Kate Robertson

It’s been a while since I’ve been here. My last blog post was January of this year (so much for my goal of six blog posts this year!)

Two cross-country moves and personal upheaval in the past year and a half meant writing took a back seat.

Then in May of this year, my brother died suddenly. It coincided with a milestone birthday that had been the catalyst to change virtually everything in my life, changes he wholeheartedly supported.

Recently, a friend shared that after her mother’s passing, she felt a shift at the four- or five-month point. Closing in on five months, I’m sleeping better. And I’m writing again.

Writing update

This project is the second part of a series about the first female detective in the New York Police Department, set in 1910. I wrote the first in the series two years ago. Ironically, in that first book, my main character is suffering from the intense grief associated with the loss of someone she loved, and it is her older brother who helps her break the dam to grieve.

I realized that in all my finished projects, there’s always a brother who plays a crucial role in the protagonist’s life and the story she has to share. I was writing what I know.

I had sent my brother that first manuscript. He had yet to finish reading it before his death. As a reader of historical fiction and not shy about giving his opinions, I’m sure he would have had plenty to say.

Losing my brother has given me clarity on what I want to change and make better going forward. Brothers will keep showing up in my work because I feel my brother’s hand on my shoulder when I write.

In the spirit of renewal, I will soon be launching a new website under my own name, Kate Robertson. The launch will introduce new content, which will feature dives into the research that goes into my historical fiction. Stay tuned and thank you!

The featured photo at the top is my own, taken at the Amsterdam flower market.