- Tell us a bit about yourself. Include a couple of facts that not a lot of people know about you.
I’m a preacher’s kid from North Carolina, but I haven’t lived there since college because my parents moved to a different state. It used to be weird going to visit them in their new home, but they have a pool, so I got over that pretty fast!
I love to travel. I lived in Ireland for three months during college while working for a missions organization called Greater Europe Mission. Then, when I decided to go to law school, I lived in Costa Rica for a month in an attempt to learn Spanish. (I knew I wanted to practice immigration law.) The Spanish didn’t stick. But my love of fried plantains did.
My husband and I got married a year after we met and almost immediately moved to Japan for three years for his job. We were lucky enough to travel all over Asia and the South Pacific while we lived there. We toured the glowworm caves in New Zealand, ate seafood on the beach in Thailand and walked the streets of Hong Kong. It was quite the adventure.
Now we have two little girls and we’re getting ready to move from California to Mississippi. We’re excited for the change. It’s hard to believe we’ll be within driving distance to our families soon!
Some facts that a lot of people don’t know about me. Hm. I’m deathly afraid of Transformers (the creepy robots, not the machines that provide electricity. God bless electricity.) I love the smell of pickles but I hate how they taste. I can sing most (if not all) of the songs from every major Disney movie made since the 1950s. And now, courtesy of our kids, so can my husband. ☺
- Tell us a bit about the book that will be published by Anaiah Press.
Fortune’s Fall is about a 17-year-old girl named Nyssa who’s in secret training to become the American president’s dream interpreter. It’s set in 2090, a time in America’s future where God speaks to His people through dreams. When Nyssa’s mentor lies to the president about the meaning in his latest dream, Nyssa’s own future is thrown into question. Her mentor lied to save the residents of Nyssa’s hometown, where the president launched a gas attack to thwart a suspected rebellion. Nyssa’s parents are among the survivors.
Nyssa decides to flee the safety of her own well-planned life to bring the survivors an antidote as well as the interpretation of another dream only she can give. But the president launches a deadly pursuit, and through the trials of her journey, Nyssa begins to realize that faith in God might be the only thing that will save her.
- When and why did you start writing?
Writing has always been my outlet. I love creating characters and other worlds. My first “published” story was in the fourth grade. The North Carolina Symphony sponsored a writing contest and I tied for first place with another student. It was so fun! I haven’t really stopped writing since then except during law school. I still remember sitting in the library attempting to read my Civil Procedure assignment and thinking, “This is going to suck all the creativity out of me for the rest of my life.” Thankfully that didn’t happen!
- Is this your first book? How many have you written? How many have you published?
Fortune’s Fall is the first book anyone other than my mom and grandma will see. I wrote a mystery a few years ago set in 1930s Atlanta that was a great learning experience. I kind of had this gut feeling it wasn’t going to go anywhere, but I powered through and learned a ton about drafting and editing, and the whole querying process.
- Tell us a bit about your journey to publication.
I sent dozens of queries to agents and publishers and connected pretty quickly with Kara Leigh Miller at Anaiah. Her enthusiasm for Fortune’s Fall was so exciting that I knew I wanted to work with Anaiah immediately! The next few months were nerve-wracking as I awaited her final decision. It was a great day when she told me Anaiah wanted to publish Fortune’s Fall and the rest of the books in the trilogy!
- What are some of your favorite books / authors?
My all-time favorite book is I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, but my favorite author will always be Madeleine L’Engle. A Wrinkle in Time and all the other stories about the Murry family were my constant companion in high school.
I’m also a big historical fiction nerd. Elizabeth Chadwick, Kate Morton and Paula McLain are some of my favorites. Let’s see, Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott. Bill Bryson. Francine Rivers. Jacqueline Winspear. J.K. Rowling. Suzanne Collins. The list goes on, haha!
- What are some of your favorite movies / TV shows?
Well, when my two daughters aren’t requesting Paw Patrol and Mickey’s Clubhouse and every Disney movie under the sun, I love Thirty Rock, The Office and anything on Masterpiece Theater.
- Where do you find inspiration for your books?
I’ve always been fascinated with the stories in the Old Testament, and when our pastor did a sermon series on Nehemiah, I went down a million Googled rabbit-holes to learn about the Babylonian exile of the Jews. When I learned that only the elite Jews were exiled to Babylon and everyone else was left behind to fend for themselves, a story began to brew. What if the Jews who were left behind not only survived, but they thrived, waiting somewhere for their ultimate return to Jerusalem?
My main character in Fortune’s Fall was born from that question. A character inspired by Nehemiah – an exile who led the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and Daniel – an exile and dream interpreter to the king. Fortune’s Fall is the futuristic tale of a people exiled to an unfamiliar place, the family and friends they left behind, and a girl’s determination to bring them all back together.
- Describe your perfect day of relaxation.
A massage followed by sitting in a coffee shop alone with a book and a chai tea latte.
- Where can readers learn more about you? (Put your social media links here)
Website: www.Katherinebarger.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kbargerauthor
Facebook: Katherine Barger – Author www.facebook.com/kbargerauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kbarger_author
Anaiah Press 