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

Hi Katie, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Being an author is mostly a solitary career, but what a lot of people don’t know is how great the author community is. As a whole, authors are supportive of each other, cheer on their fellow authors and we wish each other nothing but the best. Where a lot of other careers can be competitive, authors have a tendency to be encouraging and share in your success, whether you’ve published one book or one hundred books.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Writing is my passion. I started when I was six years old and loved it ever since. My proudest moment was typing “The End” on my very first book. It took over three years for me to write it so those two words were incredible meaningful to me.

I feel that being a Canadian living in the US gives me a unique perspective when writing. I love incorporating things in my books from growing up in Alberta, as well as things that are new to me living here. There are a lot of parts of me, my family and my life in my books.

I work a full-time job as well as being an author. Writing is very time consuming and sometimes takes me away from my family, but when a reader tells you they loved your book or can’t wait for the next one, it makes all the hard work worth it. For me, the hardest part of being an author is getting my name out there. I don’t have a lot of time for marketing so it can be challenging for me to make that happen.

One thing in particular I’ve leaned about being an author is taking criticism. That had never been my strong suit, so it can still be difficult when I’m critiqued. But being more open to criticism has helped me to grow and become a better writer.

I’ve got to where I am today by just being persistent and not giving up. I know this is something I will do for the rest of my life, even when it gets hard. I hope to make writing my full-time career, but even if that never happens, I’ll be happy with what I’ve created.

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.
I’m still new to the area so this is a little difficult for me to answer. I live in Mineral Wells and one of our favorite places to eat is Pastafina. They have great Italian food. But if I get anywhere near Boston’s we’re definitely going there. Boston Pizza (the Canadian version) has always been one of my most favorite places to go to. I love their pizza crust.
If my family from Canada was visiting, I’d take them to the Stockyards. It has such a variety that there’s something for everyone there.
I also like to get outdoors as much as possible so a tour of the local state parks would be a must.
And of course everyone needs to experience Buc-ee’s at least once in their life!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mom. She was the first to make me believe that I could actually write a book.

Website: https://katiehollandauthor.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiehollandauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatieHolland18

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/198149120742383

Other: https://linktr.ee/katiehollandauthor

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.