Kate Willis's Blog, page 2

easier than I expected

Sometimes when I get editing comments back, it can feel really overwhelming and like I’ll never be able to fix the story in the ways it needs. This feeling gets stronger when I sit on the notes for a while. I build them up in my mind, and they get scarier and scarier. Last month, […]

Book Outlet is my happy place (sale alert!)

I have a book shopping Problem. I love finding new favorite books, new releases or backlist, in good condition for stellar prices, adding them to my wishlist, and making a big order all at once. Then comes the anticipation of waiting a week and a half or two for my box to arrive. After that […]

five more books to read before fall ends

I get so happy every time fall comes around, and I’m always sad to see it go. I usually celebrate it for as long as I can, even if Christmas does start creeping up on me. 😉 (Yes, I’ve already bought some gifts.) Last year, I shared five books to read before fall ends and […]

creating the cover for Letters for Victory

I first drafted Letters for Victory back in 2015. It was significantly longer back then, with a secret epilogue chapter and less character development and some very stilted writing. There have been a few more versions over the years, but I always knew I wanted to publish it eventually. I couldn’t picture the cover for […]

People Love Dead Jews was what I needed

Instead of sharing regular reviews here (that will stay on my Goodreads), I’ve decided to highlight my most favoritest of favorite books this year. 😉 I’ve already covered a few, which you can find by clicking the “Favorites” tag. My Jewish history My Mom is Jewish, so I was raised with awareness of the holidays and occasional celebrations […]

The Ghost of a Girl // a spooky short story

I didn’t grow up with spooky stories (which was probably a good thing because I was an easily scared child), but lately I’ve been appreciating them more for their capability to include themes of mortality, frailty, changing seasons, and the paranormal. I decided to write my first “ghosty” story with some themes I’ve been thinking […]

October: rain, good news, and staycation

October felt like even more officially fall, and I loved it. We were blessed with sooo much rain! There were fortunately breaks in it, which I was glad for the areas that were prone to flash flooding, but it made everything so fresh and beautiful in our area. My favorite moment was when J and […]

reviewers needed!

Hello, fair bookworms! I’m in need of ARC reviewers for my upcoming World War 2  middle-grade release, Letters for Victory. I also realized some of my latest releases are a little lean on reviews… Particularly The Book of Dreams (an illustrated, cottagecore allegory), If the Stars Awaken (apocalyptic fantasy novel), and A Dream of Flight […]

oops, i love all the genres

I love reading and writing books so much. As I explore the world of words, I find there’s something to love about each genre. I love contemporary for its real life issues, portrayals of ordinary life, and relatability. There’s nothing better than grandparents, homemade cookies, text messages, and first crushes. I love fantasy for its […]

meet the Moorbank siblings

Letters for Victory is available for pre-order! Squeeeeee. 😉 In honor of such momentousness, I thought I’d introduce you to the Moorbank siblings and the main characters of my book… Ruthie Kilroy Ruthie is married to Peter Kilroy and expecting their first child. She writes letters to his husband almost every day. She’s more reserved […]