A Conversation with Cathy Holton

I read Cathy Holton's first two novels (the Kudzu Debutantes) before I heard her speak at a Chattanooga Writers' Guild meeting years ago. I loved her stories and her humor and invited her to come to my novel writing class to speak to them about what it takes to be a writer (hint--lots of unpublished manuscripts in boxes under the bed). After that class we went to Lamars for a few drinks and a friendship formed.
Last week Cathy passed away after a long battle with cancer. She was a very private person, and did not publicize her illness. I will miss reading more of her novels and even more I will miss her friendship. Here is a link to a conversation with Cathy that I posted in this blog in February 2012.
It begins:
I first met Cathy Holton a few years ago after I’d read (and loved) her first novel Revenge of the Kudzu Debutantes. Like me, she lives in Chattanooga Tennessee, and she was gracious enough to visit my novel writing class at the university and talk about writing.

Since then, we’ve bonded over of our love of bars with character (think seventies velvet wallpaper), family history (looks like lines on both our sides settled around Midway, Georgia, before the Revolution), Flannery O’Connor, and Southern Culture on the Skids. I met up with Cathy at T-Bones, a local bar, for half priced wine and barbeque tacos to chat about her fourth and most recent novel Summer In the South. Unfortunately, we got so wrapped up in talking about writing and the South, that by the time we’d remembered to order our tacos, the kitchen was closed! Thankfully, we had our wine, and stayed chatting until closing time. Here are a few excerpts from our talk.
You can read the rest here:
http://sybilbaker.blogspot.com/2012/0...
Here is Cathy's website--I urge you to pick up one of her books. After you read one, you'll be hooked.
http://www.cathyholton.com