Catherine West is an award-winning author who writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda.  Wow.  What a lovely place to live.  She released her first book in 2011 from OakTara Publishers. Here second came out in 2012.

Jim:   You said you were educated in Bermuda, England and Canada. Tell us how skipping from country to country affected your education.

 Catherine:  I did the majority of my schooling in Bermuda, with two years of boarding school in England. Bermuda is also under the British Education System, so it wasn’t difficult to assimilate. I completed my university education in Canada. My education abroad gave me a better worldview and the ability to travel to places I might not otherwise have seen. I certainly appreciated my time away for that reason. So I suppose the answer to the question is that I feel it improved my education.

Jim. When did you start writing, and what prompted that?

Catherine :  I started writing fiction in my teens. I have always loved to read and write, and English was my favorite subject in school. I didn’t get serious about my writing until later though, around the time I had my first child. That’s when I began to toy with the idea of pursuing publication, and thus began a very long journey to getting my first book published!

Jim: Your first book, Yesterday’s Tomorrow, was set in Viet Nam. How did you research that location, or have you been there?

 Catherine :  I have not been to Vietnam. I researched in-depth, through books, online websites, and talking with a few Vietnam Vets who didn’t mind sharing their experiences. I pulled a lot of photographs from the 60’s to present, so that I would have very clear images in my mind as I was writing various scenes.   Getting the information was easy, processing it and understanding it was more difficult. As one with no experience whatsoever with war, it was often hard to read the accounts, look at the pictures and really try to put myself ‘there’. It was impossible to walk away from all that without being deeply moved. I gained great respect for all those in the military whilst writing this story.

Jim:   Yesterday’s Tomorrow enjoyed some real success. How did you promote that from Bermuda?

Catherine :  Like most authors these days, everything I do is online. Fortunately the bookstores here were also happy to promote and sell the book, so I had local success as well. Being with a small press has its downside though, as I have to pay for everything myself. But I did my best with the resources I had and hopefully with the release of my second novel, people will also take another look at Yesterday’s Tomorrow.

Jim:  In general, has living on a remote (but beautiful-I’ve visited there twice) island presented any difficulties in getting published? Is everything carried out via the Internet?

Catherine :  I didn’t have any restrictions based on my location. I entered the process the same as anyone else. My first goal was to acquire an agent. I probably spent more money than most traveling to writers conferences, but I felt that was an important step in my journey to publication. These days, attending the ACFW conference each fall is just a given for me. Because I am fairly isolated, I cherish those few days where I can connect with my online friends in person, catch up with my agent and chat with editors. The great thing about the internet of course is that I can have meetings via Skype. My agent and I make use of this, and it’s great. Not as good as a face to face meeting, but better than nothing!

Jim:   Hidden in the Heart was released only a few months ago. Tell us a little about it.

Catherine :  Sure. It’s the story of Claire, a young woman whose life is unraveling due to circumstances she can’t control and the decisions she makes as a result. She decides to search for her birth mother, mostly for medical information, but soon realizes she wants to know the truth about where she came from and why she was placed for adoption. It never occurs to her that the woman who gave her life may not want to be found.

Jim:   The subject of searching for a birth mother is very interesting. Have you known someone who pursued that path? If so, were they successful, and how did it turn out for them?

Catherine :  Actually, Hidden in the Heart is loosely based on my own search and reunion journey. I was given up for adoption as an infant. I had a wonderful upbringing, but once I had my own children, I could no longer ignore the questions I needed answers for. My search was successful in that I found my birth mother shortly after embarking on the journey, but she was not completely receptive to me. It was a very difficult and emotionally draining time for me, but God had a plan. I was finally able to meet my birth mother before she passed away, and I have an amazing relationship with the sister I never knew I had, so all in all, I have no regrets about searching, and I feel blessed by the outcome.

Jim:  You said you have two college-aged children. How have they affected your writing? Did you wait until they were in college before you started writing?

Catherine :  It was difficult to get much done with two small children at home, let alone write! While the kids were small, I didn’t do any writing. Once my youngest went to school, I started up again. But it was mostly a hobby and not something I felt I could seriously pursue until they were both much older. They are wonderful encouragers – we’re all recipients of the ‘artsy’ gene – my daughter is a photographer and my son is a musician, so they get me. My husband is a pediatrician. 🙂 But he loves what we do and is incredibly supportive as well.

Jim:   How have ACFW helped you in your writing career?

Catherine :  I’m a huge supporter of ACFW. I would not be where I am today without this fabulous organization. The connections I’ve made, the friendships, the teaching, all shaped me into the writer I want to be, and gave me the knowledge and tools needed to really have a chance at publication.   ACFW feels like family to me.

Jim:   Can you give us one tip to help writers who have not progressed as far in their writing career as you have?

Catherine :  Don’t quit! It’s not an easy path, but if you truly feel called to it, trust God to open those doors at the right time. Do your part, put in the hard work, make those important connections and learn, learn, learn, and have faith in yourself, even in the face of rejection.

Thanks Catherine for giving us some insight into your life as a writer, and your very candid answers to my questions.  Readers, you can find more information on Catherine West and her books at:

Website: http://www.catherinejwest.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatherineJWest

Blog: http://www.thisisablogaboutbooks.wordpress.com

Find her books on Amazon at:  http://amzn.to/VUbd1b