Kate H. Stark on The Call!

It was a dark and stormy night…

Ha, ha, ha.  Just kidding.  It was actually a beautiful day in Richmond, Virginia.  I was at home and in a particularly great mood.  A friend had stopped by and we were chatting in the kitchen.  I left the room briefly to gather a few things in preparation for picking up my youngest child from dance when I heard my friend call out to me.

“Kate, your phone is ringing.  It says Erie, Pennsylvania under the number?”

My heart literally skipped a beat.  Moe Ferrara lives in Erie, Pennsylvania.  I ran into the kitchen, squealed, grabbed my phone and ran away leaving my poor friend wondering what was happening.  I did my best to contain myself before answering “The Call.” 

Hearing Moe’s voice immediately put me at ease.  After we greeted each other, she and I discussed our mutual love of musicals.  I felt a sense of comfort knowing that no matter the outcome of the phone call, this was an intelligent, engaging, and kind person with whom I was happy to have the privilege of speaking.

Moe and I had been messaging back and forth for almost a month.  I knew she was interested when she asked to see more, but I wasn’t sure if my “more” would match up to what she wanted.  “The Call” came a few weeks after sending the second round of my work.

As we continued our discussion, I began to feel confident that I would be receiving an offer of representation.  But, when I actually heard her say the words, it was pure magic.

When I chose to become a picture book writer, I knew I entered into an incredibly saturated and competitive area of the writing world.  There have been many highs and lows to my journey.  There have been countless rejections, many queries left unanswered, and a few “almosts.”  There were times that I would get very disheartened during the process, but I refused to give up.  I worked very, very, very hard to get this far.  And, I am lucky to be surrounded with honest, good people who remind me that I am strong and to always believe in myself.

Everyone has their reasons for writing.  Mine was the loss of our family’s best friend, our dog Sir Loin. Something about the loss inspired me to write.  It started with stories about him and morphed into so much more.  We lost our sweet bulldog in March – one year ago.  I received “The Call” within days of the anniversary of his death.  I like to believe that this is more than a coincidence. 

After “The Call” concluded, I ran into the kitchen and told my friend.  We hugged, screamed and danced around for a solid 10 minutes.  I then made a different “Call” to my youngest daughter’s dance class to let them know that I would be very late picking her up because I was “JUST OFFERED REPRESENTATION BY A LITERARY AGENT!”  It is my favorite excuse I’ve ever had for being late in my life. Ha!

I am so thankful to my loved ones and all those who have supported me along the way.  I am one BIG step closer to making my dreams of being a published author come true.  Thank you, Moe and BookEnds Literary.  It is an honor and a privilege to be represented by you and your incredible team.