Kathryn Lilley

Female

Southern California

United States

Profile Information:

Hometown:
Southern California, by the beach
About Me:
As a pre-teen, I had two passions: Nancy Drew mysteries and Pralines ’n Cream ice cream. So it was perhaps inevitable that I grew up to write a series called the Fat City Mysteries.

My stories are set in Durham, North Carolina, the self-proclaimed “Diet Capital of the World.” And like my journalist sleuth, Kate Gallagher, I understand the Battle of the Bulge all too well. I once lost 90 pounds to land a job on camera as a TV reporter. And even today, I avoid the street that goes past 31 Flavors.

The first book in the Fat City Mysteries series is Dying to Be Thin, was published in October 2007 by Signet/Obsidian. It’s a story about dieting, sex and murder set in a residential diet clinic (read: “fat farm”). In this clinic, the only things more dangerous than the food are the fondue forks…
I Am A:
Reader, Writer, Editor
Website:
http://www.kathrynlilley.com
Books And Authors I Like:
Currently I'm on a Stephen King kick.
Movies And TV Shows I Like:
Vertigo, Rear Window, The Sixth Sense, CSI Miami

Comment Wall:

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  • Kathryn Lilley

    Smokie loves a good game of chase-the-laser-pointer thingee, too!

    Apr 10, 2007

  • Elysabeth Eldering

    you have a killer website and a wonderful ning space here - thank you for inviting me to be your friend. Also, I do book reviews for Armchair Interviews - not sure when you will be sending out ARCs for reviews but please see if maybe we can get a copy to do a review on (I'd love to read it and do a review for you but I'll be fair to the reviewers - if it's on the list, I'm doing first dibs - this sounds like a cool series - I like doing reviews for the freebie books - E :)

    Jul 3, 2007

  • Robin Burcell

    Thanks for the invite, Kathryn! Love the story about your four leaf clover hunt. I'll have to put it in practice...

    Jul 3, 2007

  • Kathryn Lilley

    I wish I could take credit for that post, lol! That's an rss feed of the blog, "Killer Hobbies," that I contribute to on Fridays. That particular post was written by the wonderful Joanna Campbell Slan, who writes cozy mysteries featuring a scrapbooking theme. Killer Hobbies can be found at http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com/

    Jul 3, 2007

  • Amanda Stevens

    Hi Kathryn--I love the premise of your series. And the cover of Dying to be Thin is very cool. Looking forward to reading it.

    Jul 3, 2007

  • Jackie Tritt

    Hi Kathryn

    I love the sound of your book (in fact it sounds a lot like the one I'm working on now, though there's no fat farm in it, and it's set in Australia).

    Jackie

    Jul 3, 2007

  • Tom Cain

    One thing I've got to know ... after you lost those 90lbs, did you get that TV job? Then again, even if you didn't, the results were clearly worth the astonishing effort - a new body AND a book series: how much better does it get?

    Jul 3, 2007

  • Tom Cain

    You're quite right about the spotlight - having spent years interviewing celebrities, I've concluded that best-selling authors have the best form of fame: paid a bundle, can get a restaurant table any time, but unrecognised on the street - perfect. As for those Tarheels, it still sounds like they were fighting my people!

    Jul 4, 2007

  • LJ Roberts

    Hi Kathryn. Thanks for inviting me. I lived in Boston for three years and loved Revere Beach. I, too, am a Red Hat member. I lost 75 pounds several years ago than was rear-ended twice in one month and now gained back all the weight and more but am happy to finally be walking again without pain. I love your talent for finding four-leaf clovers. My hunt is to find a natural faerie stone. No luck yet, but I am ever optimistic.

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Marta Stephens

    Hi Kathryn,

    Thanks for asking me to your group! You book sounds like a fun read. Uh! The "D" and "E" words. Those have been my hurdles all my life. Sometimes I'm good, but for the most part ... I'm not.

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Lynda Fitzgerald

    Kathryn, what made you set your novels in NC? I live in Georgia and set all mine at the beach. It's my greatest love.

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Angela Wilson

    Thanks for the comment on the Intensity post. )I wrote a more coherent post on intensity at www.WickedWordsmith.com.) My friends thought I was nuts because the Blair Witch Project had me sleeping with the lights on. It's because of that darned imagination, and once it got tapped, oh boy, was I in for some nightmares!

    Your series sounds FAB. Let me know if you will have any ARCs for review for PopSyndicate.com. We'd love to review.

    ang

    PS - I was in journalism for 10 years - radio and print. I cannot imagine how difficult it would be to deal with weight (the bane of every woman's existance) and snarky editors/producers at the workplace. OMG. Bless you, you are still sane!!!! =0)

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Gammy L. Singer

    Hi, Kathryn,
    Just putting my toe into the waters--not sure what Crime Space is up to, or I'm up to, but I guess I'll find out!

