Interview with Katharine Davis, author of A Slender Thread

A big welcome today to Katharine Davis, author of East Hope, Capturing Paris, and her latest book, A Slender Thread. Katharine was a good sport about answering my questions:

Which book or books are on your bedside table right now?

Tinkers, by Paul Harding. I read it early in the summer but it’s a must re-read. I just finished Father of the Rain, by Lily King which left me breathless –a truly gripping story. I’m also dipping in and out of E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View because I’m working on a novel that takes place in Florence.

What was your favorite book when you were a child?

The Witch of Blackbird Pond. I can’t remember anything about it now but I remember reading it over and over.

What book would you most want to read again for the first time?

Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier. It was the first adult book I remember reading and has one of the greatest first lines in fiction “Last night I dreamt I was at Manderly” or something close to that. That novel turned me into a reader.

How did you get started writing?

I’ve always been a huge reader and writers were the rock stars of my world. I’d had a career teaching French, raised two children, and at the age of 50 decided to “become” a writer- if not then, when? I quickly learned that I loved to write and stopped worrying about “being a writer.” So, I’m an extremely late bloomer and I do get a little cranky reading those lists of the brilliant ones under forty! If you love writing, it’s never too late.

If you heard someone describing your books (or just the latest book) to a friend out in public, how would you most like to hear them describe them/it?

I would love to hear, “A Slender Thread was an amazing book. I can’t imagine how Lacey survived. You just have to read it.”

What's the coolest thing that's happened to you since becoming a published author?

I think getting fan emails from strangers. I am always delighted to hear good things from readers- I love knowing my books are being read and enjoyed.

What was the first thing you did when you heard that you were going to be published?

I called my husband, my children, and all my friends. I was so excited. Then I worried that “they” would change their mind. Had I really heard this correctly?

Tell us three interesting or offbeat but true things about yourself.

I learned to drive in Switzerland and my teacher wore a lab coat and swore at me in German. I hate pigeons and cross the street if a group of them are in my path. I never smoked because I hate lighting those little paper matches.

If you couldn’t be an author, what profession would you choose and why?

I’d love to be a country singer and tell sad love stories in perfect harmony. In reality I’m not at all musical, can’t sing, or play an instrument. Yet, I think it would be a thrill to sing outside if front of a huge audience under a starlit sky. This will never happen!

What’s the hardest thing about writing, besides having to answer goofy interview questions like these?

Keeping the faith. Can I get the story that’s growing inside my head onto the page and make it live for a reader? Can I stay with it month after month, year after year? The most difficult thing is believing in myself and not giving up.

Are you working on something new now? If so, give us a teaser for it.

I’ve started a novel that takes place in Florence, Italy in 1969. Three women, aged 21, 51, and 81 are all at the same Pensione and their lives intersect in unexpected ways. This summer I’m cooking Italian, playing Italian language CD’s in my car, and of course I hope to visit Florence for necessary research.

Be sure to check out Katharine Davis' website for more information about the book and for her Thursday Thoughts Blog.