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KINGSTON COURT
is out in the world today!
I invited my friend Holly to come and answer some questions about her book!
Tell us about Kingston Court. What inspiration lead to writing this book?
I had just finished writing my first book, a memoir, and was eager to see if I could write pure fiction. Days after making the decision to try, I was sitting at a friend’s community pool and overheard a group of pre-teen girls gossiping about some “it” girl named Sophia Chase. I thought that was the perfect name for a main character and was inspired to write my first chapter. Sophia ended up being a minor character, but her name is what started it all. In a twist of fate, my good friend’s daughter is now best friends with the real Sophia Chase. Someday Sophia will be old enough to read the book she inspired.
That’s a really cool story! I love the cover – how did you go about deciding what to put front and center?
Thank you! I feel the same way. It was very much a collaborative effort with the cover designer. I told him the colors I wanted, the mood, the palm trees, possibly some sort of silhouette of the main characters. He came up with the actual picture and it was love at first sight. My favorite part is how he put the silhouettes of Samantha and Natalie clinking their wine glasses in the letter “O.” He nailed it.
Well, I think it works really well. What is one thing you wish people knew about Kingston Court before reading it?
This book includes lots of crazy gossip and drama. However, at its core, it’s about women regaining their strength and independence. It adheres to the theme of my mother’s all-time favorite movie when I was growing up, The Wizard Of Oz. Dorothy had the power all along. Sometimes as women we give so much to the people we love, we lose our footing. This story is a super fun reminder that we are a sisterhood, and we truly do have the power to conquer our world and make our dreams come true.
Which writers inspire you?
There are so many. A few of my favorites include: Joan Didion, Jonathan Tropper, Cheryl Strayed, and Augusten Burroughs. I love brutally honest books. If they’re funny, that’s even better.
Tell us a secret we don’t know about you.
I’m kind of a pain in the ass. Of course if you know me, this isn’t much of a secret.
How old were you when you first started writing stories?
Since I knew language. As a child, I would make up elaborate stories in my head each day. I see my youngest son, Alex, doing it now. He can spend hours in his room with his toys making up all sorts of exciting stories. I’m pretty sure he is going to be the great author of our family.
Are you obsessive about backing your work up? Any horror stories?
I’m not good at it at all, and as a result, I have lots of horror stories. I remember losing a full chapter about two years ago and stumbling over to my neighbor Robin’s house in tears. I told her I could never recapture what I wrote. NEVER. It was my most brilliant piece of work and I might as well slit my throat and end it all. I spent the entire day lamenting my loss. The next morning, I found the lost file. After doing a happy dance all over the over the living room floor, I decided the chapter wasn’t that great after all.
And now for the serious stuff ?
Astrology or Astronomy?
I lean toward Astronomy
Latin or Greek? (Languages)
Ummm, I know neither.
Rain or Shine?
Both 
Cats or Dogs?
Dogs and then cats.
Thank you so much for stopping by Holly!
You can buy it on Amazon!