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Interview with Katherine Forrister

Katherine Forrister is the author of the dark fantasy novel, Lodestone, and the historical fantasy romance novel, The Hand-me-down Maiden.

 Lodestone follows magic hustler, Melaine, who has the rare ability to infuse magic into a lodestone which she can sell for others’ use. In search of a better life, she turns to her idol, the sinister Overlord of Centara. A once powerful and handsome sorcerer, the Overlord has grown weak and needs Melaine’s lodestones for strength. In return, he will take her in as his apprentice. The Hand-me-down Maiden follows Guy Barrett who, upon learning that his long-lost parents died and bequeathed him their estate, moves to the small town of Wakeforest, New York, where he finds a tacky mansion and a young, beautiful caretaker who claims to have lived there for 261 years.

Forrister currently lives near Kansas City with her family, where she enjoys local festivals and conventions, hiking, playing open-world video games, and curling up on the sofa to read on cold winter days. 

 

What are your favorite authors or series?

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien.

What do you love about writing?

My favorite part about being an author is sharing my daydreams with other people, hoping that what brings me joy, entertainment, and inspiration will touch others in the same way. 

What inspires you?

Storytelling in all forms inspires me. I absorb everything around me and enjoy spinning up my own stories in return, whether it’s for other people or just for fun!

 

What themes do you write about and why?

Many of my books have to do with finding a true home in unlikely places. That home can be a physical place or with another person.

Why did you start writing?

I was recovering from a tough time in my life and didn’t know what my path forward should be. Other career paths hadn’t worked out for various reasons, and once I had my daughter to care for, I wanted to find something that I knew I would be capable of pursuing and sticking with. I started writing down stories as both a personal healing process and because writing had been a childhood dream of mine and was always something I thought would be fun to do. “Fun” became “fulfilling”, and now I can’t imagine a life without writing.

What has your personal writing journey looked like?

I started writing full time in 2014 and wrote several “practice novels” before I really gained my feet as a writer. “Lodestone” was scooped up by GenZ Publishing in January of 2020 and published in 2021. GenZ Publishing picked up “The Hand-me-down Maiden” in 2021, and it will be published in 2022. I have also been published in a short story anthology and interactive fiction games.

 

What shaped you into the author you are today?

Hard work and dedication have helped me become a successful author. Inspiration guides me, but persistence is what made my career possible.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Consistency is key. Write as often as you can, whether you are inspired or not. I outline my books ahead of time so that even when I am not feeling it one day, I can still get something on the page and come back to edit it later when I am more inspired. Also, try not to feel discouraged if you ever think your writing is poor, especially on the first draft. Multiple rounds of edits and rewrites will help it shine!

What’s next for you? Do you have any new books in the works?

I have a science fiction book called “Curio Citizen” coming out in late 2022 from Inkshares, Inc. I am always writing, so I have multiple new books in the works that I hope will one day be published as well when they are complete!

 

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