Kathleen Barber
Author Interview - Kathleen Barber
Author of Both Things Are True
For two exes who meet again, moving on is harder than ever in a funny and heartfelt romantic comedy about starting over by the author of Truth Be Told, now a major Apple TV+ series.
Vanessa is a yoga influencer living high in New York. But after her crypto-entrepreneur fiancé ruins both their lives by fleeing the country amid fraud allegations, Vanessa’s only choice is to start over―by flying home to Chicago and moving in with her sister.
Just as Vanessa puts her life back together, she bumps into Sam. Years ago, they fell hard and too fast. Their relationship ended in heartbreak after an impromptu Las Vegas wedding officiated by a Dolly Parton impersonator―and an annulment that was just as sudden. Now Sam is co-owner of a solar company with a promising future, a future Vanessa wants to be included in. But she can’t shake the whiff of scandal from her AWOL fiancé, and to protect Sam’s reputation, she’s keeping her distance. Then again…
If anyone can turn a negative into a positive―and a first love into a second chance―it’s a young woman with influence.
Author Interview - Kathleen Barber
Author I draw inspiration from:
I'm often inspired by other writers! Some of the authors I've most recently drawn inspiration from are Emily Henry for her romantic tension (BOOK LOVERS is my favorite for this!), Curtis Sittenfeld for the emotional honesty of her characters (PREP might be my favorite book of all time), and Angie Kim for her beautiful prose (HAPPINESS FALLS is just incredible).
Author Interview - Kathleen Barber | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
Is EVERYWHERE an acceptable answer? Reading is so transportive to me that my location doesn't even matter. I'll read wherever I can: on the metro, in the line at the grocery store, while I’m walking to pick up my kids (audiobooks while I’m walking, of course!).
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
I've been stuck in enough elevators to know that usually all you can do is wait, so I'll choose the protagonist in Miranda July's ALL FOURS. She could definitely tell a good story to pass the time, and who knows, if she has some supplies, she might redecorate the elevator!
Author Interview - Kathleen Barber | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I've known I wanted to be an author since I could hold a pen. As a kid, I used to write and "publish" my own books. Not long ago, my mom found one of these "published" books in her basement—I'd given it a hard cover constructed of a cereal box and construction paper, and it even had a back blurb and an About the Author page. (The About the Author page read, in its entirety, "I am Kathleen, age 7.") The best part was that I'd affixed to the cover a shiny aluminum foil circle naming it the "Best Book of the Year!"
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Hardback: Pros: Sturdy, looks good on a shelf. Cons: Heavy, I'm always tearing the jackets by mistake.
Paperback: Pros: Lightweight enough to throw in your bag and go anywhere! (Unless it's the paperback copy of ANNA KARENINA, which I did try to carry around in my tote one fall and really did a number on my shoulder.) Cons: Throwing them in my tote usually means they end up covered in crumbs, lip gloss, and random pen marks.
ebook: Pros: Easily transportable, can read anywhere I have my phone (which is everywhere). Cons: Not as satisfying as reading a physical book, I'm easily distracted by notifications when reading on my phone.
Audiobook: Pros: Allows you to read while cooking, cleaning, working out! Cons: I personally have a hard time following something that's audio-only (I'm terrible on the phone!)—I need to see the words to really retain them.
Paperback is always going to be my top choice!
The last book I read:
Technically, the last book I read is THE POISON JUNGLE by Tui T. Sutherland, but I read that aloud to my kids, so let's not count that. Otherwise, I just finished THE GHOSTWRITER by Julie Clark, and it was fantastic! I mean, you can probably guess that because Julie Clark is a terrific writer, but THE GHOSTWRITER had such a compelling family drama and so many great twists. (Next up is BATTLE OF THE BOOKSTORES by Ali Brady and I am *super* excited about it!)
Author Interview - Kathleen Barber | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I usually write on my computer, and specifically I write using Scrivener. I always stan for Scrivener because it lets me write out of order and then move the scenes around with ease. I prefer typing over handwriting mostly because I can type much faster than I can write (and apparently I grip a pen like it's a winning lottery ticket, so my hand always hurts after I try to handwrite for too long), but sometimes when I'm stuck, I switch to pen and paper until I'm back in the groove. I'm not sure why handwriting unlocks me like that, but it does!
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
I felt a real kinship to Lee Fiora when I first read PREP by Curtis Sittenfeld, so I was delighted to see an update on her in one of the stories in SHOW DON'T TELL. It was fun to revisit her character, and I still feel like Lee and I would be friends!
Author Interview - Kathleen Barber | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I practiced as a corporate restructuring attorney before I became a full-time author. (I do not miss the spreadsheets!)
Favorite decade in fashion history:
The late 1960s! I love the patterns, shapes, fabrics, all of it. After I watched Get Back (the Beatles documentary), I immediately started a Pinterest board cataloguing the outfits the Beatles and their girlfriends/wives were wearing. They were just so *cool.* (I may or may not have spent too much time scouring resale sites for a particular striped shirt John Lennon wore.)
Place I’d most like to travel:
I'm dying to go to Iceland. The landscape just looks so amazing. (The waterfalls! The volcanoes!) My husband and I considered going a couple of years ago, but ended up in Croatia instead — which is also an incredible destination, and I highly recommend it.
My signature drink:
Give me all your black coffee, please. Hot, iced, lukewarm, I'll drink it all.
Favorite artist:
Charles Addams — My grandfather had a book that showcased Addams's work in the New Yorker, and I loved to pore over that book as a kid. (It's on my shelf now, and my kids like to look at it, too.) Addams is most famous for the Addams Family, of course, and I've always loved those cartoons, but the one that I love the most is this painting of a lighthouse keeper finding a valentine. I found a copy of the New Yorker issue when it was the cover on eBay, and I have it framed at home.
Number one on my bucket list:
I really want to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu!
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/katelizabee/
https://www.tiktok.com/@kbarberauthor
https://www.facebook.com/KathleenBarberAuthor/
https://www.threads.com/@katelizabee
About Kathleen Barber:
Author Interview with Kathleen Barber
Kathleen Barber is the author of TRUTH BE TOLD (originally published as ARE YOU SLEEPING, now a series on AppleTV+ produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and starring Octavia Spencer) and FOLLOW ME. Originally from Galesburg, Illinois, she now lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and children. BOTH THINGS ARE TRUE is her third novel.
