Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I may go by my initials C. A. on the page, but you can call me Catherine! I’m 28 years old, I’m from Ontario, Canada, and I work in a school library. I love dogs and horses (well, all animals really), a good cup of coffee, word searches, cooking, trees, and of course, writing.
I decided at age 5 that I wanted to be an author, so I think it’s fair to say I have written many books in my lifetime. Too many to count, honestly. Most of my early books consisted of ~10 pages of 8.5×11 paper stapled together, all written and poorly illustrated by me.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Sought Six: The Sterling Cone” is my debut novel, but it’s doing wonderfully well thus far (it has reached international bestseller status on Amazon, and even the most reluctant readers are telling me how much they love it)!
I got the idea for it when I was 10 years old and sitting in math class, clearly not focusing on long division. I looked around the room at a few of my classmates and thought about how I could take some of their personality traits and create this group of characters that would fight evil in a fantastical world together. The rest is history.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure how unusual this is, but I do my best work at night. I’m more productive between the hours of 9:00 pm and 2:00 am than any other time of day.
I also listen to a lot of classical music while I write (Handel, Bach, and Mozart mainly). I find it to be extremely conducive.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Growing up, I was a huge fan of Harry Potter, as most of us were. I was obsessed with the idea of creating a whole new world with its own set of parameters, and I thought J. K. Rowling did that brilliantly. I loved The Chronicles of Narnia for the same reason.
I also really loved (and still do to this day) “Coraline” by Neil Gaiman. It had just the right amount of reality blurred with fantasy, and darkness that was as captivating as it was chilling.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on the second book in “The Sought Six” series, another middle-grade (this time a dark fantasy), and a murder mystery whodunit story that at this point will either stay a novel or become a script for Netflix. Haven’t decided.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media is essential for new authors. The #writingcommunity on Twitter is huge and overall very supportive. It’s how I discovered my publisher!
Otherwise, I find word of mouth works wonders. Get people talking and advocating for you. Spread the word. Since I write for children and I work in a school, I try my best to get my students on board and talking to their friends at other schools.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every single day (even if that means staring at a blank page for an hour) and don’t give up. The process is long and grueling. It’s designed to weed out the weak. If you want it bad enough and discipline yourself to stick with it, you will eventually be rewarded in some way.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My nana always says “don’t borrow trouble”. I admit I have a hard time following that sometimes, but it’s great advice.
What are you reading now?
At the moment, I’m reading “And The Mountains Echoed” by Khaled Hosseini. I’m almost finished!
(His first two books are absolutely amazing in their own rights, as well. I highly recommend them.)
What’s next for you as a writer?
Next up? At the forefront, I’ve got promotion for “The Sterling Cone” as well as working on Book #2 of the series!
Otherwise, who can tell what tomorrow may bring? 😉
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Probably some books on how to build a reliable boat out of island materials, so I can get off the desert island.
Author Websites and Profiles
C. A. Klug Amazon Profile
C. A. Klug’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account