{"id":401,"date":"2018-12-31T12:09:20","date_gmt":"2018-12-31T12:09:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/?p=401"},"modified":"2018-12-31T12:09:20","modified_gmt":"2018-12-31T12:09:20","slug":"kellie-coates-gilbert-011016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/?p=401","title":{"rendered":"Kellie Coates Gilbert 011016"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As a former legal professional, Kellie Coates Gilbert<\/span> spent nearly twenty-five years working in courtrooms and behind the scenes of some of the largest and most well-known cases in America. Her books not only explore the heart issues that matter most to women, but often allow readers an inside peek into her former legal world.<\/p>\n

Gilbert currently makes her home in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and a very spoiled 2.7 lb. Yorkie named Emmie Sweetpea.<\/p>\n

Please visit her online at www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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1.10.2016
<\/span>Kellie Coates Gilbert: A woman of good writing fortune tells how she did it<\/span><\/h1>\n

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Kellie Coates Gilbert <\/span>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\u2019ll be one of the featured authors at the Pulpwood Queen\u2019s Girlfriend Weekend in Nacogdoches, January 14-17, a one of a kind\u2014and truly Texan-esque\u2014book event with parties, tiaras, and pink boas. She took time from prepping for the book extravaganza to be interviewed by email.<\/span><\/p>\n

LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE:<\/span> 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?<\/span><\/p>\n

KELLIE COATES GILBERT:<\/span> As you noted, I\u2019ve 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\u2019s fiction books all set in the metropolitan cities of Texas.<\/p>\n

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\u2014both huge motivators to pack up and leave my beloved mountains.<\/p>\n

I admired reading about your path to publishing\u2014that 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?<\/p>\n

Ha\u2014I 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!\u00a0 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\u2019t 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!<\/p>\n

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 \u201cperson\u201d I told beyond my husband. The cop was tickled for me and didn\u2019t give us a ticket. Perhaps he never intended to issue a citation in the first place, but I like to think he didn\u2019t want to muffle my enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

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?<\/p>\n

Like I described a bit earlier, I was lucky to be assigned to some very exciting cases. I investigated the nation\u2019s largest cattle fraud case, which plays out in A Woman of Fortune.<\/span> In the nineties, I worked on the Jack-in-the-Box e. coli<\/span> case involving several toddlers who died in the Seattle area. A lot of what I learned about foodborne illnesses appears in Where Rivers Part.<\/span> Mother of Pearl<\/span> 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<\/span> displays a harrowing shooting incident, and the book coming out next summer, What Matters Most,<\/span> will give readers an inside look at political opposition organizations. All these plotlines are peeks into my legal world.<\/p>\n

Your first novel was published in 2012, and four have come out since then. That\u2019s a lot of writing. Would you describe your writing and publishing process for us?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve 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\u2019s 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.\u00a0 Don\u2019t tell, but my editor often catches me switching protagonist names. We laugh about it, but I\u2019m so very grateful for her keen eye!<\/p>\n

This upcoming week you\u2019ll be among the featured authors at the Pulpwood Queen\u2019s Girlfriend Weekend in Nacogdoches. Would you describe that event for our readers?<\/p>\n

Oh my goodness! By far, the Pulpwood Queen\u2019s Girlfriend Weekend is my favorite reader event of the year!\u00a0 While I\u2019m a featured author, I\u2019m also a reader at heart. Kathy Patrick showcases so many fabulous authors that I find myself going all fan-girl at these things!<\/p>\n

For example, I\u2019ve met so many of my favorites: Pat Conroy, Fannie Flagg, Patti Callahan Henry, Karen White, Mark Childress, Jamie Ford,<\/span> and my the author of my favorite novel of all time\u2014Cassandra King. <\/span>Her novel Same Sweet Girls<\/span> will always remain on my shelf!\u00a0 Many of the authors have become dear friends and author buddies, including you. There\u2019s something about serving barbeque to readers while dressed up as Charlie Chaplin, or airline attendants, or fairies, that creates a lifelong connection\u2014don\u2019t you agree?<\/p>\n

What Texas authors do you read and admire?<\/p>\n

My list is long, and I hate naming favorites because I\u2019m likely to accidently neglect to include someone. That said, I\u2019ve really enjoyed reading books by Julie Kibler, Lynne Gentry, Becky Wade, Deeanne Gist, Reavis Wortham, Sandra Brown, Lori Wilde, <\/span>and Ben Fountain.<\/span> I also was privileged to read an early copy of The Paragraph Ranch<\/span> for endorsement and loved the humorous, yet deeply poignant story you created.<\/p>\n

How has publishing changed since you started?<\/p>\n

Wow\u2014where do I begin? I think the biggest challenge I\u2019ve seen is the shrinking shelf space. I was chatting with an author who had been on the New York Times<\/span> list multiple times and she summed the situation up like this: \u201cBig box stores think a can of peas has more profit than my books.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

What advice would you give aspiring authors?<\/p>\n

Learn the craft\u2014and read!\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

I read Anne Tyler\u2019s<\/span> 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\u2019m preaching to myself as well.<\/p>\n

Your most recent novel, A Reason To Stay,<\/span> has gotten wonderful reviews. For our readers not familiar with it, would you describe it for them?<\/p>\n

I love my readers! They have been so faithful to post reviews and send me encouraging emails. Nothing delights an author\u2019s heart more than learning her stories are entertaining and encouraging hearts out there.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the back cover blurb for A Reason to Stay:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019s anchored her world with firm boundaries in order to hide a family history she\u2019d like to forget. Her husband, Geary, a pro bass fisherman, has a life that\u2019s an open book, and unfortunately his busybody family doesn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

My favorite reader email so far was when a reader wrote and told me her family was just like Geary\u2019s\u2014and that was not a good thing. Sure made me laugh!<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next for Kellie Coates Gilbert\u2014both in life and writing?<\/p>\n

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\u2019t wait to spill the beans!<\/p>\n

I invite everyone to visit my website and sign up for my newsletter so you won\u2019t miss what\u2019s on the horizon: www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

There are also links to all my books and my social media accounts. I\u2019d love to connect!<\/p>\n

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Praise for Kellie Coates Gilbert’s work<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCoates Gilbert\u2019s 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.\u201d \u2014RT Book Reviews<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGilbert’s writing is smooth and engaging, and she explores emotional issues with grace.\u201d \u2014Julie Kibler, international bestselling author of Calling Me Home<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith a unique feel for one woman’s struggle to heal the wounds of broken trust, A Woman of Fortune<\/span> delves deftly into the meaning of family, the bonds of love, and the healing power of faith.\u201d \u2014Lisa Wingate, national bestselling author of Wildwood Creek<\/span> and The Prayer Box<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI 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.\u201d \u2014Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, The Belle of All Things Southern and author of Sue Ellen’s Girl Ain’t Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAn emotionally complex story . . . [that] inspires us to explore our own hearts and our ability to survive painful challenges with our souls intact.\u201d \u2014Julie Cantrell, New York Times<\/span> and USA Today<\/span> bestselling author of Into the Free<\/span> and When Mountains Move<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a former legal professional, Kellie Coates Gilbert spent nearly twenty-five years working in courtrooms and behind the scenes of some of the largest and most well-known cases in America. Her books not only explore the heart issues that matter most to women, but often allow readers an inside peek into her former legal world. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=401"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}