Kate Scott's Blog, page 13

Debby's Story

I love to read, and write, because I love stories. Everyone has a story to tell. That's what makes this crazy world we live in so interesting. Every Monday, I interview a different person here and share their stories. At first glance, my guests may appear ordinary, but I promise they're not. They're people. And all people are fascinating. We all have a story to tell.


This week, I'm talking to Debby Dodds. I met Debby in a writing class about five years ago, and she has been one of my favorite writer friends ever since. Once you read her answers to all my questions, you will understand why. 

Me: Let's get started, Debby, describe yourself in 50 words or less.

DD: I love to laugh - each day is an opportunity to laugh a lot. Even though I’m both an actor and a writer, I love math. I’m an extrovert who needs to also spend quiet hours alone. Dancing is my stress-reliever. I love my friends and family deeply.
Me: I love that you described yourself by saying all the things you love. It also transitions perfectly into my next question, what do you love most in the world?


DD: My daughter Dory. She’s 9 years-old and is the best thing that ever happened to me. I used to tell people she was a “surprise,” until she found out how you make a baby. Then she said, “I don’t know how you could do THAT by accident so I guess I wasn’t really a surprise, huh?” She’s a hoot. Very sarcastic for someone so young. I often joke that she’s like Mel Brooks trapped in a sweet little blonde haired, blue-eyed girl’s body.
Me: Dory sounds like such a funny kid! Maybe I should start a What's Your Story juniors edition and interview her. But today we're talking to you. What do you fear most?

DD: Anything bad happening to anyone I love.

When I was younger, I used to be terrified of snakes. Irrationally obsessed with them, having nightmares all the time. But I willed myself to observe and touch the innocuous kind, and I’m pretty cool with snakes now. I merely have a healthy trepidation around the ones I might encounter in the wild. And people who don’t have that are nuts.
Me: What's your largest unfulfilled dream, and what are you doing to achieve it?


DD: A high school boyfriend gave me the book Illusions by Richard Bach when I was 16 and there’s a great quote from it, “You are never given a wish without being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however.” I think when I was younger, I thought my wishes were to attain fame and fortune. Well, so far, I haven’t achieved those “wishes.” But I think now, my soul maybe wasn’t really wishing for those things. Rather, what I truly wanted, was to be able to live in a creative way, to travel, to act and write, to love. And I’ve done all of those things.
Me: That is such a beautiful sentiment, and a much more obtainable goal. .Heck, you've already obtained it. What is the hardest thing you've ever done?

DD: There are two: going through my parent’s divorce when I was 22 years old and then my own divorce in my early 30s. Both ripped me apart in different ways. I’d like to use that analogy: “When a muscle tears, it rebuilds and becomes stronger!” but it’s more complicated than that. I am stronger from those experiences in some ways but weaker in others. I think I was fearless in my teens and in college in ways that I lost after my parent’s divorce. Before that event, I always craved and loved change, but after I realized that some change is pretty difficult.
Me: Now that we've gotten to know each other, tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it's yours. What's your story?

