We chat with author Kat Mackenzie about Work In Progress, which is a warm, sexy, laugh-out-loud rom-com and follows a woman who, desperate for a fresh start, books a literary bus tour across the UK that consists of a lively group of elderly ladies plus one infuriatingly handsome Scottish driver.
Hi, Kat! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Well, hello! I’m Kat Mackenzie, bookworm and muffin enthusiast, and my debut novel, Work in Progress is out on January 14th. All of this is new to me, and I am very excited to be doing this Q&A. My debut is a travel romcom. As a person living with incurable wanderlust, I’ve done lots of silly and dangerous things in the course of my travels (howling for wolves in Russia, swimming with crocodiles in Borneo, getting matchmade in Ireland, eating deep-fried Mars bars in Scotland, etc.), so that my readers can enjoy visiting these places in their pajamas from the comfort of their squashiest armchair.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I think I was about eight the first time I attempted to write a novel – I think there was a ghost in there, and maybe a treasure chest discovered in an old tree? I made it all of about two chapters in and gave up. It was roughly thirty years later the next time I attempted to write a novel. That one was a dark historical, magical realism that is still unfinished and languishing in a (virtual) drawer somewhere. The thing about that story is that it was about a Victorian Anthropologist, and I wanted it to all be historically and anthropologically accurate, which required a lot of research. I’m lazy by nature, so I decided to take a break from that tome and write something light and fun – and that’s how I ended up with Work in Progress.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree
- The one that made you want to become an author: Oh goodness – everything, all the time. Writing has always been my dream job. But to answer the question, let’s say, for very different reasons, Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: As a writer, sometimes I read something that I wish I had been the one to write. I’m extremely jealous of Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries. It’s fabulous.
Your debut novel, Work in Progress, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Snark, Scones, Kilts, & Golden Girls
Where did the inspiration for Work in Progress come from?
Well, I lived in the UK for eight years, and part of my heart lives there, so imagining myself on a literary tour of Scotland, England, and Wales with a handsome historian was a joyful form of escapism. When I first started writing Work in Progress I was going through a painful transition in my life. I felt trapped and depressed and sadly lacking in romance. So, in writing, I took myself on a little adventure, and as the story of my life has progressed, that little adventure for my characters has become a grand adventure and a new career for me. And now the adventure is living on in my readers, who have been messaging me to say that they are using the tour in the book to inspire their own trips to the UK. Even my cafe and restaurant locations in the story are real, so readers can use it as a travel guide with my personal recommendations.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Abbotsford is one of the few locations in the book that I wrote about without having been there myself. It’s the gorgeous fairytale castle that Sir Walter Scott built as a writing retreat and filled with all sorts of curious and mysterious items and collectables, as well as a massive library including a large catalog of rare historical books on witchcraft and the occult, and of course, beautiful art, furniture, and a garden prettier than any I’ve ever seen.
I had researched Abbotsford thoroughly in order to write it as a tour stop for my characters, and did so with as much detail and authenticity as I could manage. To then see it come to life in person was almost like walking into a fantasy that I had spun myself. It was a unique pleasure. My book had not yet been published at that point, so I could then go back and add details and experiences from being there in person.
Did you face any challenges? How did you overcome them?
Oh, loads! My dyslexic brain is sort of like a toy box that has tipped over and spilled its toys all over an unswept floor. I procrastinate like nobody’s business. I can’t spell for carp. My ability to focus on nothing at all and all things in the omniverse at the same time should be studied by science. I am easily distracted by shiny things, etc. etc. Wait. What was the question? The key for me has been learning how my brain works, and more importantly how to trick it! I’m a night owl, but I must work first thing when I wake up to get into the right mindset, and if I don’t, my entire day is shot. I use the Pomodoro Technique for timed writing sprints, otherwise there would be no Kat Mackenzie books at all. If I need to write and I’m resisting so hard that I would rather drown myself in a public toilet than write a single paragraph, I make a little deal with myself that I only have to write 150 words, because even I am not so lazy that I cannot write 150 words. But by the end of it, I’m almost always in the zone and can finish my scene and keep going – if I’m not, I allow myself to walk away. Long dog walks without music or audiobooks are a great way to brainstorm. I have also decided that it is acceptable to change directly from daytime pajamas into nighttime pajamas. People will try to tell you that it’s wrong. They are dumb. I officially give you permission.
I have a million different tricks, and despite knowing that they are tricks, I fall for them every time!
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I hate to say this, but it was lovely and easy for the most part! I know that makes me massively unlikable, but it’s true, I’m afraid.
I got extremely lucky. I queried 25 agents, got 2 offers, one of which was from my phenomenal agent, Jane Dystel, who is a legendary dream-agent. We went on sub and sold within a couple weeks to my editor, Tessa Woodard at Avon, who is just incredible and supportive, and magically always in a good mood.
I have a pretty thick skin with rejections, and I think this has been exceedingly helpful in the publishing business. Rejections from agents or editors didn’t hurt too badly, because I was grateful for their advice. I check my Goodreads reviews every day, and while some people really hated my book, I often screenshot these to send them to friends and family, because I find them hilarious. But far more often I am shocked and delighted by how many people absolutely loved my quirky little book. It is, every damn time, a surprise and a wonder when I get a good review. Even better than that, some people say that Work in Progress moved them or helped them through a difficult time, and that is more precious to me than just about anything.
I have had many jobs and a few different careers, many that were exciting and that I loved, but I have never felt so obsessed with any of them the way I do about being a writer. It fully possesses me. It’s all that I think about. Becoming a writer was like discovering my true identity suddenly halfway through my life. And, one of the very best things about it is that in becoming a writer I became part of a community of writerly people with whom I could gush, and brainstorm, and learn, and just talk books all the time. I have met so many incredible people through writing and it fills me with joy.
What’s next for you?
I’m about to go to bed soon and I have big plans for waffles in the morning.
After that, I’ll be sending my editor my second book in a few days. This one is another travel romcom about the annual matchmaking festival in Ireland (a real thing that I researched thoroughly in person, by the way. You’re welcome!). I sold this book on proposal… so, you know… finger’s crossed they don’t hate it! *unhinged laughter*
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up in 2025?
Oh my goodness! My TBR could crush a Bison. But you asked for it, so here goes nothing.
There are many books written by author friends, recently published or releasing soon, that I am over-the-top excited about!
Work Trip by Chloe Ford, Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander, Love Sick by Deidra Duncan, Press Trip by Breea Keenan, Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti, Scotch on the Rocks by Elliot Fletcher, Crash Landing by Annie Mcquaid, Crash Test by Amy James, Playing Flirty by Shameez Patel, Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreen, Highland Hearts Holiday Bookshop by Tricia O’Malley, Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan, Unromance by Erin Conor, The Stars of Scotland by Erica Mae, Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley, Some Like it Scot by Pepper Basham, You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon, A Lady Would Know by Emma Theriault, Single Player by Tara Tai, For One Night Only by Jessica James, and last but not least, Doomed Souls by the incomparable, pee-yourself hilarious D.M. Guay
And these are books that are either waiting for me on my bedside table, or releasing in 2025, and I’m already fangirling over!
The Wood at Midwinter by Suzanna Clarke, Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett, and Tartufo Kira Jane Buxton.
