Tell us about your book
Pirate Island is about a boy named Billy, whose best friend is always getting him into wild adventures. The latest is to search for Captain William Kidd’s lost pirate treasure on the infamous Pirate Island. When he gets in a fight with his best friend, Billy continues the search on his own. Billy–nope, call him William–becomes so obsessed with Captain Kidd that he thinks he’s being possessed by the pirate’s spirit. It’s the only way he’ll be able to channel his inner pirate bravery to find the loot.
What is your favorite food or foods?
I love pizza, but hot tea is my favorite beverage to have while writing.
What inspired you to write Pirate Island?
Pirate Island is inspired by a real island called Charles Island in Long Island Sound off the coast of Connecticut. Growing up I learned all the legends of the real Captain Kidd visiting the island and burying his pirate treasure there. Real treasure hunters wanted to explore it, but it’s a nesting site for endangered birds, so no one’s ever been allowed to dig there. Twice a day at low tide, the waters of Long Island Sound recede enough to reveal a tombolo, locally referred to as a sandbar, that lets you walk out to the island. I thought it would be really fun to write a story where kids walked out to the island in search of pirate treasure!
Where is your favorite place to read?
On warm days, I love reading out on my back deck with my feet up and an iced tea.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I love being outside when it’s nice, playing in the yard with my three kids, going to the beach (near the island that inspired Pirate Island, of course), and taking walks. I find nature very inspiring. I also love reading, reading, reading.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be so many things. I wanted to play baseball for the Yankees, a teacher, the president, a professional soccer player, a physical therapist. It wasn’t until I thought about writing stories for kids and teens, though, that I found my real magic!
What is a writing tip for aspiring authors?
Read, read, read. Don’t stick to the classics, make sure you’re reading lots of books from the last five years in the genres and age categories you want to write.
You can find Katie:
And here is Katie on YouTube, reading the first two chapters of Pirate Island!