Kate Golden wanted to write about a small town girl with dreams that she has given up on for a chance to shine, and "If Not for My Baby" came to be.
What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?
I was at the Hollywood Bowl a few years back and witnessed this incredible moment in which a big singer’s back-up vocalist got the chance to belt a stunning solo before a crowd of almost 20,000 people. She wasn’t famous, or a celebrity, or even the headliner, but the way she commanded this audience was more than I’ve seen from most superstars. I decided right then to write a story about a small town girl with dreams she’s given up on that’s given a similar chance.
What does Reading Rainbow mean to you?
I like to think Reading Rainbow means reading books written by, about, and for the LGBTQ community! Representation matters whether you are learning about a community you want to support and celebrate, or seeing your own experiences reflected in a story. There are so many spectacular books of every single genre that make Reading Rainbow easy! Some of my favorites include "The Song of Achilles," "One Last Stop," and "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue."
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
As authors — even though sometimes it can feel like we are writing into a void — our work affects culture. Every time someone picks up a novel, those themes and ideas spread. The more we can fill our books with characters of every race, gender, sexual orientation, shape, size, and health (mental or physical), the more we can remind readers that everyone’s experiences are valid and relatable. We have an incredible opportunity and privilege to help make the world a more accepting, understanding place, and all it takes is writing a world that accurately looks and feel like our own.
Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.
If Not for My Baby is a contemporary rockstar romance that follows a small town waitress named Clementine who gets the opportunity to be a backing vocalist for an Irish rockstar on his eight week US tour. I was really excited to write this as INFMB is my first contemporary romance (I’d only ever written fantasy) and is my love letter to many things I couldn’t write about in my previous series such as rock and roll, musical theatre, and poetry. It’s inspired by many of my favorite stories like Almost Famous, Daisy Jones and The Six, The Idea of You, Once, and Hadestown.
What can fans expect from your book?
You can expect a lot of male yearning from a 6’6, long-haired, Irish poet who doesn’t behave at all like your average rockstar. Some sneaking around, swoony on-stage duets, a devious tour manager, an MMC who’s a hopeless romantic and an FMC who doesn’t believe in love, a rambunctious, zany, but hopefully lovable cast of characters that round out the rest of the band and become Clementine’s found family over the course of the tour, and stops in all the best cities!
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
"If Not for My Baby" came out on Aug. 5, and I’ll be going on tour to celebrate, which is really exciting! After that, I have a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" inspired urban fantasy / dark academia book coming out in February called "Half City!"