DD:                                                  Permanent

     “Will it hurt?” I ask.      “It feels like rubbing sandpaper over a fresh sunburn,” he says in a bored tone that makes me sure he’s used the analogy with many other newbies, many times before. “So no, not pain. More just irritating.”     Hmm…sandpaper rubbing on a sunburn sounded pretty painful to me.     “I’ve been told by quite a few doctors and dentists I have a high threshold for pain,” I say, hoping my bravado will make it so, and I won’t start crying like a baby when he starts. “Okay then, let’s do this!”     I’m glad we have a private room to do this, unlike the environments I’ve seen on some TV shows. He’s already shaved the area and applied the thermal-fax stencil. I watch him take the needles out of their sterile pouches and place them in the machine. The ink caps are ready. I hold my arm out.     I’ve decided to get the tattoo on my forearm, close to the back of my wrist. I figured if I was getting a tattoo, I wanted to be able to see it every day. And I wanted others to see it, too.     It was going to be a purple Grateful Dead Dancing Bear with a bright yellow collar. I’d pored over the different color and body position combinations of the four iconic Dancing Bears. Of course I realized that I could, if I wanted to, pick any color combination with any Bear pose. But it was important to me that mine be an authentic “Dancing Bear,” like the ones The Dead first used as symbols for the band.     I’d seen 97 Grateful Dead shows before Jerry Garcia died, and at least 25 after, with surviving members of the band. The mischievous little Dancing Bears had always appealed to me, probably because I spent most of my time at shows dancing. I was a Deadhead who didn’t smoke pot (which is maybe not as rare as you might think.) Over the years, I learned to love the rose-crowned skeletons, the Steal Your Face, the terrapin turtles, and the other Grateful Dead emblems, but the Dancing Bears remained my favorite.     Just as I’d always loved the Bears, I’d also always admired Tattoos. I’d often ask strangers if I could have a closer look at their colorful body art. After examination, I would compliment them on their tattoos effusively.      Growing up, I never thought I’d have a tattoo because everyone always admonished me, “They’re PERMANENT!” How scary that word was to me when I was younger. Besides, I wanted to be an actress, and I was convinced that tattoos might cost me parts in films! Of course that was before I knew that Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba, Christina Ricci and many other actors and actresses all have plenty of them and just cover them with makeup when needed.     Then, right after graduating from college, I started working at Disney World, and later Disneyland, acting in shows. Back in the 1990s, Disney was very anti-tattoos for employees. I knew a lifeguard who got fired for having a tattoo, even though it was located in a spot that he kept covered. (Turns out a fellow “cast member” saw him changing in a dressing room and ratted him out to the Mouse, in the form of a “lead” otherwise known as a supervisor in non-Disney lingo.) So, throughout my twenties, tattoos were a Forbidden Fruit for me.      But then I moved to Portlandafter the birth of my daughter and I stopped working for Disney as the commute from Oregon to Anaheim would have been quite difficult, to say the least. Soon after moving here, I was at the Sellwood pool, splashing around with the other moms and their tots in the shallow end of the pool. I remember looking around and noticing almost every mom there had some kind of ink somewhere on her body!     When I was younger, I didn’t decide *not* to get a tattoo to avoid being a rebel. I certainly rebelled in lots of other ways (but those are topics for other stories…) And I wasn’t going to get a tattoo now because “everyone else was doing it.” But seeing those moms, well it flipped a switch in my head. Why not? You’ve always wanted one. Why not?     “Permanent” was no longer scary for me. Being a mom is permanent, too. And the idea of that used to scare me but then after it happened, I realized it was the best thing in the world.     Also, stretch marks, freckles, scars, all those things are “permanent” on your skin, too, but you don’t CHOOSE them. A tattoo you get to choose! It’s a statement of what you love, a reflection of who you are.     In a last-ditch effort to try to get me to reconsider, an anti-tattoo friend asked me, “Well, how will you like it when you’re 80 years-old and that tattoo gets all wrinkled?” She smiled smugly, thinking she’d made a great point.     I paused, considering this, and replied,” I honestly think I’ll enjoy looking at a colorful wrinkle better than a plain old skin-toned wrinkle.” We both laughed.    So I’m getting my first tattoo today. First, yes. I have plans for a few others…
Me: Thank you for sharing your story, Debby.

So what's your story? If you're interested in participating in a future installment of What's Your Story, please leave your contact information in the comments of this post or email me directly at katherine(dot)elliott(dot)scott(at)gmail(dot)com.

