Meet Gail Karwoski | author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gail Karwoski and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gail, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
I resonate to deadlines! When I was teaching, I had to get my lessons planned and papers graded according to the school’s designated schedule, I learned to allot enough time to get all the steps of a task finished, allowing a little padding in case of snafu’s. This has become second-nature to me. Working on deadline is immensely important in writing because creating a novel is a large, multi-faceted project that takes many months to complete.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m an author. I began writing children’s books. Among my fourteen published kids’ books are a toddler board book (Thank You, Trees), picture books (including Water Beds, Sleeping in the Ocean), five novels (such as, Seaman, the Dog Who Explored the West with Lewis and Clark), and several nonfiction narratives (such as, Miracle, the True Story of the Wreck of the Sea Venture). Writing for kids seemed like a natural direction for my creative energy because I was sharing children’s books with my daughters at home and with my students at school.

But mine is a restless muse, leading me to explore different genres and new challenges. Recently, I’ve leaped into writing for adults. I ghost-wrote a memoir (The Wedding Heard ‘Round the World; America’s First Gay Marriage) at the request of two old friends. Then I embarked on an adult British-style mystery (A Brush with Murder). The second cozy mystery in my Watercolor Series (Skeleton in the Art Closet) will be out this year. These light-hearted mysteries are really fun to write because they bring together my enthusiasm for painting and writing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We’d go to the nearby State Botanical Garden for a walk and then we’d get a slice of pizza and salad at a mom-and-pop restaurant. Next day, we’d explore the campus of the University of Georgia – one of the loveliest college campuses in the country – and grab some dinner at one of the downtown student hang-outs before going to a movie at the indie theater. We’d visit the local arts center to enjoy its current exhibit. While we’re there, we’d play the game: “Which of these artworks is the best in the room, in your opinion, and which is the worst? Don’t tell until we’ve both decided.” If we had another day, we’d go to the nearby nature center for a trail walk, then get some Tex-mex for lunch at a funky restaurant bursting with crazy decorations.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF), a volunteer-run arts center in the town of Watkinsville, Georgia. This is a small arts center with a mighty impact, bringing together artists and art-lovers to inspire and encourage each other.

Website: gailkarwoski.com

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