Kathleen Long - An Engrossing Tale of Loss With a Humorous Touch

Kathleen Long is the author of sixteen novels of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and women’s fiction. In addition to a RIO Award and two Gayle Wilson Awards of Excellence, her writing accolades include National Readers Choice, Holt Medallion, Booksellers Best, and Book Buyers Best award nominations, as well as appearances on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. A Delaware native, she now resides in suburban Philadelphia. As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, Chasing Rainbows.

Please give us a short introduction to what Chasing Rainbows is about.

Chasing Rainbows is about getting back up after life knocks you down. It’s about knowing that each of us holds the power to move forward—when we’re ready—from whatever hand we get dealt. The story centers around Bernadette Murphy, who has faced a series of recent losses in her life.

What inspired you to write this story? Was there anything in particular that made you want to tackle this?

Much of the story came directly from my life. The story also came at a time when I was longing to write longer, meatier stories than what I’d been writing. I lost my father and our firstborn in exactly the same way Bernie loses hers. Losing my father made me realize I’d never worked through losing our daughter. Chasing Rainbows let me do that. Telling Bernie’s story, even though much of it is fictionalized, let me explore the emotions and the heartache, and it let me deliver a story in which the main character processes her losses, picks up the pieces, and carries on.

Tell us more about Bernadette Murphy. What makes her tick?

Bernie is my absolute favorite of all the characters I’ve written. She’s not perfect. As a matter of fact, she’s far from perfect. She makes mistakes. She thinks selfish thoughts. She whines. She fails. And yet, she reaches a point in her life when she decides to get up and try again. I think the thing that makes her tick is that beneath it all, she’s stubborn. And she is loyal to those she loves. I love that about her.

Why did you decide to include cryptograms in the story?

The cryptograms! What are those jumbles of letters? My dad and I used to open the newspaper every morning and race to complete the cryptograms. Years before he died, I gave him a blank journal and asked him to fill it with family stories. Instead, he filled it with his favorite cryptogram solutions. Lessons for living, if you will. So, the cryptograms come straight out of real life. The creative challenge for me was to weave the story threads around the cryptograms, but I loved the process. Hopefully, they add another layer to the story for the reader.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

Once upon a time, I dabbled in photography, loved making jewelry, and spent a lot of time attempting to knit. Now, my days seem to revolve around begging a teenager to put her dishes in the dishwasher. Not terribly exciting. I do plant a mean vegetable garden, however. So, there is that.

Along with the drama, your book also includes a lot of humor. Why did you take this approach?

I love a book that makes me laugh and cry, so that’s what I set out to write. I think that life and relationships—especially friendships like Bernie’s—lend themselves to humor even in the midst of trying times. I love to laugh. I suppose it’s no surprise that I write characters who love to laugh as well. Also, Chasing Rainbows deals with some heavy topics. I think it’s only fair to the reader to provide some bright spots along the way.

Does the book have an underlying message? What do you hope readers will take away from it?

I hope that readers will connect with what Bernie’s father is quoted as saying. In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don’t. I hope readers will take away the message that no matter what might be happening in your life, it’s never too late to start singing. Chase your rainbows.

Readers say that they could really relate to Bernie. How did you pull this off?

I think it speaks to how real Bernie is. She popped into my head fully formed, and I let her tell her story. Her emotions are raw and honest, and perhaps that’s what readers relate to. As I said before, she’s not perfect. At all. For me, that’s the best thing about her.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you plan out your story before you start writing, or does a lot of it just happen along the way?

When I write a story like Chasing Rainbows, I usually start writing and plan as I go. I reach a point where I know my characters and where I want them to end up, so I’ll stop and plot out what needs to happen to get them there. On the other hand, when I write one of my romantic thrillers, I plot out every single thing before I write the first word. The two processes are wildly different.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I am an early morning writer. I love to have at least a solid hour before anyone else wakes up so that I can grab a coffee and write like crazy. I save other aspects of writing—cover design, promotion, etc.—for the later hours of the day. But the morning? That’s my favorite time to create.

What are you working on right now?

Right now, I’m working on a project unlike anything I’ve written previously. It’s a young adult fantasy adventure, and I think I simply needed to let my creativity go wild in order to keep writing during this past year, so that’s what I did. I am missing my big, emotional stories, and have a few ideas I plan to tackle once I type the end on this current project.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I’ve kept a pretty low social media profile over the past few years due to family issues, but I am back on Instagram and Twitter. I’d love to interact there. Readers can also check out my website – kathleenlong.com – and email me anytime or drop me a note to join my newsletter.