Author Interview - Kathy Cano-Murillo

I was pleased to be included in the blog tour for Kathy Cano-Murillo's newest novel, Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing.  Kathy was able to take a few minutes out of her super hectic schedule and answer a few questions for me.

 

 

Welcome to One Book Shy Kathy. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your book.

I’ve always loved to write, it started in fifth grade Language Arts class. In high school I moved on to journalism and my dream job was to become an entertainment newspaper reporter for The Arizona Republic. I launched an art career, but never forgot about my dream job. I finally made it happen years after I got married. But once I got there (and worked there for 13 years), even though I loved it, I knew I was meant to do something bigger. I wanted to pursue my other dream of writing a novel – or two or three…I wrote my first draft during National Novel Writing Month in 2004. It took six years from draft to publish, but it was worth the wait! When I’m not writing, I’m crafting. I run an award-winning web site, CraftyChica.com. I love that I spend my days on my two passions: writing and art.

What was your inspiration for Miss Scarlett's School of Patternless Sewing?

The sewing inspiration came from my Nana Cano who was a master seamstress. The story of Scarlet and her blog is inspired by all of us bloggers and the hard work we put into our sites, even though sometimes those closest to us don’t always see the value. It’s a story about staying true to who you are and believing in yourself even when no one else does.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

I think there is a little bit of me in all my characters. With Scarlet Santana, it’s her will to succeed and prove herself to her family. Scarlet drinks a lot of coffee and even eats coffee grounds in the book, that comes from a first hand experience!

Do you create/write with a "pattern" or do you just wing it/go with the flow?

I have a loose outline, but I always end up straying because as I write and flesh out the characters, they come to live and direct their storylines! I love it when that happens!

Are you a seamstress yourself?

I’m not exactly a seamstress, but I’m a fiber artist. I love to sew and make art collages and even clothing.

What do you do for fun when you're not writing?

I used to be a movie reviewer for the newspaper. Some weeks, I’d see two movies a day. When I left the paper, I missed that, therefore I go to the movies every weekend. I also spend a lot of time in my art studio. Most of all, I hangout with my husband and kids.

What can your fans expect next?

I’m working on my third novel, hopefully it will see thelight of day soon! I also blog every day at my web site and do all kinds of giveaways. I lead a craft cruise every year to Mexico, but in 2012, I’m also leading a group to England and Ireland!

With a life motto of “Crafts! Drama! Glitter!” Crafty Chica Kathy Cano-Murillo is a creative force of nature. A former syndicated columnist for The Arizona Republic, she is the founder of the award-winning Web site, CraftyChica.com and the author of seven nonfiction craft books and a Web series on LifetimeTV.com. Kathy has a Crafty Chica line of art supplies that are sold nationwide. She also has been featured in numerous media outlets such as The New York Times Magazine, NPR’s Weekend Edition, USA Today, Bust, and Latina magazine. She has shared her crafty ideas on local television, as well as on Sí TV, HGTV, and DIY network. She has been writing stories longer than she has been crafting. Inspired by Judy Blume and Erma Bombeck, she caught the literary bug in grade school, where she used to draw a picture and then write a colorful story to go with it. It’s a creativity exercise she still practices to this day! Kathy lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband, two kids, and five Chihuahuas.

For more information on Kathy and her many projects, check out the links below:

Website - CraftyChica.com
Twitter - @craftychica
Facebook - kathycanomurillo

Readers be sure to come back later for my review of Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing and a GIVEAWAY!

  
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