A Bagful of Kittens Headed to the Lake received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Cathy Carlton Hews.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
A Bagful of Kittens Headed to the Lake; Published December 10, 2019
What’s the book’s first line?
Dad had built the rock wall in the yard.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
I got the call five years ago from my small town local pharmacy. “Cathy, your father is wandering around the store opening his wallet and asking where the cat food is.” From the 14th floor of my New York City cubicle, I sigh into the phone, “Put him on.”
So began a five-year journey from New York and Los Angeles, back to the small town that I left long ago as the Old Trucker and I walk down the last path. Armed with an unpleasant cat and a “Big City” attitude, I flail around in my small town as I navigate healthcare, poverty, a broken-down house and the mystery of Alzheimer’s.
I liken it to a grittier Bettyville, as we baby-boomers try not to go crazy ourselves as we take care of our ageing parents.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
My dad’s condition was going downhill fast. I was thrust into a life I had thought, hoped I had left behind. In dealing with “the forgetting” and all the medical, financial and spiritual issues that swirled around me, I felt I needed to bear witness to my dad’s end of life issues.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Because this is how we die in America, when we are alone and poor. Caregivers giving their all need to know it’s OK to feel guilt and rage through the love.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
Margo Martindale as the real narrator me. Jodie Foster as the book me. Charlize Theron as the dream sequences me. (LOL).
When did you first decide to become an author?
When I got stuck in western MA with no acting opportunities. I’m an AEA/SAG actor.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
Yes.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
Executive Assistant to the President of Hampshire College
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
Varies, not as much as I’d like.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
Best: You’re you’re own boss, not answering (much) to editors, publishers. Worst: Marketing
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Just keep writing. Puke up content, don’t re-read until it’s “Tidy Time.” Worry about the technical stuff in the polishing.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
Probably. I’d like to just concentrate on writing. The marketing is so time-sucking.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
I’m endlessly fascinated by the human condition.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
Right now, David Sedaris. That’s the career I want.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
“Me Talk Pretty One Day“, in particular, “You Can’t Kill the Rooster”