Author Spotlight: Kate Frost
Welcome back! This month’s Author Spotlight is all about PhilHellene Author Kate Frost.
PhilHellene Author Kate Frost
From Bristol, UK, Kate is the author of 17 romantic escape reads–many of which are set in Greece. Let’s meet her!
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Q&A with Kate Frost
… On life and work
Tell us a little about you.
My Greek husband and I live in Bristol with our 10-year-old son in a Victorian terraced house which we seem to be permanently decorating!
Do you write full time or do you have a “day” job?
I’m lucky enough to now write full time, which has been my dream for the last 20+ years.
… On Greece
When did you visit Greece for the first time? Why?
I was in my early 20s when I first visited Greece with my then boyfriend (now husband) to meet his family. Not only was it my first time to Greece but it was my first time flying so it was quite an experience. But I loved everything about Greece, from the warm welcome, the food, language, beauty, spirit, and traditions, I loved it. My husband’s family lives on mainland Greece about an hour away from Thessaloniki. They’re near the sea and with a view of Mount Olympus from their garden.
What made you choose to set your novels in Greece?
I’ve always been inspired by places and my time in Greece was no different, so my debut novel The Butterfly Storm (Lemon Tree Press, 2016) is set in both Greece and north Norfolk, two places I know well and love. The Greek food, the setting and the people are magical to write about.
… On reading
What types of books do you like to read?
I read quite widely and find it helpful to read books in a different genre to the ones I write, so although I do read romances and women’s fiction I usually go for something different like historical or adventure novels. I’ve recently started reading romantasy and love it. My son has dyslexia and struggles with reading but he adores books so I still read to him which I love because it means we get through loads of middle grade adventure books together.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
My favorite authors tend to change all the time, but currently they’re Matthew Harffy, Rebecca Yarros, and I love fellow Boldwood authors Gillian Harvey and Leonie Mack’s books.
… On writing
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
When I was 7, I had open heart surgery for a hole-in-my-heart and was off school and home tutored for a few months. I remember being taught about dinosaurs and how to write stories, and from that moment I was hooked (on writing, not dinosaurs!) and knew I wanted to one day be an author.
How and when did you start writing?
Writing is something I’ve loved since I was a child when I wrote my first novel at the age of eight – a time travel adventure story. It was in my early 20s when I switched my focus from wanting to act to writing. I wrote short stories and worked as a freelance writer for a while but writing novels was my ultimate goal.
What do you like to write?
I like writing character driven stories set in beautiful places – pure escapism, both for me writing the books and for my readers too.
What inspires you as an author?
Places definitely inspire me. So many ideas for books have come from places I’ve visited. A day trip to Warwick Castle inspired Time Shifters (Lemon Tree Press, 2016), my time travel adventure trilogy for children; north Norfolk and Greece were where I set my debut novel The Butterfly Storm; and our honeymoon to Tanzania and Zanzibar inspired the first book in my Romantic Escape series The Baobab Beach Retreat (Lemon Tree Press, 2017).
Have you published anything other than books? (i.e. essay, short story, poetry, etc.)
I used to work as a freelance copy writer writing mostly short travel articles and I’ve had short stories published in the past. It’s an incredible skill to condense a whole story with a beginning, middle, and a satisfying ending into just a few thousand words or less, so although they’re far longer and have different challenges, I find writing novels easier!
… On her books
Tell us about your books. When did you publish your first book?
My first book was published in 2013, but I’d started writing it in 2003, so it was a long journey to get to that point. I’d had interest from a handful of agents but the consensus was it wasn’t commercial enough, which is why I went down the indie route and self-published it. It was a steep learning curve and I made lots of mistakes along the way, but the hard work paid off as in 2020 my Romantic Escape books began to gain traction, plus caught the interest of a publisher, and I’ve not looked back!
How many books have you published?
A Greek Island Escape (Boldwood Books, 2024), which was published in February, is my 17th book, and the 18th, An Island Promise (Boldwood Books, 2024) is out in August. I’ve self-published twelve books and have five so far published with award-winning Boldwood. I’ve recently signed a second 6-book deal with them so there will be plenty more to come!
– Talk about your latest book.
A Greek Island Escape is pure escapism and I loved writing it. Xanthe Fox is a rising star in the West End when she’s unexpectedly left her godmother’s house on Kefalonia. It’s the perfect opportunity for her to escape the gossip and heartache of a public break-up with her famous boyfriend. The time away is a chance for her to figure out what she wants from life while discovering more about her estranged Greek family. There’s a cast of colorful supporting characters from lovable best friend Jude and motherly café owner Toula, to irate neighbor Irida and her grumpy and intriguing son Dimitris.
…On the future
Tell us about the Storytale Festival.
Storytale Festival is a children’s book festival I co-founded in 2019 in my home town of Bristol. Along with founder Ellie Freeman and designer Nicola Kear our aim is to inspire children and teens to read, write, and be creative through interactive and inspiring events with largely local authors, illustrators, and creatives. Encouraging children to love reading and find the joy in writing is something I’m passionate about.
What’s next for you?
Boldwood is republishing one of my self-published books, so I have some light editing to do on that book, plus the copy edits to work on for An Island Promise which is set in Ibiza and out this summer. After that I’ll start working on the first book in a new six-book contract with Boldwood. Again the novels will be romances set in beautiful locations. The first book will be set on Sardinia, although another Greek island will feature in one of them.
Anything else you’d like to share?
My book One Winter’s Night (Boldwood Books, 2023), which is set in Iceland, has been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Romantic Novel of the Year Awards 2024 – I will be in London for the award ceremony on the 20th May which is incredibly exciting!
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