Pride: Writer Spotlight |

Our fourth author for Pride 2021 is Kate Hazel Hall!

Represent Publishing decided to do a quick interview with Kate to get to know her better and learn more about their release.

Question and Answer

Name and Genre:

Hi! I’m Kate Hazel Hall, and my novel is a young adult lesbian romance wrapped up in a genre-bending blend of magical realism, contemporary gothic fantasy, and Greek mythology.

What are some fun facts about you?

Reading books featuring strong, powerful LGBTQIA+ characters makes me extremely happy.
I’m a vegan but I can’t stand mushrooms.
The one piece of jewellery I never remove is the rainbow pride bracelet my daughter made for me.
I love drawing, and creating concept art helps me to visualise characters and settings for my stories.
Surfing is my passion and I surf as often as possible, especially in winter.
I recently discovered, thanks to the excellent podcast Everything is Alive, that the first astronauts left towels on the moon and now my brain is exploding. There are towels on the moon. Google it.

Tell me about your recent release

When was it released? November 3rd, 2020

What’s it called? From Darkness

What’s it about?

From Darkness is about first love, defying fate and saving the world. Sixteen year old Ari blames herself for the death of her best friend, Alex, who drowned when they were kids. When Ari’s own life is in danger, Alex returns from the underworld to save her. But messing with the laws of life and death has serious consequences, and the girls must battle the dark powers of the underworld to stay together.

Is this your debut? Yes!

How did you publish, and why did you choose to publish that way?

I was ridiculously lucky. I received one of those miracle emails writers fantasise about – the one where a publisher asks if your manuscript is available for publication. Duet Books, the YA imprint of Interlude Press, NY, made me an offer and of course, I said yes! They publish such wonderful books, and as an exclusively LGBTQIA+ publishing house, they are doing vital work in making sure our stories can be told, in our own way, and that’s incredibly important.

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Omg lots! Firstly, I know this is annoyingly obvious advice but it works. Find a window of time each day and devote that time to writing. Ignore social media, emails and other people. Just write. I wrote From Darkness in the early hours of the morning, before my kids were awake, and before work and parenting swallowed up the rest of my day. Keeping writing time sacred and being disciplined about it will help you finish your manuscript. Next, find a trusted reader who understands your vision and sensibilities and listen to their feedback on early drafts (huge shout-out to my friend Lyn for always being this person). Finally, do your research when it comes to looking for publishers or agents. Read and follow their submission instructions carefully, and make sure you are familiar with what they publish/represent. This is the best way to give your manuscript a chance when submitting it for consideration. And never give up : )