Meet Katherine Nichols | Author of Southern suspense with heart and humor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katherine Nichols and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katherine, how do you think about risk?
I never thought of myself as a risk taker. Yes, I was the first one of my teenage friends to drop into an opening in the ground roughly the size of a manhole cover and army crawl through a tight space until I found myself standing in a magnificent cave. But I didn’t and don’t see this adventure as much more than me trying to impress my boyfriend and his friends. It wasn’t until I graduated college that I began to understand life was a series of choices, all with different levels of risks.

The tricky part of being an adult is deciding when to go for it–to hold your breath and jump–and when to sit it out. Sitting around is safe but terribly boring. And I hate being bored.

So, I opted for taking chances, some worked out well, some not so great, but many altered my life in ways I could never have imagined. After a devastating divorce, I considered giving up on love, but that would have been dull and sad, so I didn’t. I fell for a wonderful man and started an incredible life with him. Almost forty years, three children, and five grandchildren later, I’d say that risk paid off.

But as everyone with a family knows, there are trade-offs. I discovered my passion for writing suspense in elementary school when I wrote a short story about a puppy who was used in a diamond smuggling ring. Since most writers don’t make enough to live on, I pursued my second passion, teaching. I enjoyed my day job as a high school English teacher but never stopped dreaming about seeing my work bound, printed, and on bookshelves.

Although I retired at a relatively young age, I decided if I was ever going to realize my dream, I would have to start taking risks again. I joined a critique group, where I risked revealing my lack of talent. I found a caring group of excellent writers, who offered support and insights. I learned about agents and query letters and began submitting my work. When I signed with an agent, I cleared my calendar for appearances on Oprah and the Today Show. While I waited for my big deal, I took the risk of beginning another book. And when my agent couldn’t sell my novel, I started the process again, risking more disappointment.

In the spring of 2021 during the height of CoVid, Black Rose Writing published my novel The Sometime Sister. I hadn’t signed with one of the big five, but I was published. So, I kept writing. Four books later I’m still risking being exposed as an imposter. But there is a rush to taking risks and an even bigger thrill when they pay off. And with each success, I feel more and more like that real writer I always wanted to be.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a writer, I feel responsible for creating art that will entertain my readers with relatable stories and insights. I want my work to help them through crises in their lives. I want to make them laugh along with my characters and gasp at my plot reveals. If I can touch my readers with honesty or make them see life from a different perspective, I’m happy.

The hardest part about getting to where I am today professionally was to believe that I could succeed. How audacious it was of me to imagine that I could be published in the sixth decade of my life. But being audacious is so much more fun than fading into the background. I didn’t, however, come to this realization easily. I had to become my own best cheerleader. I had to convince myself that people other than my family and friends would not only read my novels but would also enjoy them. Basically, I had to believe in myself.

I want people to know it’s never too late to start a second or third act, a fourth one if you have the time and energy. This premise applies to everything from writing, painting, and dancing to traveling or gardening. It can be spending more time with family and reconnecting with old friends. It’s not always easy, but whenever the obstacles seem insurmountable, I hope people will remember me. Because if I can take a leap of faith in myself, anyone can.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
What I love about the area is the diversity in both culture and geography. We have lakes, mountains, parks, and trails. So, I would start with Atlanta and work my way out.

Day 1: Breakfast of warm-from-the-oven donuts from the newly rebuilt Ponce de Leon Krispy Kreme, The High Museum, the Botanical Gardens. Lunch at Mary Mac’s Cafe followed by shopping and drinks at the Ponce City Market. Afterward a quick stop at Felini’s for take-home pizza and home for a quiet evening watching deer from my sunroom.

Day 2 Breakfast at the Flying Biscuit Howell Mill Rd. A trip to the Aquarium and Olympic Park. Lunch at The Lawrence.. Shopping at Labels Resale Boutique. Dinner at Ecco’s Midtown, Variety Playhouse or The Fox for music or a play.

Day 3 Breakfast at Pastries A Go Go in Decatur. Shopping at Home Grown and Eagle Eye Bookstore. Lunch at Leon’s. More bookstores in Decatur (Book Nook and Little Shop of Stories); Home to rest before dinner at Three Blind Mice (Lilburn)

Day 4 Trip to Blue Ridge with a quick stop at Chik-Fil-A for breakfast. Ride the Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad with lunch in McCaysville or Copper Hill. Dinner at Harvest in Blue Ridge

Day 5 Breakfast at home. Pack a lunch to eat at Stone Mountain Park for walking, hiking, or sitting by the water. Dinner at Little Mexico in Snellville.

Day 6 Breakfast by ear on the way to Gainesville North Georgia Outlet Mall for Shopping. Wine tasting at Cloudland Winery. Lunch in downtown Gainesville. Dinner at home

Day 7 Breakfast pastries from Bill Rhodes Bakery, Snellville. Yellow River Game. Lunch Ranch in Tucker at Local 7. Wine and Cheese followed by dinner at home.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My first shoutout goes to my family. My husband’s support and encouragement, plus his enthusiastic assistance at book signings, launches, and presentations, keeps me motivated. My daughters and sons-in-law cheer me on and my grandchildren brag about me to their friends. The Roswell critique group, where I felt safe while taking risks, helped me improve as a writer while learning the ins and outs of the publishing world. My breakout critique group, Wild Women Who Write with Kim Conrey, Gaby Anderson, and Lizbeth Jones, gave me the courage to start a podcast dedicated to helping other women who write. Their support helps me continue finding joy in my craft. Without George Weinstein, officer emeritus in the Atlanta Writers Club, I wouldn’t have found the courage to navigate my way through the publishing world and, in his words, I wouldn’t have known how to keep making it better.

Website: https://kathy-nichols.com/

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