1.10.2016
Kellie Coates Gilbert: A woman of good writing fortune tells how she did it

Kellie Coates Gilbert is a former legal investigator and trial paralegal who writes novels with a compassionate, intimate knowledge of how people react under pressure. But this upcoming weekend, she’ll be one of the featured authors at the Pulpwood Queen’s Girlfriend Weekend in Nacogdoches, January 14-17, a one of a kind—and truly Texan-esque—book event with parties, tiaras, and pink boas. She took time from prepping for the book extravaganza to be interviewed by email.

LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE: Kellie, you grew up in Idaho and attended college there. Then you spent nearly a quarter of a century as a legal professional in courtrooms in the Pacific Northwest. How did you end up in Dallas, and Texas, where most of your books are set?

KELLIE COATES GILBERT: As you noted, I’ve had the good fortune to enjoy a lengthy legal career. That worked out really well for my future career as a novelist. Elements from many of my cases became the backdrop for the stories in my Texas Gold books, a series of contemporary women’s fiction books all set in the metropolitan cities of Texas.

We moved to Texas after my husband got a call from a recruiter and we had the opportunity to be near our sons and grandchildren. The transition also provided the chance for me to write full-time—both huge motivators to pack up and leave my beloved mountains.

I admired reading about your path to publishing—that you took seven years attending workshops and polishing your craft. Can you describe for us what it was like to get the word that you were finally going to be a published author?

Ha—I had no choice during those seven years. I was still working full-time doing trial work that required a lot of travel, which left no ability to commit to a publishing contract. During that time, I focused on learning all I could. I attended multiple writing conferences, read every book known to man about the craft of writing fiction, and studied my fool head off!  Agents and editors warned not to try to publish too early. I found they were right, because the first proposal my agent put out was picked up by a publisher and my writing career took off. I am one of those rare authors who doesn’t have a drawer filled with rejections. Now, I write full-time and run a contract paralegal business on the side. Dreams really do come true!

I first learned I would be published while I was on a motor-home trip with my husband. I could barely breathe after that telephone call from my agent, I was so excited. Minutes later, we were pulled over by a policeman and told we had a tail light out. That officer was the first “person” I told beyond my husband. The cop was tickled for me and didn’t give us a ticket. Perhaps he never intended to issue a citation in the first place, but I like to think he didn’t want to muffle my enthusiasm.

As a legal investigator, you were involved with some very well known lawsuits. Would you describe them for our readers and how did they inform your writing?

Like I described a bit earlier, I was lucky to be assigned to some very exciting cases. I investigated the nation’s largest cattle fraud case, which plays out in A Woman of Fortune. In the nineties, I worked on the Jack-in-the-Box e. coli case involving several toddlers who died in the Seattle area. A lot of what I learned about foodborne illnesses appears in Where Rivers Part. Mother of Pearl features a coach who acts inappropriately with teenaged girls and the mother who risks everything to remove him from the school system. A Reason to Stay displays a harrowing shooting incident, and the book coming out next summer, What Matters Most, will give readers an inside look at political opposition organizations. All these plotlines are peeks into my legal world.

Your first novel was published in 2012, and four have come out since then. That’s a lot of writing. Would you describe your writing and publishing process for us?

I’ve had the privilege of working with some very talented publishing houses. My books have released twice a year, which is a tight schedule. My days typically include several cups of morning coffee and hours with my fingers on the keyboard. At times, the juggling makes me feel a bit schizophrenic. It’s not at all unusual to be writing one story, editing another, and releasing another with all the interviews and marketing that goes with launching a book.  Don’t tell, but my editor often catches me switching protagonist names. We laugh about it, but I’m so very grateful for her keen eye!

This upcoming week you’ll be among the featured authors at the Pulpwood Queen’s Girlfriend Weekend in Nacogdoches. Would you describe that event for our readers?

Oh my goodness! By far, the Pulpwood Queen’s Girlfriend Weekend is my favorite reader event of the year!  While I’m a featured author, I’m also a reader at heart. Kathy Patrick showcases so many fabulous authors that I find myself going all fan-girl at these things!

