1--What is the title of your latest release?
BITTERSWEET IN THE HOLLOW
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Bittersweet in the Hollow is the story of Linden, a girl who can taste the emotions of others and lives in a rural Appalachian town under the shadow of the forest where she disappeared the previous summer. She has no memory of what happened, but when another girl goes missing exactly one year later Linden enlists the help of her sisters, each with their own unique ability, to find out who or what is responsible.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
The setting in Bittersweet in the Hollow is so important because the backbone of the story is rooted in Appalachian folklore and folk magic traditions. I also wanted the town of Caball Hollow to feel like a true character, so I loosely based it on the small town where my mother grew up, and much of our family still lives, in West Virginia. As it’s a place I know well, I was able to include lots of details that make it come alive.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Of course! Linden cares deeply about others and would do anything for a friend, maybe even a little too much. I’d love to pop into the Harvest Moon diner together for a slice of her famous tomato pie and to eavesdrop on the latest town gossip.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Compassionate, determined, sincere.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned so much from all the fascinating research I did into Appalachian traditions, food, and culture. One fun discovery was that ingredients long associated with witches’ spells, like eye of newt, toe of frog, and wool of bat, were actually just old folk names for common plants we now know as mustard seed, buttercups, and holly leaves.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
Drafting is my least favorite part of the writing process, so I try to speed through it as quickly as I can without stopping to edit. I do keep notes as I go to help when it comes time to revise, though.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Writing about all the delicious meals in Bittersweet in the Hollow made me crave good Southern food so much! There’s nothing like a really good biscuit – shipped from Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit in Charleston or fresh and hot from Tudor’s Biscuit World when I’m in West Virginia.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I have a lovely office with a spacious desk and a sofa where my dog likes to sleep. But I’m a writer who often needs a change of scenery, so much of my writing is done in other places all together.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Isabel Ibañez was my mentor in the Pitch Wars mentorship program and I’m so lucky to have worked with her. She has such a deep understanding of story and her instinct for romantic tension is unmatched.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver, with its lush prose, vivid characters, and lush Appalachian setting, is one I return to over and over.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I wasn’t sure what to expect as my author friends all had widely different experiences with the submission process. When the time came, it was all a bit of a whirlwind. After working toward the dream of getting published for years, Bittersweet in the Hollow sold at auction in just a couple weeks.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I read widely, which is probably why Bittersweet in the Hollow is such a genre-bending book. But this time of year I love a good mystery with lots of surprising twists.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
October means it’s Practical Magic season!
15--What is your favorite season?
Fall, when the weather is crisp and there’s a hint of magic in the air.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
My favorite way to celebrate is by traveling somewhere new and exploring.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Only Murders in the Building and Magpie Murders are both excellent.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Food is such a big part of Bittersweet in the Hollow because it is so deeply tied to history and cultural identity. The reason I love traveling is to learn about the places and people I’m visiting and one of my favorite ways to do that is through food. All of which is to say, my favorite cuisine is usually that of wherever I’ve traveled most recently.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Read, travel, explore, and generally indulge in whatever new special interest takes hold.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
My second novel, LIES ON THE SERPENT’S TONGUE, takes place after the events of Bittersweet in the Hollow and is told by a different sister. Watch for it next year!
In this beautifully dark and enthralling YA, four sisters with unusual talents investigate a mysterious disappearance in their secluded Appalachian town. For fans of House of Hollow and Wilder Girls!
In rural Caball Hollow, surrounded by the vast National Forest, the James women serve up more than fried green tomatoes at the Harvest Moon diner, where the family recipes are not the only secrets.
Like her sisters, Linden was born with an unusual ability. She can taste what others are feeling, but this so-called gift soured her relationship with the vexingly attractive Cole Spencer one fateful night a year ago . . . A night when Linden vanished into the depths of the Forest and returned with no memories of what happened, just a litany of questions—and a haze of nightmares that suggest there’s more to her story than simply getting lost.
Now, during the hottest summer on record,another girl in town is gone, and the similarities to last year’s events are striking. Except, this time the missing girl doesn’t make it home, and when her body is discovered, the scene unmistakably spells murder.
As tempers boil over, Linden enlists the help of her sisters to find what’s hiding in the forest . . . before it finds her. But as she starts digging for truth—about the Moth-Winged Man rumored to haunt the Hollow, about her bitter rift with Cole, and even about her family—she must question if some secrets are best left buried.
Young Adult Fantasy | Young Adult Suspense [G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, On Sale: October 10, 2023, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593531020 / ]
Kate Pearsall developed a love for storytelling at a young age, often spinning tales of magical worlds and exciting adventures with her sisters. When she’s not writing, she can be found willfully indulging her curiosity by disappearing into museums, exploring new places, and becoming deeply submerged into obscure topics that inevitably make their way into future work.
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