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Lynda Fitzgerald

    I love that area, too. A bit north of Thomas Wolfe's home, but lovely country all the same.

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Skye L

    Thank you Kathryn..I'm on my way to check out your blog now...

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Marta Stephens

    LOL There's a story happening every minute!

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Marta Stephens

    Okay, I guess I hadn't read far enough. Where in Indiana???

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Marta Stephens

    But you said,

    "It started when I was a kid, growing up in a small town in Indiana. I was often bored." :)

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Regina Williams

    Thanks for the invite, Kathryn.

    Jul 4, 2007

  • sue neale

    LIke your post about sand walking. Sadly I live about as far as you can get from the sea in the UK, in the middle, so brisk walking is around my village with views of the hills. Sandwalking on holiday in Cornwall, or cliff walking for that matter, is good. Lots of great settings there to use, and disappearing tourists might be fun as a theme involving people wanting independence for Cornwall. Glad to accept you as a friend.

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Tom Cain

    All is forgiven ... Well, I know that applies to the overwhelming majority of Americans, who - in my experience going back more than 35 years - are the kindest, most welcoming, enthusiastic people one could ever hope to meet. But I wish someone would inform the people at the Immigration desks at US airports, who make British visitors stand in line for hours and then treat us all like terrorist suspects. And don't even get me started on the clowns from the IRS. (Dare say a good few Americans feel the same way about them ...)

    Have a great Fourth of July, by the way ... speaking of Anglo-American strife!

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Kathryn Lilley

    That's true--I'm always amazed at how intimidating the entry process is when returning from overseas. This was true even before 9/11, and must be much more so for nonAmericans. But once you get past Customs, it's all one big party, lol.

    Jul 5, 2007

  • Penny Rudolph

    Hi Kathryn,
    Congrats on the new book release. And I love the graphics on your site here. You must have a good mind for website design. I, too, have fought weight-gain all my life--show me a woman who hasn't and I'll show you a woman it might be easy to hate. Actually, I'm short and dumpy and my best friend in college was 6 feet and about 110 lbs. Hmmm. That's almost a plot.
    Best of luck with the new book.

    Jul 5, 2007

  • Lynda Fitzgerald

    Very true. We were in Ashville just last year. Beautiful area.

    Jul 5, 2007

  • Debbie Behrens

    Hi, Kathryn,
    My dad bought the Spitfire brand new and had it shipped back to the U.S. from Germany where he was stationed in the military. He taught me how to work on it, and then gave it to me when I was nineteen. Sounds like we both have pretty special fathers!

    P.S. I sure do miss the beaches, even though they're not quite as warm in the San Francisco Bay Area as they are in Southern California. We don't have any here in OK.

    Jul 6, 2007

  • Shirley Wells

    Hi Kathryn, and thanks for the invite. Thanks for the suggestion re the blog, too. As soon as I get more time (how long have I been saying that for?), I'll deal with it.
    Pralines 'n Cream ice cream. Wow. My current craze is for Hotel Chocolat's Pink Champagne Truffles.
    Good luck with the new series!

    Jul 6, 2007

  • JackBludis

    At 5:13am on July 7th, 2007, JackBludis said...
    I had an African gray that I kept on my shoulder like a pirate does. I walked into the yard one day and realized he was still on my shoulder at the same time he realized the outdoors. He won the race. I saw him once later that day. Then he was gone for good.

    He was quite a talker.

    Jack

    Jul 7, 2007

  • JackBludis

    Kathryn--

    I had an African Gray that I kept on my shoulder as if I were a pirate. I walked out into the yard one day with him there. At the very moment I realized he was there, he realized he was in the great outdoors and he flew away.

    It was the last I saw of him.

    Jack

    Jul 7, 2007

  • Sheri Fresonke Harper

    Oh, I know this story, I've been running an hour a day for a year so I wouldn't gain more. I love beach walks! Thanks for the invite!

    Jul 9, 2007

  • Joan Merrill

    Hi,
    I’m looking forward to sharing writing experiences with you. Your book's plot sounds intriguing and I love the title. Right on the money!
    I have “finished” a mystery novel, still needing some fact checking and editing. My plan is to hire an editor and then put it on a print and demand website such as lulu.com.
    Reason: I don’t want the hassle of trying to sell and promote it. Yet don’t want it to land in a drawer, as some kind of hobby product.
    Any thoughts? Any suggestions for an editor? Your opinions are welcomed.
    (My icon has no meaning; it was the only graphic I had stored in my computer.)
    Thanks,
    Joan

    Jul 9, 2007

  • JANE PADRUTT

    Thanks for the invitation. Your book series sounds great. Too bad there isn't an all ice cream diet! I, too grew up with Nancy Drew; did you know there's a new book called, "The Secret Files of Nancy Drew"? Very cool, I bought for my nine-year-old daughter (kind of).
    Good luck with the books.

