Author Kathryn Lively: Guest Post and Giveaway!

Today I welcome Kathryn Lively, author of Little Flowers, to the blog for the first post in my new Saturdays in the South feature!

Hello, and thank you for joining me today. My name is Kathryn Lively and I guess you can say I am a Southerner. I have lived in the South all of my life – born in Florida, present in Virginia after several years in Georgia. As an English major in college and assistant librarian in Georgia, I became exposed to some of the best Southern literature written. While I read pretty much everything, there is a special place in my heart for the classics: McCullers, Welty, Faulkner, Harper Lee, etc.

My first love genre, however, is mystery, and I’ve spent many years tearing through all manner of Southern stories, from the gothic to the genteel to the downright bizarre. Anne Rice and Carl Hiaasen were two early favorites, and one would think I’d end up emulating the styles of some of these writers. In truth, when I sat down to write my first novel, Little Flowers, I decided to work on my own voice rather than attempt a poor imitation of another’s. I feel when an author is able to do that, the actual writing comes easier, and the passion for the story is evident in the final product.

I’ve been flattered over the years to receive notes from aspiring authors requesting tips. Bottom line, if you want to write, you simply do it. If you have time to cook dinner, exercise, work, etc., you have the time to write. You don’t have to complete the entire novel in a day, but even a thousand words a day puts you a step closer to your goals. Getting back to Little Flowers, this was a project I undertook during Lent. For the forty days, I gave up self-doubt and committed myself to writing five pages a days. Some days went easier than others, but even during the times I had to struggle to finish the goal I did it. The book doesn’t finish itself – even writing two pages of disjointed dialogue is something. Remember, you can always go back and edit.

Little Flowers, like most of my novels and mysteries, is set in the South. Some people hang onto the old maxim “Write what you know,” and I suppose I am more comfortable with Southern settings because I have traveled through much of the South over the last four decades. I can envision a sense of place easily based on my memory, and being a Southern girl there’s no other place I’d want to live. 🙂

Little Flowers is available at Amazon in Kindle format and print, and you are welcome to visit me online at www.KathrynLively.com to see my other available titles. I invite you to comment on this post and enter to win a $10 GC from Amazon, too. Thanks for reading!

Thanks so much for stopping by, Kathryn! I know my readers appreciate your insight and your generosity!

I’m still looking for authors of Southern Literature to participate in this feature. Please click the button for details if you’re interested!

I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s, my local independent bookstore located in downtown Asheville, NC; and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.