Meet the Author: Emma Kathryn

 I'm not sure when or how I first met Emma Kathryn. Somehow, I signed up for one of her newsletters, and her irrepressible and positive outlook on life snared me! So I wasn't surprised at all when I invited her to appear on my blog, Emma said yes! While we swelter throughout most of the US, know that Emma is happily living a cool life in Melbourne, Australia.

Readers seem to love pictures of pets. Do you have a pet picture? I’m afraid I don’t have a current pet picture, because I don’t have pets now. Not really suitable to have them where I live. But I will give you this one. This is me in 1988, aged 17, with my dear, beloved cat Sunny.

Sunny loved life, and he loved me. He had a beautiful, happy, positive personality. Just being around him, and hearing his cheery meow, always made me feel better! Whenever I came home from school, he’d come rushing to greet me. Such a strong character, so delightful and vivacious. My dear, dear friend, and in those difficult teenage years... my comfort and support. My saving grace.

How did you get started writing? How did you choose the genres you write? 
I’ve been writing ever since I could hold a pen. Just followed my natural urge to write from when I was a little girl. I’ve never stopped. I write romance, both mainstream and erotic, both historical and contemporary, simply because I was naturally drawn to it.

What is your favorite story you’ve written and why? Very hard to pick a favourite story. Just might be Her Virtue. It’s my sequel to Gaston Leroux’s novel The Phantom of the Opera. It’s not based on any stage musical or movie of the story. It’s a sequel to the actual novel.

I wrote it because the whole thing is very close to my heart. It was an emotional and indulgent experience writing it. But the novel has been a surprise success- indeed, my bestselling one to date. You don’t always expect such a personal novel to be a success, but it was.

How do you connect with readers? What would you like to know about your readers? I connect with my readers through my newsletters and one-on-one email exchanges. And I’m going to be appearing on Tiktok soon- watch out for me!

I always want to know if my writing makes my readers happy. That is what I am after.

Does being an Australian writer influence your stories and writing life? Are most of your fans from Australia? Not at all. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Australian people, but I am of English stock, and I’ve always felt, looked, and acted much more English than Australian. That’s just me.

Less than six per cent of my newsletter subscribers are Australian. A hefty slice are British, and a fair few are Canadian, but most are American. I’ve got awesome friends in America, too. Maybe I’m a child of the world.

What is your biggest challenge as a writer? How do you tackle this challenge?
My biggest challenge is anxiety. I just have to pace myself. When I sit down to write, I set a time frame when I’ll do nothing but write. And when I sit down to worry- ahem, work out problems- I set a time frame when I do nothing but that. Then I try and swear off worrying for the rest of the day!

What advice do you have for writers? To those who are just starting, and are not sure if they ought to be, I’ll say: own it. Everyone has a story to tell. You have as much right to do so as anybody.

To writers in general, my advice is always the old quote by Calvin Coolidge: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Your website talks about your love of theater and your experiences as an actress and performer. In what ways does this inspire your writing?

You’d just need to look at my novels The Pathbreaker, Heart of a Thespian, A Song to Sing, and Her Virtue. 

The Pathbreaker focuses on an actress who works as an extra on a very popular tv show, like I did. In my case it was the legendary Australian soap opera “Neighbours.” Yet she has a much more fulfilling experience in fringe theatre and does a whole Melbourne Fringe Festival show from the ground up. Based very closely on my own, the story follows the adventure I had with the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

And then there’s Heart of a Thespian, where a young woman is first introduced to theatre. All the fun of it, and the first show jitters, and the larks, drama, tension and triumphs of being with a theatrical troupe- again, based closely on my own life.

A Song to Sing is actually Gilbert and Sullivan fan fiction! It’s inspired by the Gilbert and Sullivan show “The Yeomen of the Guard.” I am a big Gilbert and Sullivan buff, and yes, I’ve been in a number of their shows.

In Her Virtue, the heroine is a performer. The fact that I’ve done so many shows stood me in good stead to understand her experiences. I bring the classic characters of The Phantom and Christine to England in this book. So, it was a real pleasure to write about them performing Gilbert and Sullivan songs together at private soirees!

Thank you, Emma. And it was a real pleasure to welcome Emma today. I've read a few of Emma's books, most recently, The Pathbreaker, a moving story about a walk-on actress that goes well past the surface. Plot twists abound as Hannah, who has Asperger's, balances writing, acting, and the struggle to earn her way in a world that doesn't easily accept her.

For more about Emma Kathryn, visit her blog: https://emmakathrynauthor.com/ or check out Emma on TikTok as Dimity Mae Moon.

Have a great week! See you next Wednesday!