Dream Big

In honor of my recent book release, I have been doing A LOT of interviews and guest blog posts lately. The number one most common question that all of my interviewers asked was “What advice would you give aspiring writers?” After I answered this question for the seventh time, I realized maybe some of my readers here would like some advice too.
My biggest piece of advice is to dream big. Dreaming and writing feel like very similar activities to me. While I rarely remember my sleeping dreams, I’m a great daydreamer. I don’t know about other authors, but I personally always think of drafting as typing while simultaneously daydreaming. It’s the main reason why I enjoy writing so much. But I’m guessing most aspiring authors already understand the concept of imagination, so I’m going to talk about another kind of dream. The publication dream.
When I say dream big, what I really mean is don’t settle.The rise of the ebook has drastically changed the publication landscape. People are still reading, they are just reading in new ways. The accessibility of ebooks has actually lead to many people reading more. This is a wonderful time to be a writer, because writers know how to dream.
I began dreaming of publication before Amazon launched its first Kindle. My author aspirations involved a New York based publisher and my books on the shelves of every Borders in the country. Then a month after I signed with my agent, Borders went bankrupt. The way people read is changing; my dream needed to change with it.
I am now a published author. I’m living the dream. Counting to D was published by a small press that I founded myself. Why did I fire my New York based agent and opted to go it alone? Because I had a new dream.
I believe small presses are the future of publishing. There is no longer a need for giant print runs, huge warehouses full of books that may never sell, and rented co-op space in bookstores in every mall in the country. There is no longer a need for giant corporations dictating how and what people read. But every individual author doing things completely on their own doesn’t seem like the right plan either.
Publishing a book is hard, it takes a lot of people doing a lot of different things. Very few authors have the talent or resources to be their own everything. Writers need to work together. They need to hire cover artists, and PR professionals. They need to join forces and pool their resources. Writers don’t need giant publishers, but they do still need publishers.
The publishing landscape is changing, and nobody know for sure exactly what it will look like twenty years from now. But I have a dream. My dream isn’t just to release one novel. It’s to be an author, with lots of books. Twenty years from now, I still want this to be my career. And saddling myself to a dying New York industry didn’t feel like the right choice for me. Starting a small press did.
Your dream doesn’t have to be the same as mine. That’s one of the great things about being a writer today. You have a lot of options. But whatever path you choose to take to publication, I encourage you to dream big. You’re a writer. You have an imagination. So don’t be afraid to image an amazing future. Then get out of bed and go find it.

What's Up Wednesday

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk.  Head over to Jaime's page for links to find out what's up with everyone else. Here's what's up with me.
What I'm Reading


This week I read  Cress  by Marissa Meyer. The Lunar Chronicles has been one of my favorite series for a while, and I went into this book with very high expectations. I wasn't disappointed. If you loved Cinder and Scarlet, Cress is just as wonderful.

As the series develops, the deviation from the classic fairy tales seems to be increasing. Cress starts with very long hair, and their are a few other parallels between her story and Rapunzel's throughout the book, but the Rapunzel homage is not what makes this story so captivating.

Meyer has built an interesting and complex world filled with interesting and complex characters. I want to know what's going to happen next. I want Cinder and gang to defeat the lunar queen and save the world. But that isn't a part of the fairy tales.

After I read Scarlet, I remember feeling like it was an even better story than Cinder. Cress was about on par with Scarlet, as a level continuation of the story. I think the thing that makes both of these stories so enjoyable is that they aren't adaptations or remakes of classic stories. They're pieces of a very new and interesting adventure, with an often subtle reference to a classic tale.

Cinder is "Cinderella as a cyborg". It's a cute book. But Cress is way more than Rapunzel locked away in a satellite. So much more. And so much better. I can't wait to see how this series concludes, even if the last installment has nothing but the faintest connection to Snow White.

What I'm Writing

I didn't get much writing done this week, but I at least started thinking about writing again. Releasing my debut has eaten up pretty much all of my writing time for the past month. I think I managed to revise two scenes on my WiP during all of February. But things are finally starting to calm down a bit. And I'm thinking ahead.

