Date Published: 4-21-2026
Publisher: Ground One Press
New York City, 1981. Dianna leaves her small southern town for the bright lights and rich culture of the Big Apple and a prime job at the Met. Sparks fly when she crosses paths with a charming Lebanese diplomat. A shared night of passion launches her into an exciting romance and opens her eyes to a bloody conflict far from home. But as warring factions take hold overseas, she can’t shake the feeling that her new love is hiding dark secrets.
Qasim has never known peace. When he gets the chance to bring his country’s troubles before the United Nations, he abandons his family obligations to heal his war-torn homeland. But his true mission takes a detour when he falls for a beautiful American woman. Against the urging of his closest friend and mentor, he wants to share his heart and hopes with her.
In the face of cultural barriers and mounting war, can Dianna and Qasim find the strength to stand up for their love and a lasting peace?
Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
I mainly want them to enjoy the story and characters. I’m thrilled when a reader comments that the book meant something to them, though. Here’s the intention I wrote The Shores of Our Souls with:
We always have a choice in life and in love. Sometimes standing with a true love is a better choice over duty. Sometimes it’s destined, so we’ll have multiple chances to see why someone pops into our lives over and over.
We need to communicate more, not less. In life, love, conflict, and peace communication is essential. Communication is our guidepost out of conflict and indecision into clarity and peace. I learned this both in my own love affairs, and in my work mediating and negotiating conflict between international organizations and internal parts of a big organization.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Plot Revision! It’s toughest for me, and takes two or three times as long as writing, even if I’m writing new scenes. Revision is like fitting pieces of a puzzle together. Every scene has to carry the reader to the next, every chapter has to show change, and each sentence has carry its weight.
I know my characters like family, so writing their stories is easy for me. Yet I’m always aware my readers want to be entertained and I want them engaged. They can’t be informed of anything or preached to. Because this is their journey through a story. I want readers to walk away learning something they didn’t know, but more than that, I want them to walk away feeling like the story happened in reality.
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I’ve written seven books, published three so far. I also have a recipe collection from my travels and a novella that readers can get for free on kathrynbrownramsperger.com to taste a sample of my work.
A Thousand Flying Things is my favorite. It was a complete work of love and had a lot of trouble getting a publisher. It shows a little bit more about both the Middle East and Africa, where I spent some time, than t.v. news ever will. I believe it’s my best plotting job ever. The characters will stay with me forever, and some readers say the same thing.
If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
I'd LOVE if Rami Malek played Qasim. He’s adorable, and he’s so malleable as an actor. He has Qasim's sense of humor and fairness.I know he’d pull it off with aplomb.
I've thought of many different actors for Dianna. I finally decided when I saw Elizabeth Banks in “The Better Sister.” She shows equal parts vulnerability and school of hard knocks, and it would be great if she transfers some of the traits of this character to Dianna.
When did you begin writing?
In 5th grade. I was first published in a university journal when I was 16. My teacher had us write a story a week. I fell in love with writing a story (one or two every month these days). It’s simply part of my life, like food, water, and exercise. I’m incredibly unhappy and unhealthy without it there. I’m lucky it always has been.
I’ve lost count of how many of my stories and articles have been published in magazines and journals, but writing novels is a whole new ball game, and even moreso with the changes the publishing industry has seen this century. I’m love learning, and I’m proud to be part of the writing world. And I’ve always wanted to be a novelist, since high school.
How long did it take to complete your first book?
I finished the first draft of The Shores of Our Souls in 10 months. I joke it was the length of a pregnancy. Revisions took about five years. I’d send it to an agent, they’d suggest changes, I’d make them, then I’d send it back out. It took an incredibly long time to get a publisher and then more time for it to be published (though it was never changed much after the publisher said yes). I never gave up on it, or its main characters. They became a part of me, and I sometimes felt they were cheering me on. I’m working on two series now, and I’m hoping going indie helps them get to readers faster.
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
Oh so many! I've been fortunate to call many authors friends. Some famous. All gifted. They and their work inspire me every day, lifting me up during challenges and leading me toward success. They're not just friends. They're role models. Some endorsed this book, in fact, and others’ signed books sit on my shelf. If I love a book, that means the author inspired me. The most recent inspirations are Barbara Kingsolver and Adriana Trigiani. I reviewed Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead of New York Journal of Books before it won the Pulitzer. I keep the ARC underneath my Macbook hoping it rubs some magic into my manuscript. Adriana is simply one of those novelists who has remained kind and gives so much to other authors. She signed my favorite novel of hers, The Good Left Undone, with, “you have the creativity, the gift, and the drive…never forget the power of One: YOU!” She and I share the love of travel, adventure, and family history, and we grew up in Southwest Virginia. Inspiration indeed.
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
First thing in the morning, my characters "talk" with me. They show me a video in my mind of what to write down next. They murmur in my ear. I light a candle, and they guide me which tunes to play. It's more like channeling their stories in the early mornings than using my mind. So fun!
Describe your latest book in 4 words.
Love, Loyalty, Secrets, Choice.
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
Thanks for asking. It’s a family saga series with four different protagonists. It tells of their first fiances in the 1920s, the 1940s, the 1970s, and the 2020s. There’s a family curse that keeps them looped in the same spiral of mistakes, until the final mother and daughter break it. It’s inspired by my family and my childhood. My mom was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease when I was 12, and I almost chose the wrong fiance instead of walking my original dream career path.
Having firsthand experience in the places she writes about, Kathryn brings a unique authenticity to her stories, blending rich cultural details with the universal themes of love, redemption, and peace. She studied creative writing at Hollins University, and publications management at George Washington University. She currently lives in Maryland with her husband. They have two adult children, off to their own world adventures, but still parent a feisty feline. Next on their bucket list: Croatia, Portugal, or Tanzania!
https://mybook.to/TheShoresofOurSouls
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2 Comments
Which scene was the most fun scene to write?
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! Thanks for hosting
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