Welcome back to Out of Practice!

A lot has happened since the last time I posted a newsletter because MY BOOK IS OUT!! My debut novel WASP’S NEST was published by Celadon Books on June 30, and I’ve been lucky enough to meet dozens of readers since that point. This summer has been so special—if you’re reading this, thank you for being a part of it.

WASP’S NEST was selected by Us Weekly, Autostraddle, and Lit Hub as a must-read book of the summer. It’s also an Apple Books July pick (they picked the audiobook as a must-listen too!!). I have to include their review because it’s one of those write-ups that made me feel seen in the best way.

I’ve done a few interviews recently I wanted to share as well! I was honored to chat with the wonderful Samantha Paige Rosen for Debutiful. Check it out to hear me talk about how The Philadelphia Story inspired my novel, why I believe in the value of a creative life on any scale, and my obsession with the relationship between Laurel and Susannah in The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Speaking of Sam, her debut anthology came out earlier this month! It’s called LIVING, TOGETHER: Reimagining Community in the Age of Disconnection, and it’s a collection of essays and interviews about chosen family, intentional community, and imagining a better world. It’s a book I’ve desperately needed in my life, and I’m willing to bet you’ll find it worth reading too.

I also did an interview with Stephanie Blackburn for her podcast Plans are Booked, and it was such a fun conversation! We chatted about why we love family dramas, the narrator casting process for the WASP’S NEST audiobook, and why I’m drawn to writing about artists. You can subscribe on your podcast platform of choice, or watch the video version here.

Finally, here’s my Baltimore Fishbowl interview and my Q+A with The Nerd Daily.

Having my debut novel out in the world is surreal, exciting, and a little (a lot) terrifying. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the last month has been such a celebration. I will never get over how cool it is to be in a room of people excited to hear me talk about my book, whether two people show up or thirty-two.

And I’m still pinching myself that I’ve been able to share the mic with such incredible authors—Jane Delury, Grant Ginder, Susie Dumond, Lacey Dunham, and Adrienne Brodeur. Here’s my little stack of freshly signed books by my conversation partners on this tour so far.

I’m going to shout out the indie bookstores that I’ve been fortunate enough to work with as well: Greedy Reads and Snug Books in Baltimore, Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn, East City Bookshop in DC, Titcomb’s Bookshop on Cape Cod—plus, of course, my beloved Enoch Pratt Free Library.

I got back from Cape Cod a few days ago. My daughter, sister, and mom were able to join me on this portion of the book tour, and we had a blast. Perfect mid-70s weather, beautiful beaches, lobster rolls, ice cream, and sooooooo many hydrangeas.

If you’ve been at any of my tour events, you’ve probably heard me talk about the family wedding I attended as a kid which partially inspired WASP’S NEST. I based much of Tess’s family beach house on various Cape Cod properties I found on the website for Sotheby’s International Reality (basically Zillow for the one percent), but the yard in particular, the big white tent and the green lawn sloping down toward the bay, was drawn from my own childhood memories.

Last week we were staying with the cousin who was the bride at that wedding, and we decided to stop by the house where the wedding was held, assuming we’d be able to see the yard at best. The house was actually built by one of my relatives, but it hasn’t been in the family for decades. We ended up meeting the current owners (who are LOVELY), and they were so thrilled to learn more of their home’s history and that I’d written a book inspired by it! They kindly gave us a tour, and I realized much more of the house influenced the book than I knew at the time of writing—the office that I’d reimagined as a library, the Jack & Jill bathroom between two of the upstairs bedrooms (which I assigned to Tess and her sister Georgia), the dramatic formal entryway.

I didn't know a storm took down the tent the day before my cousin’s wedding (neither did she, until after the fact), but that ended up in the book too. And, of course, the hydrangeas all over the property. I remembered those.

My daughter is the exact same age now that I was when I attended the wedding which helped inspire WASP’S NEST, which is just another very cool detail in this season full of very cool things.

I have two more events scheduled for this summer!

I’m also joining a couple local book clubs next month! I will be at Snug Books in Baltimore next Tuesday, 8/4 and Queen Takes Book in Columbia on Monday, 8/17. I’m so excited to chat with readers! If you’re interested in coming, make sure to RSVP at the links above.

And if your book club is interested in having me join (either in person or over Zoom), you can email me at [email protected]. My team created a fantastic Book Club Kit, available on my website.

That’s all for now! Until next month,

Kat