Author Interview with Katharine Coggeshall

This Week’s Featured Author Interview with

Katharine Coggeshall

Hi Katharine Coggeshall, welcome to the Indie Publishing Group website. Introduce yourself to us. Tell everyone who you are, where you’re from, what do you enjoy doing, hobbies and interests.

Hi! I’m Katharine Benelli Coggeshall, an independent writer/editor. Other than writing, I’m a trained scientist with degrees in biology and chemistry, a certified personal trainer, and a mother of 3. I have a hard time answering concisely when people ask me what I “do.” I have a million hobbies and passions, but only two obsessions: chocolate and my Bengal cat. I live in the mountains of New Mexico in a tiny town, enjoying a simpler kind of life. Nature and family are my top priorities.

When did you start writing and why?

As a young girl, I was extremely shy. I hardly spoke before age 6, not because I had few thoughts but because I was preoccupied taking in the world around me. I was a child of observation. Somewhere around the age of ten I began to write and poured all those pent-up words onto paper. Writing isn’t something I just like to do, it’s something I have to do.

Which is your favorite book you have written and what gave you the idea for it?

My favorite book thus far is “How to be Happy Alone: A Single’s Guide to a Satisfying Life.” It’s a self-help book about personal happiness, and it comes from a place of knowledge and experience, as well as plenty of research (I’m a scientist at heart). I’m proud to have produced something so uplifting, relevant, and evergreen.

How did you come up with the title for your book?

The title is pretty straightforward, nothing too exciting, just an apt description. I wanted people to know exactly what the book was about and why it would be helpful.

Who helped you with the cover? Or did you design it yourself? What was your inspiration for your cover design?

I designed the cover myself. I was completely captivated when I came across that photo of a pier leading out to a mountain. It’s so incredibly beautiful and symbolic! Our life is like a mountain; one we must climb alone. But there can be peace, satisfaction, beauty, and happiness in that experience, just as there is in that photo.

What are some of the themes of your story?

I interjected stories about my life into each section, allowing myself to be an example, for better or worse. Another theme throughout is a summary quote for each section. If the reader takes nothing else from this book, they can gain a great deal from simply reading the summary quotes.

What’s your process when you sit down and decide to start writing a book? What is your process and do you have a system?

My writing follows ritual. I sit down to my “eagle’s eye” workstation, strategically placed in the upstairs hallway, overlooking every nook and cranny my children could occupy in our home, and I munch on dark chocolate while I write and they play. It’s noisy, it’s busy, and it’s real. But that’s life, right? Nothing will be perfect but you can still enjoy it, and I certainly do love my life! But, it’s not for everyone.

Who are some of your favorite characters and why?

I like G.A. McKevett’s characters in her Savannah Reid mysteries because they are so consistent throughout the series and well-developed. I feel like I know them and can picture them perfectly.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

I’m inspired by Elizabeth Pantley because she’s a mom who had an opinion, a voice, and she helped so many by following her heart. J. K. Rowling is another because of a similar reason.

Have you got anything you’re working on now?

Sketched for the end of 2017 are two more non-fiction books that will turn my latest releases into series. I’m quite excited at this prospect, and work has already begun on both. In response to the positive reviews on my humorous writing, 101 Reasons will become a series. The new title will be “101 Reasons I Forgive You, Again.” It’s another tongue-in-cheek book about relationships from the female perspective. The other series will be adding to my recent self-help book on happiness and will be titled “1000 Ways to De-Stress, Relax, and Self-Soothe.” This is the book for which I’m most excited because it’s practical, informative, well-researched, and needed by so many people today.

If you could have any superpowers what would they be?

It’d be to eat an endless amount of chocolate and never feel sick or gain a pound. We all have our fantasies!

If you could travel to any location in the world where would you go?

I would go to western Europe. Portugal, Spain, and England are all on my list. I’ve lived in Italy, Switzerland, and France, and I savored every moment.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years’ time?

I hope to be enjoying my life as much as I am now, but perhaps getting a bit more sleep once my kids are older! I’d like to establish my writing career more and carve out a little place in the author community for myself.

Thanks so much for taking the time to do an author interview. Take a minute and check Katharine Coggeshall out on the links below. Katharine Coggeshall’s book, How to be Happy Alone: A Single’s Guide To A Satisfying Life, is available for purchase HERE.