I've had a lot of readers ask about book two. The Evolution of Emily is more of a companion novel than a sequel to Counting to D. Sam, the POV character in Counting to D, does make a comeback as a supporting character in Emily's story. But I've already told Sam's story and this new book isn't about her.

Emily, the POV character in my next book, is amazing though. I totally love this character. I feel like I have been writing this story forever, but it's good. And it's really close to done. Now that I have one book out, I can't wait to share this next tale with my readers. I just have to finish writing it first.

My current goal is to completely finish all my revisions by the end of March, so I can pass it off to beta readers starting April 1st. I need to meet this deadline! I am going to meet this deadline! So this past week, I got very little writing done. But next week, next week I plan to spend A LOT of time with Emily.

What Inspires Me Right Now

IndieReCon is happening right now. It's an awesome online conference that is all about indie publishing. I've found a lot of the sessions very helpful and informative. Also, since my debut came out two weeks ago, this conference couldn't have happened at a better time. I've posted a little about my thoughts on publishing in the past, and have a few publishing related post planned for the near future. But in general, I think there is a lot of value in indie publishing.

I'm glad I didn't self publish any of my early "practice books" because trust me, you don't want to read those. The lack of external gate keepers can lead to people self-publishing way to early. But once a book is good enough to merit publication, I honestly have a very hard time seeing the benefit of a Big 5 publisher. And as the publishing industry continues to change, the need for large corporate publishers will shrink even more.

It's an interesting topic, and something I need to think about more. Which is odd, since I am already an indie author. No matter where you are on your quest towards publication, I recommend checking out this conference.

What Else I've Been Up To

A LOT! I have been so busy lately, it is not even funny. Counting to D came out two weeks ago, which is nothing but exciting. But it's crazy how much time releasing a book can take. I did one reading/signing last week, and I have my second signing scheduled for next weekend. I'm also leading a writing workshop for kids next week. But those few official events isn't what's eating up all my time.

It's the fact that I just had a book come out and all my friends/family now have a reason to see me. They want to get together for coffee, or dinner, or drinks, or board games, and have me sign their book for them. I didn't get home until after 11pm every single night last week.

I was supposed to take two of the kiddos I mentor to the beach on Saturday. Not 'cause I'm a new author, just 'cause I'm an awesome mentor. But one of the girls was grounded, and the other didn't want to go without her friend, so we decided to reschedule. It was such a relief, being able to actually catch up on sleep. (And finish Cress 'cause you know, that's super important too.)

This coming week, I only have like four things scheduled. So hopefully, I'll actually be able to find some writing time.

So what's up with you?

Adell's Story

I love to read, and write, because I love stories. Everyone has a story to tell. That's what makes this crazy world we live in so interesting. Every Monday, I interview a different person here and share their stories. At first glance, my guests may appear ordinary, but I promise they're not. They're people. And all people are fascinating. We all have a story to tell.


This week, I'm talking to Adell Gray. Adell is in my critique group, and I'm delighted to share her story here today.


Let's get started, Adell, describe yourself in 50 words or less.

AG: I'm incredibly energetic and always have grand ideas that are often much more successful in my mind than real life. I'd like to think that this makes me a better writer, but I'm not so sure. I'm also fiercely loyal and will do anything to help the people I care about.
Me: What do you love most in the world?


AG: Breathing. Wait--there's an explanation. I practice yoga and this past year I've become a runner (which I never thought was possible). Breathing has helped me get through difficult poses and strenuous runs. It's also been a great help during difficult times in my life when I've felt overwhelmed to focus on calming breathes.
Me: Breathing is a good thing, it's definitely better than not breathing. What do you fear most?

AG: Running out of chocolate. Either that or having to be dependent on someone else. Spiders are also pretty awful. I think it's a three way tie for #1.
Me: Eek, running out of chocolate. Terrifying. What's your largest unfulfilled dream, and what are you doing to achieve it?