For example, I’ve met so many of my favorites: Pat Conroy, Fannie Flagg, Patti Callahan Henry, Karen White, Mark Childress, Jamie Ford, and my the author of my favorite novel of all time—Cassandra King. Her novel Same Sweet Girls will always remain on my shelf!  Many of the authors have become dear friends and author buddies, including you. There’s something about serving barbeque to readers while dressed up as Charlie Chaplin, or airline attendants, or fairies, that creates a lifelong connection—don’t you agree?

What Texas authors do you read and admire?

My list is long, and I hate naming favorites because I’m likely to accidently neglect to include someone. That said, I’ve really enjoyed reading books by Julie Kibler, Lynne Gentry, Becky Wade, Deeanne Gist, Reavis Wortham, Sandra Brown, Lori Wilde, and Ben Fountain. I also was privileged to read an early copy of The Paragraph Ranch for endorsement and loved the humorous, yet deeply poignant story you created.

How has publishing changed since you started?

Wow—where do I begin? I think the biggest challenge I’ve seen is the shrinking shelf space. I was chatting with an author who had been on the New York Times list multiple times and she summed the situation up like this: “Big box stores think a can of peas has more profit than my books.”

My nature is to be a Tigger, and not an Eeyore. So, I view all the changes as segues into a brighter and more exciting future for authors. There will always be avid readers, and as a novelist, I get the privilege of producing stories for them. The rest will work itself out.

What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Learn the craft—and read!  With the advent of indie publishing, the temptation is to write a book and toss it out for the world to consume, perhaps before the story is really ready. I encourage authors to strive for excellence.

I read Anne Tyler’s recent release over the holidays, a clear reminder that even with multiple books in print, I have a long way to go to achieve her ability. So, I’m preaching to myself as well.

Your most recent novel, A Reason To Stay, has gotten wonderful reviews. For our readers not familiar with it, would you describe it for them?

I love my readers! They have been so faithful to post reviews and send me encouraging emails. Nothing delights an author’s heart more than learning her stories are entertaining and encouraging hearts out there.

Here’s the back cover blurb for A Reason to Stay:

As the host of her own television news show, Faith Marin works to expose the truth for her viewers. But in her personal life, she’s anchored her world with firm boundaries in order to hide a family history she’d like to forget. Her husband, Geary, a pro bass fisherman, has a life that’s an open book, and unfortunately his busybody family doesn’t know the meaning of boundaries. Deception and crippling differences soon derail their tender relationship, leading Faith to believe her only option is to end the marriage. But while divorce papers sit on her desk waiting to be signed, tragedy strikes and her heartrending decision is interrupted. With her life in the balance, Faith finds that the one she has been shutting out may be the very one she cannot bear to lose.

My favorite reader email so far was when a reader wrote and told me her family was just like Geary’s—and that was not a good thing. Sure made me laugh!

What’s next for Kellie Coates Gilbert—both in life and writing?

The final book in the Texas Gold collection will be releasing this summer. After that, I will be announcing an exciting project that I think will thrill my readers. I can’t wait to spill the beans!

I invite everyone to visit my website and sign up for my newsletter so you won’t miss what’s on the horizon: www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com

There are also links to all my books and my social media accounts. I’d love to connect!

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Praise for Kellie Coates Gilbert's work

“Coates Gilbert’s emotional depiction of marriage and its true-to-life struggles and triumphs will resonate with readers. In a realistic way that seems ripped from the headlines, the author shows how a tragedy can pull some people together, as well as change their priorities.” —RT Book Reviews

“Gilbert's writing is smooth and engaging, and she explores emotional issues with grace.” —Julie Kibler, international bestselling author of Calling Me Home

“With a unique feel for one woman's struggle to heal the wounds of broken trust, A Woman of Fortune delves deftly into the meaning of family, the bonds of love, and the healing power of faith.” —Lisa Wingate, national bestselling author of Wildwood Creek and The Prayer Box

“I couldn't look away . . . Kellie Coates Gilbert takes an engrossing, all-too-real story of crime and greed and surprises us with a tribute to the overcoming power of true love.” —Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, The Belle of All Things Southern and author of Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy

“An emotionally complex story . . . [that] inspires us to explore our own hearts and our ability to survive painful challenges with our souls intact.” —Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Into the Free and When Mountains Move