K.T. McGivens Interview Published on: 17, Aug 2021
Where were you born? Since how long have you been living in Florida?
I was born in Washington, D.C. (USA) and have lived in Florida for over 30 years.
Who is the most supportive person in your life when it comes to your writing?My daughter. She also serves as one of my proofreaders.
Do you remember the first book you picked up to read? What was it about?It was a Nancy Drew Mystery called “The Secret of Red Gate Farm.” It was a mystery that kept me spellbound and compelled me to read more of the series.
Which of your poem was the first one to be published in a newspaper?It is called “Betty Thanks the Sun” and describes a person who brought enlightenment to others.
What challenges did you face while putting together all the poems in "Dimming the House Lights"?Selecting the ones I think are best out of nearly 100 poems that I have written.
How has holding a Bachelor Degree in Education helped you in your career?I started out as a public school teacher and, later, a college professor so having a Bachelor Degree was required. I also have a Master’s Degree.
Which A Katie Porter Mystery novel took the longest to write?There are two that took me more time to write than the rest. They are also the longest. They are “The Ghost of Golden Joe” (Book 4) and “The Incident on Ivory Island” (Book 10).
How did you come up with the plot of your novel, The Incident on Ivory Island?Like all my mystery stories, I looked for a unique situation or crime for my main character, Katie Porter, to solve that would have been possible in 1947, the year the series takes place. I usually do this by studying famous crimes of that decade or events that occurred during or just after WWII. There was a real-life invention at the time called The Glamour Bonnet, that supposedly made women look younger. I ran across an ad for it and thought it would be a really interesting way to kill someone! So, in “The Incident on Ivory Island” there is a murder attempt using that crazy contraption.
What is the best writing tip you ever received and who gave it to you?To keep writing and never give up. Members of my writing group on Twitter told me that and continue to encourage me.
Have you ever considered writing under a pen name? If so, what would your pen name be?K.T. McGivens is my pen name.
How do you spend “quality time” with yourself?I write, read, and enjoy music. I also like to watch documentaries on TV.
Have your children read any of your novels?Yes, they’ve both read the entire series so far.
Have you ever modeled any of your characters after your friends or yourself? If so, what did your friends think of the character?I haven’t entirely modeled a character after a friend although I will take a personality trait from someone I know and put it in a character. And I suppose there are bits of me on all my characters.
Which is the next book you are working on? Is it a series or a stand-alone book?I am currently working on Book 11 of my Katie Porter Mystery series.
How has been your experience working with AllAuthor?I absolutely love AllAuthor! It’s one of the best sites I’ve ever used! And the best bang for the buck! The marketing tools are great and I love that the book banners are automatically tweeted for me. This relieves me of having to do so! You guys are awesome! Thank you!