AG: To be a published author. I recently dove head-first into my local writing community, which I was absent from for a couple of years. Despite the fact that I feel like sharing my work is equivalent to a parent-teacher conference for the worst kid in class, I still force myself to read aloud (which is awful). I'm also writing and rewriting and editing like crazy, going to workshops and writing conferences, critiquing other people's working and learning how to work my website. There's also ample yoga, running and baking involved so that I can procrastinate and work out story ideas in my head.
Me: Having been a published author for a whopping two weeks now, I can attest that the path to publication is long and treacherous. It's worth it though, keep at it and I'm sure you will get there. It won't be easy though. What is the hardest thing you've ever done?

AG: Ha. Well...I got divorced last spring (which was hard enough) and the past nine months have brought several firsts for me, all of which I swear were the hardest thing until the next came along. I backpacked across a foreign country by myself, sang karaoke after my best friend begged me to at her bachelorette party (seriously, it was terrifying), tackled home projects that involved power tools, my attic AND even got in the crawlspace in my house. That's not to mention the tough stuff of saying goodbye to a dying relative or my border collie.
Me: So many challenges, and look at you. You've gotten through them all. Now that we've gotten to know each other, tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it's yours. What's your story?

AG: My friend's dad used to always play pranks on us when we were little kids. One time, he told us that one of the pirate construction workers (which totally made sense in my young mind) had died while building their house. My friend's mom used to insist that we go down to the storage room to get a cot for me to sleep on whenever I was there, despite the fact that I was a kid and fine with a sleeping bag on the floor. Do you know where the pirate construction worker haunted? The storage room. Thank goodness the Pacific Northwest is void of basements and other such areas. I don't think I could handle a pirate construction worker ghost. Unless it was Johnny Depp. That might be okay.

Me: Thank you so much for sharing your story, Adell.

So what's your story? If you're interested in participating in a future installment of What's Your Story, please leave your contact information in the comments of this post or email me directly at katherine(dot)elliott(dot)scott(at)gmail(dot)com.

Readings and Signings and Books - Oh My

My debut novel, Counting to D , came out a week and a half ago. I'm sure at some point this roller coaster I call a life will level off, but right now things are still crazy. But in a very good way. Today marks the end of my virtual tour. In the past three weeks, I've posted 20 guest blog tours and interviews all over the web. You can find links to all my past virtual events in the events section.

While you are there, you may notice that I have some live events listed too. And that is what I really want to talk about today. I had my first book signing at Annie Bloom's Books in SW Portland on Tuesday. It was a standing room only event! You can't ask for a better start than that. I left a few extra autographed copies behind. So if you live in Portland and missed it, you can still go pick up a copy.

Or you can just wait a week and then drive up to Vancouver to see me there. Because I just scheduled my second reading! I am doing another reading/signing at Vintage Books in Vancouver Washington on Saturday, March 1st at 2pm. I was a little nervous about my first reading. But then it went way better than I ever could have imagined. So now I'm nothing but excited about my second one.

At this point, I don't have any readings/signings scheduled outside the Portland Metro Area. That doesn't mean I don't want to, it just means I haven't scheduled any yet. So if you live farther afield and want to come to your town, tell me where to go.

I'm working on planning a larger tour in May, to correspond to my audiobook release. Yes, there will be a Counting to D  audiobook and it will be available in May. If there is an indie bookstore in your area that you think would be a good tour stop, let me know. You can put suggestions in the comments, or send me an email at katherine(dot)elliott(dot)scott(at)gmail(dot)com.

What's Up Wednesday

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk.  Head over to Jaime's page for links to find out what's up with everyone else. Here's what's up with me.
What I'm Reading


This week I read When Audrey Met Alice  by Rebecca Behrens. I "met" Rebecca through What's Up Wednesday, and had heard nothing but good things about her debut. So I read it with high expectations. Despite that, she still exceeded my expectations. This is a FABULOUS book!

