KATHRYN R. BIEL: AUTHOR

So, here in Upstate NY, we braced ourselves for Winter Storm Juno. This is what happened: A whole lot of nothing. My kids were pissed this morning. I mean, pissed in a really pissed off way. What made the situation even more upsetting is that my school district (located East and South of my home) was closed. Yep, I got a snow day and they didn't. Except, it's been snowing all day. I can't even go pick them up because the roads are so bad, and the bus is a safer means of transportation in this kind of weather. Pretty messy out there now. But that's not the point of this post. The point of this post is that being snowed in makes for interesting dynamics, at least when you're writing a story. In my second novel, Hold Her Down , Elizabeth finds her car off the road and stranded out in an ice storm. She is forced to walk to a nearby house for help, and it changes her life. Here's an excerpt of Hold Her Down: Elizabeth buttoned and zipped up her flimsy windbr...

Things are really ramping up here for the release of my next book, Jump, Jive, and Wail . I've made it through the editing process, with one last pass through to go. The full cover is done and has far surpassed any expectations. The paperback has been formatted and is en route to me as we speak. A Release Day Blitz is scheduled. Guest blog spots are in the works. Reviewers have been lined up, ARC's sent out. Yikes. Now the panic sets in. Obviously, with no publishing house behind me, I'm on my own for promotion and publicity. So, you might see me on here a lot, or on other social media outlets. Bear with me, I won't always be hocking my own goods. I'm really excited about this book. I think it's my best yet. It's different from the other three, but I hope my readers will still appreciate my voice. So, to get you as excited about the book as I am, here's what I'm gonna do: I'm gonna share the beautiful full cover: Then, I'm gonn...

Last night I was having a conversation with a friend about those missed opportunities in a Sliding Doors (if you've never seen the Gwenyth Paltrow movie , you really need to check it out) sort of way. You know, one small interaction can drastically change the outcome of a situation. Then, I posted a funny meme on my author page about commas. Way back in the day, I was taught to use the standard comma, as illustrated above. Only recently, when trying to name my book, Jump, Jive, and Wail , did I, at the advice of my author posse, start using the Oxford comma. After looking at this meme, I realized that the standard comma changed my life. Way back in 1997, when I was still in college, Congress passed this thing called the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. A lot of people probably don't remember it. I do, because it hit along with a major reform in insurance reimbursment. As a result of the BBA, there was a spending cap put on, amongst other things, outpatient therapy services t...

No, I didn't have one. Maybe someday. Then again, maybe not. No, you may have noticed this blog has gotten a facelift. I'm transitioning from a simple blog to an upgraded website. If you notice the tabs along the top, they'll take you to different pages, including purchase links for my books, my bio, where to sign up for my newsletter, and how to connect with me. When I have author events and signings, I'll post them in the appropriate place. With a new book coming out, my blog was getting crowded and cluttered. I hope you all find this facelift pleasing and easy to navigate. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. While you're checking it out, make sure to sign up for the newsletter. Oh, and T-25 days until Jump, Jive, and Wail  is released. Don't forget to pre-order your copy on Amazon  today!