FAQ

Kathy's Bio

What made you want to become an author?

I never intended to become an author. I did, however, want to be an illustrator. Since you need a story to base the illustrations on, I tried writing one. I had heard the best way to get started was to write about what you know. Being an art teacher and a Mom was what I felt most comfortable with. Out of that came my first book, The Picture That Mom Drew. It took three years to complete. I worked daily during that time period writing and re-writing, and drawing and re-drawing.

from bird	to duck	to finished ducky

Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

My family has inspired most of the ideas for my books. And, for some reason I also seem to get ideas from stuffed animals. Hey, whatever works, right?

What medium do you us for your illustrations?

I love looking through art catalogs before beginning work on a new book. I get lots of ideas there. I try to choose materials that will best suit the feel of the book. Using a variety of mediums such as markers, acrylic paint, oil pastels and colored pencils keeps things interesting.

How long does it take to write a book?

I usually spend some time rolling a story idea around in my head before putting anything to paper. I like to have the beginning, the middle and the ending of my story pretty much thought out before I begin the actual writing process. Once I have the text for the story complete, I begin working on small, loose sketches in storyboard form. I pace everything to fit into a 24 or 32 page format (standard for most picture books). When I am satisfied with how everything flows, I create more polished sketches and place the text in the appropriate spot on each page. I then put all of the pages together in book form (known as a book dummy). Once the book dummy is approved, work on the finished art begins (my favorite part!). This entire process can take anywhere from six months to a year depending on the number of revisions and the complexity of the art involved.

Which one of your books is your favorite? My favorite book is usually the one I am currently working on. I have bonded with all of my book characters along the way, though. They really take on personalities as I create them. Much like my own children, I know and love them well. Do you have any pets? We have enjoyed the company of many pets over the years including two parakeets, a bunny, a dog, an aqua baby frog, and several cats. At the current time, our cat named Swiffie rules our domain. Do you have any children? My husband, Steve, and I are the very proud parents of two grown daughters, Erin and Meghan. We welcomed our son-in-law, Steve, into our family in 2002. Where do you live? We live in a cape house in Lebanon, Maine. The house was built back in 1838 and at one point served as a parsonage. We've enjoyed the better part of our marriage here. It has been a wonderful place to raise our family. Where do you work? My studio is upstairs at the far end of our house. I am lucky to have this beautiful space with several skylights and plenty of room for my art supplies. It's my favorite place to spend time.