Today we’d like to introduce you to K.C. (Katelyn) Smith.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started writing in middle school–fanfiction about Jurassic Park. It’s funny to think about now, but that was the start of my writing journey. I wrote short stories here and there, but it wasn’t until college that I took a few creative writing classes and started thinking about the possibility of trying to write a book. I went to school for Accounting, so after I graduated I spent many years furthering my career and put off any thought of writing.
In 2019, I made a book Instagram account to try and find friends who enjoy reading as much as I did, and that sort of sparked my writing interest again. From there, I continued writing until I finished my first novel in 2020. I attempted to query it out to traditional publishers for months, but ultimately decided what was best for me and my hectic work situation was to self-publish in my time frame. A Lust for Blood was my debut novel released in November 2022. My second novel, The Cursed Soul, was released in October 2023!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all. Self-publishing is a bumpy road. It’s a lot of work to find an editor, and cover artist, and do all your marketing marketing and formatting to get your book published. Now try doing all of that on top of owning a small business and working full-time as an Accountant.
It’s not an easy route to take when publishing a book, but I’m not sure any book publishing route is easy. It’s a lot of fun and cool to see your work being read and enjoyed by so many people, but it can also be super draining.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an author of young adult and adult fantasy adventure novels. I currently have two published books, A Lust for Blood, the first in an adult fantasy trilogy, and The Cursed Soul, the first in a YA fantasy adventure duology. A Lust for Blood is a loose gender-bent reimagining of the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The Cursed Soul is about a pirate who has been cursed to never walk on land again and an elemental sorceress who ends up on his ship.
I also own a small e-commerce coffee business called Fable Grounds Coffee. I sell fresh roasted coffee all themed around books. I started the business back in 2019 desperate for book-themed coffee, and it has taken off from there. It’s a lot of fun to create blends and roasts that remind me of some of my favorite books.
In addition to both writing and running a coffee business, I also work full-time as an Accountant. I enjoy accounting. Both writing and creating roasts for Fable Grounds Coffee give me a creative outlet from the corporate world.
What are your plans for the future?
I am planning to continue to publish one book a year for the next three years, finishing out both the trilogy and duology. From there, I can hopefully continue to write fun and adventurous fantasy stories for many years to come!
With the coffee business, I’m hoping it will continue to see growth year over year. Who knows, maybe one day I will feel comfortable enough to quit my full-time job, as long as my books and coffee business continue to grow and provide a steady revenue stream.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://msha.ke/balancingbooksandcoffee
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balancingbooksandcoffee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fablegroundscoffee/
- Other: www.fablegroundscoffee.com
Image Credits
Fable Grounds Coffee
