Author Interview with Kate Klise

The DMS was lucky enough to interview  Kate Klise , author of the middle grade novel 43 Old Cemetery Road: Dying to Meet You. Lizzy recently reviewed this haunted mystery and introduced us to the disgruntled author, I.B. Grumply. It was fun to share our thoughts about it and hear yours! We are excited to learn a little bit more about the story behind the story. So, without further adieu... take it away, Kate! 


What inspired you to write Dying to Meet You (43 Old Cemetery Road, book one)?

I get a lot of ideas for my books from newspapers. Several years ago I read a newspaper article about a young couple in Kansas who bought a house from an elderly couple. The older folks were moving to a retirement home and couldn’t take their dog with them. So in the contract for their house, the old couple stipulated that whoever bought their house would also have to care for the dog. That’s the kind of story I love. I took that idea and substituted an eleven-year-old boy for the dog and added a ghost and a crabby writer.
How long did it take you to write Dying to Meet You?
I try to write my first drafts fast and messy, usually in about 30 or 45 days. I probably wrote Dying to Meet You in a month or so. But then I spent more than a year revising it. I bet I wrote 15 or 20 drafts of it before I was happy with it.

What are some of your favorite books from childhood? Were there any specific authors who inspired you?

I loved all of Roald Dahl’s books, especially Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . I also loved everything by E.B. White .

Where did you come up with the characters Seymour, I. B. Grumply, and Olive?


Sometimes I think every character I create is a different side of me. I can certainly be grumpy like Ignatius B. Grumply. I also like to think I’m young at heart, like Seymour. And I’m definitely sassy like Olive, though she’s a lot smarter than I am.


If you could befriend a character from any of your books, who would you befriend? Why?

Olive, definitely. I think she could give me some good advice about writing and life. She is 190 years old, as you’ll recall.

You write and your sister, Sarah, illustrates.  How do the two of you collaborate on books? 

I usually write several drafts of a manuscript before Sarah sees it. I write in plain old Microsoft Word. When I think the story is in fairly decent shape, I email it to Sarah in California, and she starts sketching the characters. We bounce it back and forth many times before we finish.

Mary Sarah KliseWhat is your favorite song?


“Wichita Lineman” by Jimmy Webb. It breaks my heart every time I hear it.  


If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?

I love where I live in southern Missouri. I have forty acres out in the middle of nowhere. It’s blissfully quiet. I love traveling just about anywhere, but I think I’m happiest when I’m home, looking at the big night sky in my little Ozark valley.

Where can we purchase your books?
I love independent bookstores and always suggest people start there. But if you can’t find my books at a small bookstore or a bigger bookseller like Barnes and Noble, try Amazon.


Author Website  ☞  Barnes and Noble  ☞  Amazon.com  ☞  Goodreads  ☟







Read the reviews! 






** For all of you YA readers out there, check out Kate’s newest book for you. It’s called In the Bag....



A European vacation. A luggage mix-up. A note from a secret admirer. . .  In the Bag is a smart and stylish story that explores the old-fashioned art of romance in a modern world, where falling in love can be as risky as checking a bag on an international flight. Buckle your seat belt—it's going to be a bumpy vacation! 
"A lively love story . . . (that) will keep readers happily engaged." -Publishers Weekly


FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED