Reay
- Thomas Nelson Publishers
- Contemporary
- November 2013
- ISBN: 9781401689681
Purchase:
[Kindle | Amazon | The Book Depository]
Samantha Moore has always hidden behind the words of others—namely, her favorite characters in literature. Now, she will learn to write her own story—by giving that story to a complete stranger.
Sam is, to say the least, bookish. An English major of the highest order, her diet has always been Austen, Dickens, and Shakespeare. The problem is, both her prose and conversation tend to be more Elizabeth Bennet than Samantha Moore.
But life for the twenty-three-year-old orphan is about to get stranger than fiction. An anonymous, Dickensian benefactor (calling himself Mr. Knightley) offers to put Sam through Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism. There is only one catch: Sam must write frequent letters to the mysterious donor, detailing her progress.
As Sam’s dark memory mingles with that of eligible novelist Alex Powell, her letters to Mr. Knightley become increasingly confessional. While Alex draws Sam into a world of warmth and literature that feels like it’s straight out of a book, old secrets are drawn to light. And as Sam learns to love and trust Alex and herself, she learns once again how quickly trust can be broken.
Reminding us all that our own true character is not meant to be hidden, Reay’s debut novel follows one young woman’s journey as she sheds her protective persona and embraces the person she was meant to become.
by Katherine Reay
- Thomas Nelson Publishers
- Contemporary
- November 2014
- ISBN: 9781401689735
[Kindle | Amazon | The Book Depository]
Sometimes the courage to face your greatest fears comes only when you've run out of ways to escape.
At the end of a long night, Elizabeth leans against the industrial oven and takes in her kingdom. Once vibrant and flawless, evenings in the kitchen now feel chaotic and exhausting. She's lost her culinary magic, and business is slowing down.
When worried investors enlist the talents of a tech-savvy celebrity chef to salvage the restaurant, Elizabeth feels the ground shift beneath her feet. Not only has she lost her touch; she's losing her dream.
And her means of escape.
When her mother died, Elizabeth fled home and the overwhelming sense of pain and loss. But fifteen years later, with no other escapes available, she now returns. Brimming with desperation and dread, Elizabeth finds herself in the unlikeliest of places, by her sister’s side in Seattle as Jane undergoes chemotherapy.
As her new life takes the form of care, cookery, and classic literature, Elizabeth is forced to reimagine her future and reevaluate her past. But can a New York City chef with a painful history settle down with the family she once abandoned . . . and make peace with the sister who once abandoned her?
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Be in to win a set of both Dear Mr. Knightley and Lizzy & Jane by Katherine Reay Two sets to be won Contest open to entrants Worldwide. (Print copies USA only - digital copies elsewhere) Contest runs from 7-21 November NZDT |
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