I've wanted to write books since I was in my early twenties. But, like so many things we dream about when we're young, writing took a back seat to everyday life. There were bills to pay, a career to build, and responsibilities that didn't leave much room for becoming an author.
Forty years in the corporate world later, I finally had the opportunity to revisit that ambition.
After I "retired" (and I use that word rather loosely!), I started noticing Facebook posts about writing and self-publishing. There seemed to be a whole world of advice out there, from mentoring and coaching to the practical steps involved in getting a book published.
I began exploring writing and publishing together, and gradually, an ambition I'd carried for decades started to look like something I could actually do.
Starting in familiar territory
My first book was The People First Project Manager, published under the pen name Kate Mackore.
It made sense to start with something I knew. I'd spent many years working as a project manager and program director, and after four decades in the corporate world, I had plenty of experience, lessons learned, and practical advice to share.
Project management was my safe place. Writing a book, on the other hand, was completely new territory.
I also wasn't particularly confident about putting myself out there as an author. Using a pen name gave me a little distance and made those first steps feel less daunting.
At the same time, I was learning about the publishing business itself. Writing a manuscript was only part of the challenge. I also needed to understand how to turn it into a book that people could actually buy and read.
A lifelong fascination with history
History, however, was a different story. That had been a passion of mine for as long as I could remember.
As a teenager, I devoured historical novels, and that enthusiasm followed me well into adulthood. I loved books such as Anya Seton's Katherine, first published in 1954, along with stories about the Tudor dynasty, the French Revolution, Catherine the Great, and countless other fascinating historical figures.
But I was never content to leave the characters on the pages of a novel.
Whenever I finished a book, I'd find myself wanting to know more. Were these people real? Had the events actually happened? How much was historical fact, and how much had the novelist imagined?
Long before the internet made researching a historical figure as simple as typing a name into a search engine, I'd sometimes head to the library to find the answers.
I wanted to discover the real people behind the stories, what they had actually done, and how their lives compared with the fictional versions I'd enjoyed.
Looking back, I suppose the seeds of my history books were planted all those years ago. I just didn't know it at the time.
From a spreadsheet to a history series
The idea for 10 Infamous Women emerged during a practical session with a writing coach.
We were talking about what I enjoyed and what I might want to write about.
"History," I said. "Particularly women in history."
"Which women?"
Well, as it happened, I had a spreadsheet!
Over the years, whenever I came across an interesting woman in a book, documentary, or even on social media, I'd look her up and add her name to my growing list. Some were familiar historical figures, while others were women I'd never heard of before but whose stories caught my attention.
I suppose I always had something in mind for that spreadsheet. Perhaps one day I'd write a book, or perhaps it would come in handy when helping my grandchildren with their history. I hadn't made any firm plans, but I knew these were stories worth keeping.
So when my coach asked which women interested me, I already had quite a collection to draw from.
That conversation became the starting point for 10 Infamous Women, my first history book, and eventually the Wicked or Wise series.
Looking back, perhaps that book I'd dreamed of writing in my twenties had been quietly taking shape for years, one spreadsheet entry at a time.
AI is an assistant, not a CEO
My writing coaches also introduced me to using artificial intelligence as part of the writing and publishing process.
AI wasn't entirely new to me. After years working in global technology companies, I was familiar with the technology and its potential. What hadn't occurred to me was how useful it might be in helping me write books.
Today, I use AI in many different ways. It helps me gather and organize my thoughts, develop a structure for a book, research subjects, design covers, edit manuscripts, and prepare books for publication.
But one of the most surprising discoveries was that the prompting sometimes worked in reverse.
Rather than me constantly giving AI instructions, it would ask me questions. What did I remember about a particular experience? Why had something mattered? What made an event memorable?
Those questions sometimes brought back details I'd completely forgotten.
While writing Fear Free AI, for example, I was reminded of the wine windows in Florence, Italy. I'd actually used ChatGPT to help me find those windows during a visit in 2024, but the experience had slipped from my mind until our conversations brought it back.
For my history books, AI can help me explore sources, organize research, and question assumptions. But historical claims still need to be checked against reliable evidence. AI can make mistakes, and I'm very conscious of that.
Most importantly, the decisions remain mine. I choose the subjects, determine what belongs in a book, shape the narrative, and decide what finally gets published.
My aim, particularly with my history books, isn't simply to narrate history. I want to tell stories that bring people and events to life, stories that engage readers and encourage them to discover more.
The story is mine to tell, and I take responsibility for it.
AI is my assistant, not my CEO.
What I hope readers take away
Above all, I want people to enjoy my books.
I hope they spark a little curiosity, introduce readers to women they've never heard of, or reveal the stories behind familiar historical figures.
Sometimes those stories challenge the reputations people have carried for centuries. Sometimes they reveal remarkable achievements, difficult choices, or circumstances we rarely stop to consider.
But readers don't need to be history enthusiasts to enjoy them.
If someone finishes one of my books having enjoyed the journey and discovered something they didn't know before, then I've achieved what I set out to do.
And perhaps, just as I did all those years ago, they'll be curious enough to go looking for more.
