Interview with Kathryn Bain

This Jacksonville, Florida writer's fifth book, Beautiful Imperfection, released on September 29, 2013. While she is originally from Spokane, Washington, once her toes hit the Florida sand she knew there was no turning back.

Kathryn, you mentioned you've worked as a paralegal for over twenty years. How has working in this profession helped with your writing?
Plotting? I get some good ideas from the clients who we work with. In fact, the name of my heroine in Beautiful Imperfection came from a client. Her name was Theodora and everyone called her Teddy, so I asked if I could use it. Unfortunately, our client passed away before the book was released.

I love the title of your latest book, Beautiful Imperfection. Please tell us how you came up with the title and its significance to your story.
The title came from the song “Beautiful Disaster” by Jon McLaughlin. I was listening to it in the car one day. He’s singing about a girl who feels she’s imperfect, yet he says she’s beautiful. It was a great “aha” moment because at that time I still hadn’t come up with a title.

What’s your biggest challenge in balancing writing time with your other responsibilities?
It is hard to work outside the home and write also. I have to get up an hour early each morning just to the get the writing in. Then when I get home I do marketing and editing. Of course, my new granddaughter takes up a lot of my time these days.

How do your faith and spiritual life play into the picture and affect your storytelling?
God is in every book I write, even my secular books. I think as a Christian, He needs to be. All my books are clean with no curse words and no graphic sex scenes. (Though I keep threatening my friends that I’m going to write an erotic Christian book and label the genre Christian porn.) It’s hard not to include your beliefs in a book , no matter what it is.

What do you consider the greatest moment of your writing/publishing career?
Wow! That’s tough. The first time I felt like I actually made it was when I won the Royal Palm Literary Award in 2010 for Inspirational Fiction for my book Breathless. But then when I was at a craft fair signing books, a woman came up and told me she saw my book on Amazon. That was pretty amazing, also.

Who/What spurs you to write? Where do your story and character ideas come from?
The voices in my head make me write. If I didn’t, I’d never get rid of them. I get quite a few of my stories from songs. My book Breathless came from the Toby Keith song, “God Love Her.” It actually has spawned my whole Lincolnville series where I use a country singer as inspiration for my hero in each book. Toby Keith is in the first book, Chris Young is in Catch Your Breath, and in the upcoming One Last Breath, is George Strait. (My hero and heroine in One Last Breath are in their sixties.)

What led you to choose the genre in which you write?
Being a Christian, the inspirational was fairly simple to go with. I also love suspense and mystery so I felt it best to write what I read. Humor is another love of mine. Writing a funny book like Knight & Day is a great way to get a breather from a suspense book.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
Did I mention I have a new grandbaby? Her name is Hope, and I spend as much time as I can with her. She’s now seven months old.

What books are on your nightstand right now?
I just finished reading Vicki Hinze’s Deadly Ties and am hoping to start reading The Drifter by Susan Wiggs soon.

Finish this statement: The writer who has made the greatest impact on me is. . .
Dean Koontz because he scares the bejeebers out of me. And I like that.

Any parting words?
Thanks for having me share my thoughts. Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope for you all a blessed New Year.

Thanks for sharing with us, Kathryn!