Meet Kathleen Small

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kathleen Small. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kathleen, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I credit my parents and teachers with ingraining a strong work ethic in me. My father took 18 years to complete his college education by going to night school, while working hard during the day and raising a large family. His example of committing to a goal and finishing what you start made a great impression on my young mind. As the oldest of nine kids, I learned to be responsible and care for my younger siblings. I carried all these lessons with me when I entered the corporate workforce. My goal-oriented personality worked well with business priorities. I carried that work ethic into my writing activities.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I grew up in apartments in Queens, New York City, about ten blocks from LaGuardia Airport. Reading books opened new worlds for me and formed the dreams I wanted to pursue in my life. Although I knew I could never have a horse where I lived, I wanted to own a horse one day and become a published author. I dreamed of sitting at a desk with my published books around me, while I looked out the window at my horse grazing in the pasture.

While it took many decades, today I am the proud author of four middle grade fantasy books, numerous short stories included in anthologies, two plays produced on stage, and multiple manuscripts heading toward publication. My published middle grade books are A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale and the Brass Ring Series (The Magic Carousel, The Christmas Carousel, and The Haunted Carousel). Upcoming releases are Letters from Shadow Oaks, A Carousel for Shade Tree, and a short story collection entitled The Dark Horse and Other Stories with a Touch of Magic.

My dream of owning a horse also came true. I live in Florida on a horse ranch called Carousel Acres with two horses, four barn cats, and assorted wildlife. Dreams do come true!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three qualities that have most impacted my life are:
1. a love of learning
2. a belief that you can master new skills by spending time on the basics
3. a creative spirit

My advice to any young person is to become a student for life. Not a student OF life, but a student for a lifetime. Never stop learning new things. By starting at the most basic level, you can grow your knowledge base until you become an expert. Finally, allow your creativity to guide you in your exploration of new realms of adventure.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

I discovered “Getting Things Done” (GTD) by David Allen when I was working a corporate project management job. This book is about how to control the many things that demand your attention. David Allen’s message that your brain is not a file cabinet was a key lesson. By getting all your tasks, activities, and projects out of your head and into a system (to do list, spreadsheet, planner, etc…), you free your brain to be creative. It really works.

I was fortunate to go to a training session on the GTD approach. To my delight, the instructor was David Allen. Hearing him explain the GTD approach in person really convinced me of its value. Any time I feel my life starting to spiral out of control, I return to the steps outlined in this book. It always brings peace and a sense of control back to my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kathleenlsmall.com
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/KLSFantasy
• Twitter: @KLSmall_Author