Kathleen Baldwin

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

Kathleen loves real-life adventures. She taught rock climbing in the Rockies, climbed with the Utah Mountain Rescue team, skied when she should've been in class, worked as a lifeguard, tackled white water on the mighty Colorado, survival camped alone in the desert and mountains, had several run-ins with mountain lions, and inadvertently slept near a cougar eating her nightly kill. Later in life, Kathleen married her very own hero and raised four adventurous children.

When and why did you start writing books?

Kathleen has always written. She was first published in high school and continued to publish through college, primarily in poetry and nonfiction. She continued to write while enjoying several different careers and finally decided to write full-time after landing a three-book contract with Macmillian's TorForge teen line, TorTeen.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

Writing is part of Kathleen's personality and nature. "If I don't write, I begin to feel restless and unhappy. It is something I have to do to feel whole and even-keeled."

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

This is a difficult question. It is like asking a mother which of her children she loves most. "I love all of my characters. Each one holds a portion of my heart."

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

Book 3 in the Stranje House series, Harbor for the Nightengale, was the most challenging to write. Instead of processing the world visually, as most of us do, the heroine comprehends it through sound. Couple that unusual trait with the fact that Maya was raised in a foreign country, India, and the challenge just doubled. In the end, Harbor for the Nightengale stretched me as a writer, and that made me love the story even more. Some of my fans from India got involved and helped me out immensely. That made writing it even more fun and exciting.

Who is your favourite author and book?

Frank Herbert's Dune series. I rarely reread a book, but I reread Dune and loved it just as much. I am also a big fan of Dean Koontz. Out of the Corner of His Eye and Breathless are two of my favorite books. Oh, and Georgette Heyer is so much fun... uh oh! That's a lot of favorites, and I didn't even get to the other nineteen.

What book are you reading right now?

I just finished The Chaos Grid by Lyndsey Lewellen, and loved it! Great world-building from an exciting new author

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

I draw my inspiration from life and also the realm beyond. (Peek at eternity. I find God incredibly inspiring and the wellspring of creativity.)

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Spare time? I have so little. Sigh. But I do like to visit the mountains, the Rockies and the High Sierras. I love hiking, swimming, and all things outdoors. I have twelve brave amazing grandchildren who are a wild adventure in and of themselves and keep me very busy.

Do you have any new books in the works?

Yes. I am currently working on a surprise addition to the Stranje House series. Shhhh! It's a secret. I can't say more than that.