Alice Roosevelt (daughter of Teddy) is a super interesting historical figure. I loved all the details in the book so much, I did more research about her after I'd finished. What a remarkable woman! Seriously, I feel like I should have known more about her before reading this book. But I didn't. So I'm really glad I read this book.

While the historical fiction aspect of When Audrey Met Alice is what really makes this story stand out to me as a must read, the contemporary element was great too. The fictitious modern first daughter, Audrey Rhodes, is a very relatible character, even if she does live at the nations most notable address. Presenting Alice's story though Audrey's eyes worked really well. All and all, this was a great read! Yay, Rebecca! I'm so glad I "met" you and learned about your wonderful debut.

What I'm Writing

Counting to D has been on sale for a whole week now. So I really have no excuse for not working on book number two. I am a published author now. I need to finish projects! So I really really really need to work on The Evolution of Emily.

That being said, I did not get any writing done this week. Counting to D is still causing distraction. But things are starting to die down on that front, and this coming week will be better. I will finish my revisions for EoE. It will happen. I promise.

What Inspires Me Right Now

I read a very interesting article the other day comparing Indie vs Traditional publishing called Author Earnings - The Report. While some of the statistics sighted in the report may be unreliable, it's still a very interesting article. It was a little less than a year ago when I decided to bid my agent ado and go the indie route instead. So I'm glad somebody has some numbers (even if they are anecdotal) to support my actions. I do believe Counting to D will sell, that's why I chose to invest in myself. So stumbling upon this article during my release week was apt timing.

If any of you are thinking about forgoing your Big 5 dreams for new Indie lined dreams, I definitely recommend reading this article. I'd be happy to chat more about my thoughts on the matter too, if people have questions.

What Else I've Been Up To

I had my first book signing last night. It was a joint event with another local YA author, Suzy Vitello. About 40 people came to the event, and because some people were there for Suzy, I didn't already know everyone in the audience. The reading was a great experience. I've been doing a TON of guest blog posts for my virtual tour, but there is something special about in person events. Plus a sold a bunch of books, and then got to sign them afterwards. I'm not going to complain about that!

So what's up with you?

Suzy's Story

I love to read, and write, because I love stories. Everyone has a story to tell. That's what makes this crazy world we live in so interesting. Every Monday, I interview a different person here and share their stories. At first glance, my guests may appear ordinary, but I promise they're not. They're people. And all people are fascinating. We all have a story to tell.

This week, I'm talking to Suzy Vitello. Suzy's debut novel, The Moment Before , was just released last month. Tomorrow we'll be doing a reading and signing together at Annie Bloom's Books in SW Portland. Two great new YA writers in the same room, you won't want to miss it! If you're from Portland, come to Annie Bloom's and meet Suzy in person. But for those of you who aren't from Portland, Suzy has agreed to share here story here today.

Let's get started, Suzy, describe yourself in 50 words or less.

SV: A mostly quiet observer whose facility for observation does not include spatial recognition – but I’m a bad ass when it comes to imitating accents and I enjoy irony.

Me: Ironically, irony is always a good thing. What do you love most in the world?

SV: My kids.
Me: Those two words really say it all, don't they. What do you fear most?

SV: That something bad will happen to my kids.
Me: What's your largest unfulfilled dream, and what are you doing to achieve it?

SV: To live part time in Austria. I was born there, and every time I visit, I have this hunger to linger. For now, visiting every few years will do. And I am doing that.
Me: I always itch to travel more, and Austria is high on my list of places I want to go. Living there sounds heavenly, and that's coming from someone who was born in Portland. I imagine having your life divided between two continents would be hard. What is the hardest thing you've ever done?

SV: When my husband died, I moved to a place where I had no support system, and I did it with two very young children. It was really hard, but was the best thing I’ve ever done, too.
Me: I don't even want to imagine how difficult that must have been. I'm glad that things worked out well in the end, or middle since your life is clearly not over. Now that we've gotten to know each other, tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it's yours. What's your story?

