Three Times A Charm with Kat M Hawthorne

Welcome to Three Times A Charm. I love to introduce readers to people involved in children’s publishing. Today we have Kat Hawthorne with us. She’s going to share a little about her newly released middle grade book, The Boatman. But first, Kat, can tell us a little about yourself?

Gah, the very first question is a difficult one!

I like to remain mysterious. I tend to lurk (somewhat menacingly) in the lesser-travelled corners of the literary world, or at least that’s the image I portray. In reality, I am a friendly little supernerd who only eats human flesh once per week…if that.

In addition to a smattering of published poetry, I have had several pieces of short fiction published in various literary magazines. These include Underneath the Juniper Tree, Shadows Express Magazine, and at The Rain, Party, & Disaster Society. As you may have guessed, most of my work is of the darker variety, though the genre shifts between young adult, middle grade, and picture books.

I love a good spooky story! So, tell us more about The Boatman.

Isabel Wixon is weird. Not only does she see dead things, but her list of friends consists of a talkative ventriloquist’s dummy and the gentlemanly spider that lives in her hair. Real friends? Too hard. Inventing friends is much easier. 

Inventing the Boatman—a terrible monster that lures kids into a strange sleeping sickness and never lets them go—probably wasn’t one of her better ideas though. 

I recommend my book to readers who like:
Neil Gaiman’s Coraline
Edward Carey’s Heap House
Elizabeth Cody Kimmel’s Paranorman
Or just about any movie by Tim Burton

Now it’s time for The 3’s. Give us the top three answers to the following questions to help us know you better.

  • Top 3 books you recommend reading and why you recommend them.
1)      Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot (particularly the version that was illustrated by Edward Gorey, released in 1982). Master Eliot’s writing is marvelous, of course, and I personally find it quite inspirational. I keep a thick tome (about as thick as my head) of his work on my desk at all times. He never fails to get the words flowing. And cats are practical. They just are.
2)      Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, by Patrick Suskind. Not only did this book inspire Kurt Cobain of Nirvana to write “Sentless Apprentice,” but this book is so lyrically written, it simply must be read. Oh, it’s a bit gory though. For adult audiences only.
3)      The Witches, by Roald Dahl. The master. The one I aspire to be like. Master Dahl is where it’s at all around.

  • Top 3 things you learned about the business after becoming a writer.

1)      Editors are ALWAYS right. Except sometimes when they’re wrong.
2)      Readers are ALWAYS right. Except sometimes when they eat while reading (jam and paper DO NOT MIX folks).
3)      However, It is perfectly fine for a writer to respond to the voices in his or her head. People don’t even look at you sideways, though they do sometimes run off screaming.

  • Top 3 snacks to munch on while working.

1)      Worms
2)      Crow’s toes
3)      Apples (the non-poisoned kind)

Lol. Where can our readers find you and your book online?

Website: http://www.katmhawthorne.com/ 
Twitter: @KatMHawthorne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatMHawthorne
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7772294.Kat_Hawthorne 

Thanks for joining us, Kat. It’s been fun getting a peek inside the mind of a writer of dark fiction. Not just cobwebs in there [wink]. Many happy sales for The Boatman (pun intended!)

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