Hi everyone! 
Author Katie O’ Rourke recently re-leased her formerly traditionally published novel, The Long Thaw, on her own, plunging into the world of self-publishing. To read more on that, check out her insightful guest post, here!
Today, she is being interviewed on A Well Read Woman Blog, and I’m delighted to have her here! I encourage everyone reading this post to leave a supportive comment! And without further ado, please welcome, Author Katie O’ Rourke!
Hi Katie, please tell me a little about yourself and your background.
I grew up in New Hampshire, went to college at a tiny liberal arts school in Massachusetts and moved to Tucson, Arizona shortly thereafter. It is beautiful here and only snows on the top of the mountains a couple times a year.
From New England to Arizona! That is quite the change!
What have you written, Katie?
I have written all my life, but thankfully most of the early stuff was never published.(Unless you count a Thanksgiving story my local paper printed when I was in grade school.) Monsoon Season was published in 2012 and A Long Thaw in 2014, which I’m re-releasing now. I have two and a half books currently awaiting publication.
Monsoon Season
Riley refuses to call herself a battered woman – she doesn’t fit the profile. When her boyfriend Ben hits her, she doesn’t know what to call it. She does know to pack her things and run to the one place that feels safe – home.
Riley discovers she’s pregnant and her emotions become tangled. She can’t shake the fact that she’s still in love with Ben… A horrific accident then turns Riley’s world even more upside down, forcing her to accept help from those around her.
Before she can begin to heal, she must learn the difference between being independent and being alone. A gripping emotional drama, perfect for fans of Anne Tyler and Anita Shreve.
A Long Thaw
A multi-generational story about the power of secrets and the unbreakable bonds of family.
A Long Thaw is about two female cousins who were close as children and reconnect as adults. Abby and Juliet were born into one big, close, Catholic family. But the divorce of Juliet’s parents fragments this family and sends the girls in very different directions.
Juliet grows up too quickly, on the west coast, forced to be responsible for her younger sisters as well as an alcoholic, single mother. On the east coast, Abby grows up a pampered, sheltered only child. As women, they try to mend the rift and come to terms with the way their shared history connects them in spite of the years apart.
This book has been published traditionally and I’m rereleasing it on my own.
I would love to see that Thanksgiving story. 🙂 I bet it was adorable!
How important are the names of characters to you in your books? And how do you choose character names?
I have looked at baby name books. I really do consider naming a character like naming a child. I also consider what names would have been popular when that character was born and what might be appropriate for their ethnicity. Many of my Irish Catholic characters have names you’d find in the bible. A name has to really feel right too, which is harder to articulate. I rarely change a character’s name after the first draft and if I do, it’s a peripheral character and there’s a really good reason.
Do you read your book reviews? Have you ever responded to a book review, or have you been tempted to? If you’ve ever received a negative review, how did you handle it?
I always read them and I never respond when they’re negative. I think readers are totally entitled to their opinion and I try to remember to be grateful that they’ve spent time reading my work in the first place. I’ve developed a pretty thick skin so it’s unlikely a bad review will hurt my feelings. Reader’s taste is subjective. If I agree with a criticism, I take it to heart and make the next book better.
Is there one subject that you refuse to write about, or have a difficult time with, as an Author?
I don’t think so. I write whatever the story demands and I have occasionally felt a story heading in a direction I didn’t expect. I just go with it. 
How can your readers and fans get in touch with you?
And to support this Author’s endeavors, consider purchasing A Long Thaw, a story about the power of secrets and the unbreakable bonds of family, today!
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A Well Read Woman 
Reblogged this on Book Reviews and Author Interviews.
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Thank you very much! I appreciate it!
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Interesting interview. I’m curious to know why Katie made the decision to go indie after being trad published.
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She actually wrote a post about it earlier that I linked to this post. 🙂 She mentioned that the publishing company did little to promote her book. So she went ahead and retained the rights back, and wants to go about it on her own now! 🙂
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Oh, sorry, didn’t see the link. I saw on about an interview and thought you were being interviewed, followed the link and it was Eden talking about BEING interviewed by you. Got me thinking, though. Maybe I could interview you for my shared blog sometime?
Re: Katie moving to indie land I thought it might be that. Authors have to work their socks off to promote books published by trad publishers who then take the lion’s share of the profits. I wish her luck. Her books sound good.
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I know it! I haven’t read Monsoon Season yet, but the blurb has me intrigued! And Mary, yes, I would absolutely POSITIVELY LOVE to be interviewed by you! I think that sounds like a lot of fun!!!
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there are definitely things about going it alone that are better, especially for people who like to be in control of their work. thanks for the support!
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