Friday Feature: Kathryn R. Biel’s Hold Her Down Guest Blog & Giveaway

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A big thanks to Kathy at Book Reviews & More by Kathy for allowing me to crash her blog with my guest post. I’m currently on tour (in the comfort of my jammies) to tell the world about my second novel, Hold Her Down. I think my new-found career as a writer is a bit of a surprise to everyone in my life, myself included. I’m a physical therapist by trade and training, so my debut as a writer was quite the shock to many people. In fact, most people, when they hear I have books published, assume my books are about physical therapy. My books are women’s fiction and they have saved me.

What I discovered is this—writing for me is an outlet. I wrote and finished my first novel, Good Intentions without really thinking it would go anywhere. When it was done, I found I still needed that outlet, so I started blogging. When that wasn’t enough (because I didn’t want to post everything that was going on in my life), I returned to writing fiction. Over the past two years, writing has helped me get through some very difficult times. When I am sad or stressed or excited, I pour that into writing. I can work out on paper why I’m feeling the way I’m feeling. When I feel powerless in my life, I write my way out of it in my own creation. It has become therapy for me.

As such, I tend to deal with issues facing real women. I deal with the things that women face on a daily basis—failing marriages, balancing parenthood with careers, dealing with peer pressure, managing expectations. That is why my tagline is “Telling stories of resilient women.” I want women to read my books and know that they possess the inner strength to get through whatever is facing them. I want the women who read my books to know that they are not the only ones ever to think these thoughts. That they are not alone. For all our socialization and social networking, balancing home and careers can be very isolating. I want my books to break that isolation and silence. I want my readers to feel empowered to choose their own happiness.

I have chosen writing as a way to make me happy. So, here are the five things about being a writer that make me happy:

  1. I can make up my own reality where I’m always the heroine, the lead male is always gorgeous and I can get revenge on those who have wronged me.
  2. My brand-new laptop was a tax write off.
  3. When my daughter convinces her first grade teacher to buy my book, and I get a fan letter from the teacher.
  4. All those years of writing reports, evaluations and letters of medical necessity were apparently not in vein.
  5. Did I mention that I’m still in my jammies?

holdTitle: Hold Her Down by Kathryn R. Biel
Publisher: Kathryn R. Biel
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Length: 225 pages

Summary:

Elizabeth Zurlo is lost. She’s a wife, a mother, a teacher, a PTA volunteer—but somewhere along the way, she’s lost herself. Depression and despair can lead to desperate measures and when she is pulled back from the brink of suicide, Elizabeth slowly tries to rebuild her marriage and reclaim her life. Just as she has finally started to put herself back together, a scandalous novel rocks her small town … and costs Elizabeth her social standing, friendships and ultimately, her marriage. However, the man who seemingly destroyed Elizabeth’s life, helps her realize who she is and what she needs to do to become the woman she’s not only capable of being, but the woman she used to be.

Purchase Links: Amazon * B&N * Kobo * iTunes * Smashwords


Author Bio

bielKathryn Biel hails from Upstate New York and is a spouse and mother of two wonderful and energetic kids. In between being Chief Home Officer and Director of Child Development of the Biel household, she works as a school-based physical therapist. She attended Boston University and received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from The Sage Colleges. After years of writing countless letters of medical necessity for wheelchairs, finding increasingly creative ways to encourage the government and insurance companies to fund her clients’ needs and writing entertaining annual Christmas letters, she decided to take a shot at writing the kind of novel that she likes to read. Her debut novel, GOOD INTENTIONS, was released in 2013, and her second novel, HOLD HER DOWN was released in 2014. Her musings and rants can also be found on her personal blog, Biel Blather.

Author Links: Website * Twitter * Facebook


Giveaway

**Everyone who leaves a comment below will be entered to win a print copy of the book! Please note this is open to US residents only.**

11 Comments

Filed under Contest, Friday Feature, Guest Blog

11 Responses to Friday Feature: Kathryn R. Biel’s Hold Her Down Guest Blog & Giveaway

  1. Cindy DeGraaff

    Nice interview! Healthcare professionals write a lot more than most people realize, so the transition isn’t as “strange”as you would like to think. : )

  2. Thanks for hosting and Happy Friday!

  3. Yvonne Rodriguez

    Sounds great! Thanks for the giveaway.

  4. Thanks for letting me crash today and write a guest post. I appreciate you featuring me!

  5. Timitra

    Thanks for the author intro Kathy

  6. Trinitee Mitchell-Dunn

    Thanks for introducing me to a great new author to me.

  7. laurie g

    Sounds great! Thanks for the giveaway.

  8. Rachael B.

    Thank you for sharing the interview and for a chance to enter. Congratulations on your new-found career as a writer!

  9. Suzanne Edwards

    Thank you for taking over Kathy’s blog 🙂 I am so glad I got to learn about you and your books. I am interested to see how Elizabeth rebuilds everything she holds dear.

  10. I loved reading the interview. i am interested to read your work…I love finding new authors!! 🙂 Thanks for the chance to do that <3