Kathi Wallace

When asked why she writes, Kathi gets a somewhat bemused expression on her face before shrugging, “It’s something I can’t imagine not doing. Even when I’m not putting words to paper, I’m constructing worlds and populating them in my head.”

She was very young when she began her life-long love affair with words. Even as a child, she was rarely without a book in her hand, often hurrying through schoolwork so she could get back to reading. This probably explains why she took algebra five times without ever passing it.

Now as an adult, her children sometimes accuse her of having agoraphobia which she dismisses, saying “I travel everywhere and every time imaginable–in fact I’m very rarely in the here and now.” This mental wandering has led to some rather unfortunate cooking mishaps.

Her husband has always encouraged her to follow her dreams of writing and his practicality acts as a leveling influence on her more whimsical nature, though he has become accustomed checking under the bed for creepy creatures and sleeping with the lights on.

Kathi is a member of the speculative fiction writer’s group, Zentao7 and credits them with helping to hone her skills. “They are so encouraging and willing–reading over everything from picture books to YA to fantasy.”

Assiniboin Girl is Kathi’s second book accepted for publication–her first book Keeper of Memories is being released by Swimming Kangaroo books in April of 2008. Her short stories have appeared in Blade, Blood & Thruster, Alienskin, and Flash Me magazine.

Assiniboin Girl

Mary Two Dogs is lost. She grew up in New York the only child of musician parents, but when they die in a car accident coming back from a gig, she’s shipped off to live with her Aunt Janet in Georgia. The South is a strange new world to her, and she becomes the target of racist attacks from some of the other girls. Her Aunt Janet, an undercover FBI agent can’t move, but to keep Mary safe, she sends her to the Assiniboin reservation in Montana.

There Mary has to learn to deal with a whole new world, a completely different set of expectations. Pitied for her lack of understanding of her people, she must learn what it means to be Assiniboin and who she is. To do that, she must find her true name.

Excerpt and cover art coming soon.