A Visit With Kate Quinn

Last week I had the great good fortune to participate in some wonderful writer/reader fun. An author I admire came to my area on her book tour. She did a luncheon speech in the afternoon, and a library presentation in the evening. At first I planned to attend only the luncheon, but then I decided, what the heck, I’m going to do both. So I did.

I first heard of Kate Quinn when I read her dual-timeline bestselling book, The Alice Network, and even mentioned it on my blog back in the summer of 2017. Kate did a great job of writing each chapter with a tiny little cliffhanger that made it hard to put the book down. I kept telling myself I’d only read a few more pages, while hours ticked away. Needless to say, sleepless nights lingered until I finished it.

Well, Kate has a new book out titled The Huntress. This story features an all-female night bomber regiment that operated during World War II. They impacted the Germans enough to earn a nickname – Night Witches. How cool is that? Written from three different points of view, reviewers have described the story as compulsively readable.

I haven’t started the book yet, but I’m looking forward to diving in. By the way, last I heard this one had already made it to #2 on the NYT Bestseller list. Not a bad start for a book only a few weeks old!

Kate gave a wonderful presentation, and although I didn’t take notes, these were a few of the points she made:

  1. Kate loves to write fascinating women from the past who may have been overlooked by history. To hone in on a subject, she researches a time period of interest to her, looking for a woman or women who pique her curiosity.
  2. Her research process is thorough and immersive, but she knows when it’s time to stop reading, and start writing.
  3. She keeps to a schedule. In the morning, she takes care of non-writing tasks. In the afternoon, it’s time to sit at the computer and work.

The comments made sense not only for a bestselling author, but for any writer. For example, writing a book does require a fascinating subject. You and your character will be spending an awful lot of time together. So will your character and a reader.

Research. It’s easy to get so bogged down with research, you never move on with the story. This is a problem that plagues me frequently, because I love reading history! But at some point ideas must be put on paper, or research will go on forever (and ever and ever).

A schedule is critical for real progress. Writing must be a part of each day’s routine, so other things don’t crowd out working on the story. Find a viable time of day to write, and then stick to it.

I guess it’s obvious I find author events to be entertaining and eye-opening. If you have the chance to hear one of your favorite authors speak, I highly recommend it as an opportunity to learn about the writing process, get backstory on a book you’ve enjoyed, and ask lots of questions.

Me, Kate Quinn, and The Huntress

Did I enjoy my afternoon and evening with Kate? I’m pretty sure you can guess the answer. 🙂

What author events have you attended?

14 Responses

    1. Lisa, I think you’ll enjoying reading her books. The Alice Network really hooked me, and I’m thinking The Huntress will be every bit as good!

  1. Pat, I loved hearing about your experience with Kate Quinn! I actually just read a book about Russian female bombers in WW2 by another author. Fascinating! I had no idea women fought against Germany. I’ll definitely check into Kate’s new book.

    1. Karen, I think you’ll enjoy it. World War II has been a popular time period for historical fiction in the last few years, and I’m sure there are many fascinating stories yet to be told.

  2. I loved The Alice Network and am looking forward to reading The Huntress. I wish I could have seen her the evening she was here but I had a prior commitment.

    1. Oh, it would have been even more fun if you were there, Sally! I think The Huntress will be a spectacular read.

  3. Pat–I’ve seen Anne Lamott. Mary Karr. Janet Evanovich. Sherman Alexie. Rick Bragg. Orson Scott Card. (I’ve probably forgotten a few.)

    Oh. I’ve been to a Pat Wahler author event, too. 😉

    1. How I’d love to see Anne Lamott. You’ve attended some awesome events.

      Now that you mention it, I always enjoy attending an author event with you!

  4. Nice photo and I like her comments, and I love that you did both events. I love going to see authors. I always learn so much. One of my favorites lately was when I got to see Andrew McCarthy from St. Elmo’s Fire and Pretty in Pink fame at the St. Louis County Headquarters with his YA book. He was a fascinating writer!

    1. Oh, Margo, I bet the one with Andrew McCarthy was awesome!

      I love hearing about the journey of bestselling authors. It’s always inspiring.

  5. Sounds like a wonderful event, Pat! I love a dual-timeline story, so The Alice Network is exactly my kind of read. And The Huntress — what a great title! Looking forward to adding both books to my TBR pile. Thanks so much for introducing us to Kate.

    1. I think you’ll enjoy reading her books, Teri. I’d recommend reading The Alice Network first. It really hooked me!

  6. Pat, this book sounds like something I’d enjoy. I love history, so I’ll have to check it out!

    1. Mary, it is a good one for sure. If you haven’t read Kate’s work before, I’d suggest The Alice Network first. It was amazing!

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