I am so excited to be back with more amazing military affiliated authors! I had to take a short hiatus to catch up on all the amazing books that I had added to my TBR. Honestly, with all these amazing reads I'm not sure I'll ever catch up!
We're really coming back with a bang this month! We got the chance to get to know Kat Anderson! Kat served in the Air Force for over 20 years and even earned a Bronze Star for her outstanding leadership. She's basically a modern day "Wonder Woman"! So, not only did she have a decorated military career, but she also released her debut novel last month!
What branch of the military are you affiliated with?
United States Air Force
How long did you serve in the military?
I served for just over 20 years.
What is your favorite part about being in the military?
My favorite part about being in the military was all the traveling I was able to do. I was able to interact with so many unique cultures and environments, many of which shaped my storytelling.
What would you say was your biggest challenge being in the military?
There are honestly so many challenges with serving in the military. However, I’d say the hardest is finding time to pursue hobbies and individual passions, particularly the more rank you possess. I found myself post military career a bit adrift for a while with my “free time” as I wasn’t accustomed to having any.
What is one piece of advice you would like to share with our current military families?
At some point the ride ends and you will have to enter/re-enter the civilian world and workplace. The time to start preparing for that isn’t in your later years but throughout your military career. Think about what kind of life both professionally and personally you want to live after your military service.
How or why did you decide to become an author?
I had wanted to be a writer since I was a kid but had given up on that dream shortly after I had joined the military. After retirement I found myself doing political commentary and really enjoying it. At the time my editor wanted me to work on a memoir on my military experience. I tinkered around with it for a while, but my heart wasn’t in it, so I pivoted to some short stories I had in my head. I ended up building out a story into the debut thriller that launched this August.
What book has been your favorite that you have written so far?
I’d say my debut, No Rest for the Wicked.
Do you have more books planned for the future?
Most definitely! My debut is meant to be the first in a series that I have planned out through five books. I’m currently working on the second in that series tentatively titled The Devil You Raised and a standalone Arctic cosmic horror novel titled The Remainder that I had been chewing on ever since my assignment to Thule AB in Greenland (now Pituffik Space Base).
What author inspires you?
I really enjoy Dan Brown and his story of how he started off not a commercial hit in the beginning but strategically and methodically (and with some luck) hit success with The DaVinci Code. While I don’t write the same sort of thrillers my methods are similar and I do have the same short chapter format in my novels.
What’s a random fact about you we should know?
I’m technically a mutant: I have one attached earlobe and one detached earlobe.
Anything else you would like to share?
If you are interested in pursuing a creative post military professional path there are so many different ways to go about it. While that can seem liberating it is also a bit overwhelming. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s a pipedream or that you need to get a “real job”. Writing a book is a real job. Being a published author is a real job. Arguably harder and more exhausting than a typical 9 to 5. If you really want it, you will make it happen. There are many skills the military gave us that make us uniquely able to execute on these very difficult creative paths. Tap into them: resilience, the ability to figure out how to get around over or under any obstacle (because there will be many), humility, ingenuity, and bravery. Because to be an author is to be brave. I put a lot of myself into my stories and into my public appearances. That takes some serious guts.
Book Titles:
I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get my hands on Kat's newest book! I never can turn down a good thriller, and this book looks like it will really deliver! You can find me curled up this month with this amazing novel. Thank you so much to Kat for taking time to share her experiences with both her time in the military and her time as an author!
If you are interested in being a featured author, please email us at info@mymilitarylifestyle.com.
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