An Inspired Chat with Katherine Nichols of Lilburn

We recently had the chance to connect with Katherine Nichols and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Katherine, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I would like to say I’m walking a path–clearly lit and free of obstacles. And some days, I can picture myself striding confidently down that straight, narrow road, no pain in my knees or shortness in my breath. On the horizon ahead of me, a rainbow beckons, and I wonder when it rained. But I’m no Dorothy in search of the land beyond the rainbow and don’t really want to be. I’m a wanderer. If I hadn’t let my instincts guide me around corners and curves, I might have stayed in advertising or continued to write copy for radio and television. Instead of moving to Atlanta and getting my master’s degree in English, I could have stayed in Chattanooga among people and places familiar and safe. But wanderers love not knowing what lies around the curve or which turn to take. They don’t have to physically move from place to place. In my case, my travels took me from selling products to waxing poetic about literature, to teaching writing. Now, I find myself on the most serpentine trail of my life. Writing novels. I have no illusions of being an author like Frost and his road untaken. But I love my journey and hope to keep on wandering.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Katherine Nichols and I’m a writer of suspense with heart and humor. My protagonists are strong women who don’t realize their own strength until it’s tested. I was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but have lived most of my adult life in the Atlanta area. Writing is both my passion and my calling. As a VP in the Atlanta Writers Club, I work to encourage authors. I taught high school many years and still love to work with young writers.
I live in Lilburn and enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, and reading. I share my home with my husband, two rescue dogs, and three rescue cats.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
In the second grade, my friend and I were on the playground climbing the monkey bars. Despite being on the heavy side, she had no trouble manipulating the slippery surface. I made it to the top before her, but we both celebrated the great height we had reached by descending and running to the swings. On the way, the class bully tripped my friend. She windmilled her arms wildly and regained her balance before hitting the ground. She stood, tugging at the hem of her dress. But he wasn’t finished with her. He began taunting her with the chant “Fatty, fatty, two by four. Can’t get through the kitchen door.” The object of his ridicule turned a terrible shade of crimson and hid her face behind her hands.
I raced toward him, stopping about a foot away. “You take that back.” “Who’s going to make me?” “I am.” He laughed, then resumed his hateful recitation. At the second “fatty,” I shoved him as hard as I could. He stumbled on the gravel surface, lost his balance, and fell on his back. I erupted with unexpected rage, jumped on top of him, and punched him in the face. The blood spurting from his nose barely registered as I prepared to strike again.
Strong arms pulled me off the battered boy, and I turned to see my teacher. She leaned in close and pointed her finger in my face. “Ladies don’t fight on the playground.” Later, I wondered where they did fight. At that moment, however, I simply said, “I don’t want to be a lady.”
Saying those words brought a power I didn’t understand until much later.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Shortly after I retired, I decided to return to writing. I joined one critique group before finding another which suited me much better. With their help, my writing took on a life of its own. Then, I suffered an unspeakable loss. For almost two years, I lost my voice. Words refused to come. Gradually, they returned, but I couldn’t corral them onto the page. Somehow, I found my way back. My first novel wrote itself out of my pain. It’s a story of grief and forgiveness, and it helped heal me.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I try to project a confidence that often eludes me. Like many authors, I sometimes suffer from imposter syndrome, uncomfortable calling myself a writer. The time I spent creating characters helped me to create my own alter-ego. She’s the one who addresses writers and readers. She is relaxed, confident, and happy to be in the public eye, all the things the real me isn’t.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’m doing what I couldn’t stop myself from doing. When I graduated college, most people expected me to become a secretary or teacher or nurse. Women in advertising worked behind the scenes. Copywriters didn’t direct spots or learn to edit film or serve as talent in their productions. I refused the accept these limitations. Eventually, I did become a teacher, something I loved. But it wasn’t because I had to. I chose it because of the freedom it gave me to start a family and spend time with my children. I never felt manipulated. Retirement gave me the financial freedom to pursue my dream of becoming a published author. Once again, I focused on what I could do and ignored what people told me was impossible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kathy-nichols.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathystagnernichols/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Kathy%20Nichols