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Kathleen Duey: Writer Extraordinare

© Sue Reichard

Kathleen Duey's interesting life benefits her in her writing for children. Kathleen has lived without electricity and even without television for many years. She has many skills most of our grandparents would marvel at. Kathleen can grow wheat, grind it and turn it into bread. She gardens, makes tofu, can milk a goat and make cheese. She has other skills only characters in her historical novels would understand.

Kathleen is the author of over fifty books for children. She writes for many different age groups. Her historical fiction series, "American Diaries", uniquely discribes one day in the life of the main character. One girl might be living during the Revolution another during the Women's Suffrage Movement. For historical adventure stories please read Kathleen's "Survival Series". Historical love stories are not beyond her grasp, "Earthquake, 1906" and "Hurricane, 1860", cover this genre.

Fantasy for young readers can be found in her early chapter book series, "The Unicorn's Secret". Please visit the special website:

http://www.theunicornssecret.com

At this site readers can view an excerpt or the first chapter of each of the books in the series. Kathleen's "Faery's Promise" series introduces readers to a new character, Alida, a fairy princess.

Kathleen's love of horses lead to her popular horse novels. Her new series,"Hoofbeats" is coming in Spring 2004 by Puffin/Dutton. Kathleen is also a very busy speaker at schools where she shares her love of writing. Please visit her very interesting website to see her books up close and personal. It is a fascinating visit.

http://kathleenduey.smartwriters.com/ind...

1.SR: Your background is very fascinating, living without electricity and TV, etc. Has your homesteading experience influenced or become part of your writing? Why did you choose this lifestyle?

KD: Living lightly on the earth was a conscious choice and one that I am glad I made. There are many people who did it. I treasure the experience. It informs every historical novel I write. I have a decades long experience that includes cooking with wood and flame, three meals a day, carrying a candle for a midnight check on a sick child, milking goats and making bread. It's a good way to live. It takes hard work and every waking hour to run that kind of household. I couldn't do it and write as much as I do. I have become *very* attached to my computer. If I end up in another cabin or thatched hut one day, I have to work out a bicycle generator with a keyboard.

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