SV: One of my early distinct memories is of stepping on an automatic door pad for the first time. I was in an airport. I was five.

The idea that there could be a portal revealed without human initiation was so profound, it informed my dream life – and later, I think, my writing life –forever more. I think about coming of age as a series of loss-of-innocence events. Some, like automatic doors, are inconsequential and benign, but can still impact the developing life of an artist. Others: betrayals, abuse, bullying, accidents, are more cataclysmic and have a more direct effect on the psyche. Those bigger milestones might serve as themes for the writer or visual or performance artist, but the nuanced ones, those tiny, tiny “firsts” are not to be overlooked as a well from which stories take shape, and also as a place that informs your experience as a reader.
Right now I’m reading an amazing novel, James Scott’s THE KEPT (any relation, Kate?), and the way he evokes setting and the psychology of his characters taps into my cave of imagination – the place where my own writing lives. It’s another sort of automatic door experience – you know? When you become flooded with images and feeling without havingMe: My father's name is James, but Scott is my married name, so there's no relation. As for your story, it's such a great metaphor, you must be an author or something. Thank you so much for sharing your story, Suzy. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow at Annie Bloom's. 

So what's your story? If you're interested in participating in a future installment of What's Your Story, please leave your contact information in the comments of this post or email me directly at katherine.elliott.scott(at)gmail.

What's Up Wednesday - Book Birthday Edition!

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk.  Head over to Jaime's page for links to find out what's up with everyone else. Here's what's up with me.
What I'm Reading


I didn't get any reading done this week. I've been a bit distracted by the awesomeness known as my current reality.

What I'm Writing

I wrote a book. It's called Counting to D, and it's now on sale!

Yesterday was my book birthday, which is all kinds of exciting. I don't actually have any physical copies of my final book yet though. :( I have ARC's, but they aren't the same thing..

We had a huge snow storm last week that closed the airport, which apparently effects airmail. I'm doing a signing next week. I better have the books by then or it will be very embarrassing.

I am trying to write my second book too. I'm almost done with it, but have been really bad about working for about the past six months. The whole writing a new book while also getting the old book ready for publication at the same thing is hard! But now the old book is published, so I have no excuses. I will finish The Evolution of Emily soon. Because it's going to be just as fabulous as Counting to D, and I now have fans that will want to read it.

What Inspires Me Right Now

I received my first fan letter. Already. I know, it's crazy, but way inspiring. The main character in Counting to D  is dyslexic. And I received a very nice email from a dyslexic reader thanking me for writing a book about him. The message was only on paragraph long, but by the time I finished reading it, I'd basically melted into a giant puddle of inspired. Getting positive reviews is awesome, and I've gotten a lot of them. But getting a thank you note for an actual reader, SO MUCH BETTER!!!!

What Else I've Been Up To

As I alluded before, we had a lot of snow last week. So I've mainly just been staying home and trying not to freeze. I did notice an baby owl in my back yard the other day though. I don't know if owl's like the snow or not. I don't know if he was coming out to play, or hunting for a place to stay warm. Either way, he was super cute.

Okay, now back to the important stuff.  Counting to D  was released yesterday! Oh did I already say that? In addition to buying a copy at the bookstore of your choice (Elliott Books, Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, Powell's, IndieBound) you can also enter to win a free copy in the giveaway I'm hosting.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So what's up with you?

Counting to D is Now On-Sale!

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Counting to D by Kate Scott

The kids at Sam's school never knew if they should make fun of her for being too smart or too dumb. That's what it means to be dyslexic: smart, and illiterate. Sam is sick of it. So when her mom gets a job in a faraway city, Sam decides not to tell anyone about her little illiteracy problem. Without her paradox of a reputation, she falls in with a new group of highly competitive friends who call themselves the Brain Trust. When she meets Nate, her charming valedictorian lab partner, she declares her new reality perfect. But in order to keep it that way, she has to keep her learning disability a secret. The books are stacked against her and so are the lies. Sam's got to get the grades, get the guy, and get it straight--without being able to read.

