Name: Kate Bonham
Age: 27
What’s your star sign? Taurus
Where are you from? Born and raised in Blacktown, NSW.
A little about yourself `ie your education Family life etc I didn’t finish high school, I completed a little of Year 11 and left to go and study at TAFE. I then joined the workforce working in an office. I still work in an office but have a better job J
My family consists of two parents and two older brothers.
Lilian: Tell us your latest news? I am in the middle of an erotica novella that will be releasing soon! Uprising is set for a June release, date to be confirmed soon.
Are you a heels lady or boots? Heels baby! Stilettos mainly but love some fancy wedges!
Lilian: When and why did you begin writing? I started pretty young, I was always making up stories in my head and portraying them with my matchbox cars and barbies when I was a kid but it never really took off until I was diagnosed with depression in my early teen years and my counselor told me to write it down. I couldn’t do it as myself because I felt like I was complaining about the world so I created a character and wrote as her. I soon realized I loved it and couldn’t stop.
Lilian: When did you first consider yourself a writer? I think I always have because I’ve always written but I guess it finally became clear and I didn’t feel bad saying to people I’m a writer until I had my book up on Amazon.
Lilian: How did you come up with the title? Hmmm titles have always been fun for me. Some come easier than others, and some don’t come until after I hit the last word. Fate was one of those things where I was writing late at night and I got up to make a coffee, and it just hit me.
Lilian: What inspired you to write your first book? It was a dream. I actually have about four manuscripts at home that all came from dreams. It’s a never ending possibility that every time I lay my head down, I will come up with another novel lol.
Lilian: Do you have a specific writing style? I don’t consider it a style. I just sit down at my computer and let the words pour out. I do prefer to write in the third person though.
Lilian: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? I always write strong women. Women who have overcome adversity, bad relationships etc. I like that women can be kick ass and don’t have to let a man save them. Most of the women in my books save the men ;)
Lilian: How much of the book is realistic? I don’t think anything in the book is realistic, as much as I would love for it to be. The characters’ actions and feelings are realistic but that’s about it.
Lilian: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? Some experiences…such as the opening scene in Fate is based on a movie I saw, but no real life experience. I have put in some ‘discussions’ I’ve had with the RoadRunners in Uprising, Book 2, but that’s about as real as it gets J …so far
Lilian: What books have most influenced your life most? To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was one of the first to have a big influence on me. I was ‘forced’ to read it in high school and absolutely hated it. Then…a few years later, I thought to myself…why not. There’s nothing else in the house to read (I was unemployed at the time). I couldn’t put it down.
Lilian: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? I really enjoyed Sapphire Knight’s debut novel, Secrets. I’m definitely looking forward to her second.
Lilian: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? I sort of adopted Michelle Irwin as my mentor. She helped me a lot during the initial process of publishing Fate and even had many late night chats to soothe my fears. We’ve become good friends since and she was one of the people I dedicated Fate to because without her, I wouldn’t be where I am right now J
Lilian: What book are you reading now? I am currently reading Arkadia by Dzintra Sullivan.
Lilian: What are your current projects? I am currently editing Uprising (Fallen from Grace #2) and writing a novella under my erotica pen name Kandie Stixx.
Lilian: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members. Not sure what you mean by entity but I definitely feel supported by my fellow RoadRunners, and also fellow authors. They are always there. I just need to ask one question and I have everyone running around and trying to answer my question. It’s a fantastic community, and I love that I can be a part of it.
Lilian: Do you see writing as a career? I wish! I’d love to be able to focus on it more than I do, but unfortunately, I don’t see how I can without living on the streets. For now, I’m content that I am able to self-publish and get my words out there.
Lilian: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? I think all authors have that feeling, especially after you hit publish. I had the shakes once my release date came around and that feeling of ‘what will they all think?’ I soon realized my fears were just that…fear. However, I don’t think is anything I would go back and change.
Lilian: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? There are times when I feel so overwhelmed by characters or scenes I just can’t get through. In Uprising I felt quite challenged because I couldn’t just create a word, I had to go back and see what word I had used in Fate so that was challenging but I think there will always be a challenge in fantasy…you’re writing a new world that you have to think up religions for, how the world looks, what are the rules of the fantasy world, etc. It’s quite intense at times.
Lilian: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? I remember when I was writing my own feelings through the character as I stated above that I felt like I was in charge. That I could control the outcome whereas in reality, you can’t. I liked that feeling and I liked that I could be someone I wasn’t in real life and it was okay to want that.
Lilian: Can you share a little of your current work with us? Uprising is the continuation of Fate, and follows the search for Ace’s daughter who was stolen from him. It also takes you through the war that the rogue Fallen have waged against Purgatory and Hell, and what they plan on doing to the humans.
Lilian: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? I absolutely love J.R. Ward. Her writing style is unique and brutal. It first struck me as harsh and I wasn’t sure if I liked it but it just suit because her characters are kick ass men who take care of business so it made sense they would talk that way.
Lilian: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? I haven’t had the opportunity yet.
Lilian: Who designed the covers? My best friend, Amy. She is a whiz with photoshop so I buy the stock images and she will create the image based on what I explain is happening in the book. She’s just recently finished the cover for Uprising so I can’t wait to share that with everyone.
Lilian: What was the hardest part of writing your book? I found Fate really easy to write to be honest. I completed the 50K words in about 27 days, and I had it sitting around waiting to be edited. The hardest part with writing Uprising was the amount of time I gave myself (or lack thereof). Now that I’m published, there’s a certain expectation to push the next one out soon so I felt a little pressure but I’m managing it well now.
Lilian: Do you remember the first book you read? I would say Peter Rabbit lol but can’t say for sure.
Lilian: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? Yes…that its fun creating fight scenes after a bad day at work! Definitely relieves stress, that’s for sure.
Lilian: Do you have any advice for other writers? Keep going! Don’t let one bad review or remark stop you from achieving your dream. If you wake up thinking about writing, then you’re a writer baby!
Lilian: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Thank you for supporting me! It means the world to me that you took the time to read my book and have spoken to me about it. I love feedback so please keep messaging and/or interacting with me.
Lilian: Other than writing do you have any hobbies? Not really, I love writing and reading. I also binge watch TV shows.
Lilian: What makes you laugh/cry?
Laugh: funny movies, talking to my partner
Cry: stress, characters not giving me what I want, feeling overwhelmed
Lilian: Is there one person pass or present you would meet and why? I would have really liked to have met Robin Williams. I don’t think I have a reason, I just always felt comforted by his comedy and his movies.
Lilian: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music?
Favourite food: definitely homemade lasagna,
Favourite colour: hot pink or teal (black if it was considered a colour)
Favourite music:…this varies…I love heavy metal, hard rock, sometimes soft rock, dance…90s dance…80s hits etc
Lilian: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching? I have a wide range. Arrow, The Flash, Sons of Anarchy, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, House of Cards
Films are really hard because there are just so many. But lately I have loved Dracula Untold, Hunger Games movies, Divergent
Lilian: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done? Oh...I don’t think there’s ever been an option for me. I’ve always known I would be a writer....
Lilian: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it? I do!
Blog: bleedingheartbookblog.wordpress.com / www.facebook.com/BleedingHeartBlog
Website: http://katebonham.weebly.com
Erotica facebook page: www.facebook.com/KandieStixx