    Jul 11, 2007

  • PulpStar

    Thanks for the invite, Kathryn. Here's pulp in your eye!

    Jul 12, 2007

  • carole gill

    HI Kathryn,
    Would love to be your friend. I love the dieting angle. Brilliant! You know it's been raining here since May basically (with one or two days every few weeks the exception). Yuck. But I'm married here for the second time and I guess I did something to deserve the English weather!
    Hello again and all the best.

    Jul 16, 2007

  • Billie A Williams

    Kathryn,
    Thanks for the invite always nice to connect with another mystery writer. My hubby is a big Stephen King fan-He belongs to the Stephen King Library so he doesn't miss a book, not even the Bachman ones.

    I love the title of your book - I'll bet it sells like Chocolate sundae's or Pralines N Cream Ice Cream = ). Good Luck with sales. Can't wait to read more.
    Billie
    www.billiewilliams.com

    Jul 16, 2007

  • Peg Herring

    Hey, I just had dinner with Deb Baker last night! We've been friends for about a year. I have a book coming out in January, and she's been a great help in telling me what to do, expect, and watch out for!

    Jul 16, 2007

  • Chris Roerden

    Thank you, Kathryn. I'm so glad you find it helpful.
    I never knew that Durham was the "diet capital of the world." I wonder where that gem came from. Because I'm fairly new to NC (an hour and a half west of the Triangle in the Triad), my ears perk up whenever I learn something new about Durham and other NC places. --Chris.

    Jul 18, 2007

  • Joanna Campbell Slan

    Hey, Kathryn. It's going to take me a while to figure all this out! Thanks for the push.

    j

    Jul 25, 2007

  • Kathryn Lilley

    Great to see you here, Joanna!

    Jul 27, 2007

  • Janet Reid

    Thanks for the invite Kathryn!

    Jul 28, 2007

  • Cara Black

    Kathryn, nice to be invited. Thanks for posting the info the Socal MWA meeting...

    Jul 28, 2007

  • Pamela Samuels-Young

    Thanks fo the invitation!

    Jul 28, 2007

  • Harry Shannon

    Howdy!

    Jul 28, 2007

  • Harry Shannon

    I'm starting to get lost now...Myspace, Facebook, Crimespace, websites, and all my fave hangouts and time wasters. DOH.

    Jul 29, 2007

  • Lyn LeJeune

    Thanks for the invite....my campaing to help rebuild the public libraries is off to a great start....please join in at www.beatitudesinneworleans.blogspot.com and see excerpts, recipes, and news. My book, The Beatitudes, a paranormal thriller, will be out in the fall. Email me at lynlejeune@cox.net and receive notification to order. ALL ROYALTIES GO DIRECTLY TO THE NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION SO IF YOU BUY THE BOOK YOU ARE HELPING NEW ORLEANS!

    Jul 30, 2007

  • Kelli Stanley

    Thanks for the invite, Kathryn! Did you happen to go to the SinC LA conference in June? I was there, and you look familiar--it was a wonderful conference! :)

    Congrats on the book and the blog, and take care!

    Kelli

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Ken Bruen

    Delighted to have you as a friend
    Gra
    Ken

    Aug 11, 2007

  • Karen J. Laubenstein

    Hi Kathryn - can't wait to read your book. Also wish we had sand to do the sand walking. We end up doing the snow walking which probably has some of the same benefits, but usually end up going to the Alaska Club to do the workout thingy. Then can put my son in the pool while in the nautilus. Which King book are you reading now? He was my creative writing teacher in the late 1970's at the University of Maine at Orono. I was going to try to get him to come to B'con, but he hasn't seemed to attend these things. Anyway, hi! (*waving from Alaska*) ... I'm on the laptop at a campground at Trapper Creek not too far from Denali National Park. We saw Mt. McKinley last night so clear and in profile with the setting sun about 10:30-11 pm! I tried getting pics, but not sure how well it did through the buggy windshield. Just made fresh coffee and tea (having a cup of both -smile)... and can tell it's going to be a simply gorgeous Alaskan day...

    Aug 12, 2007

  • Naomi Hirahara

    Hey, Kathryn--

    Getting excited about your launch? Keep me in the loop! And thanks for your help on the speakers bureau workshop.

    Aug 18, 2007

  • Anne Grant

    Hi Kathryn. Thanks for the invite. I have nightmares about sand walking More power to you.

    Aug 18, 2007

  • Maryann Mercer

    Hi Kathryn and thanks for the welcome! I'm new at this (although not new at the world by any means) and still have to figure out how to get a picture to replace the unisex silhouette... Your book sounds great. I usually read police procedurals and crime, but also like amateur sleuths. And I can identify with the weight problem too!

    Aug 18, 2007