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Sam's Story

For the past six months, I've interviewed a different person each week and shared their story here. I've started each of those interviews by saying, "I love to read, and write, because I love stories. Everyone has a story to tell. That's what makes this crazy world we live in so interesting. Every Monday, I interview a different person here and share their stories. At first glance, my guests may appear ordinary, but I promise they're not. They're people. And all people are fascinating. We all have a story to tell."

I do think that's true. I believe all people are interesting, and try to focus on that belief when I'm writing. But the six questions I've asked all my guests have been calculated. I've asked all the things a writer is supposed to know about their characters. I've even introduced What's Your Story to most of my past participants as a character study of real people. 


Today, I'm breaking that simple rule and interviewing someone fictional. My debut novel, Counting to D , is being released tomorrow. And today, I'm here talking to its narrator, Samantha Wilson.

Me: Let’s get started, Samantha, describe yourself in 50 words or less.
Sam: I’m a pretty typical teen, or at least that’s what I want to be. I’m good at math and crappy at reading. I’m smart and dyslexic, which is hard for most people to understand. But that’s who I am. I don’t know how to be anything else.
Me: What do you love most in the world?
Sam: My best friends, Arden and Gabby. My mom is okay too, sometimes.
Me: Having close friends is great. What do you fear most?
Sam: Rejection. People tease me a lot, because I’m different and sometimes hard to understand. I love Gabby and Arden, but I wish other people could see me the way they do. Sometimes, I’m afraid to meet new people, or let people see who I really am, because I’m worried they’ll deem me unworthy and unlovable.
Me: What is your greatest unfulfilled dream, and what are you doing to achieve it?
Sam: Winning the Nobel Prize in Physics. I know, it’s a totally unobtainable goal, but I have dreamt it. I think my real dream is just to make a difference though. I don’t have to win a huge prize, I just have to do something prize-worthy. I want to discover something great that changes the way other people see the world. As for what I’m doing to achieve these unrealistic ambitions, I study a lot. And I intend to continue studying physics in college, and graduate school.
Me: That’s quite ambitions and won’t be easy. What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
Sam: Learn how to read--if you can even call me literate. I have a pretty gnarly case of dyslexia, and I expect reading will always be hard for me. I’ve gotten good at not reading; that was easy. The hard thing was learning to read, at least a little. I know reading is easy for a lot of people, but I also know it's the hardest thing I will ever do. Nothing else will ever compare. I think that's probably why I have such unrealistic dreams about the future. If I can read, I really can do anything. 
Me: You should be very proud of yourself then. Now that we’ve gotten to know each other, tell me a story. It can be long or short. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make it yours. What’s your story?
Sam: Numbers danced in the back of my mind. They piled high, providing safety and structure to the confusing world that surrounded me. 829, 839, 853… I hugged my knees tight against my chest and gasped for air between choking sobs. I was lost, alone, and counting. 947, 953, 967… I heard a rapping sound and opened my eyes.
The knock came again, louder. I expected it to be knuckles on wood--my mom, come to give me some hollow motherly words of wisdom. I had nothing to say to that woman. But the sound was knuckles on glass. I turned and saw Arden crouched on the fire escape outside. Her family lived in the apartment directly above ours, and I loved her more than I would a sister. I crawled out of bed and rushed over to unlock the window.
"I had this crazy Spidey sense that you were in trouble. Sam, what's wrong?"...

The rest of Sam’s story will be available tomorrow. Pre-order it now at Amazon or Barns and Nobel.So what's your story? If you're interested in participating in a future installment of What's Your Story, please leave your contact information in the comments of this post or email me directly at katherine(dot)elliott(dot)scott(at)gmail(dot)com.