Interview With KT Johnston, author of Railway Jack!

Today on the blog, I'm pleased to present an interview with KT Johnston, author of Railway Jack, which releases February 1st!

Here's the interview! :)

The bold font are the questions I asked, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers.

Would you please describe your book, Railway Jack, in seven words?

Baboon as service animal: trouble or brilliant?

I was really interested to learn Railway Jack is based on a true story! What made you decide to write a book about it? 

Jack is not only based on a true story, it IS a true story. Every incident is citable.

I’d written three other manuscripts (not yet sold J), and in in the process I discovered a clarity around what I really want to write. I tell the stories of animals who have barely a footnote in history but made a difference in the life of an everyday person (or people); animals who embodied a bit of humanity that can still be felt today. When I saw an article on Jack, there was no question, he had hold of my heart. I told a literary friend about him over coffee, and he suggested the story would make a great children’s book. That day it all came together.

This is really interesting! :)

Random Question! What’s your favorite color?

I like the warm feeling of purple. The bold kind; I’m not much of a pastel person.

That's a pretty color! :) 

What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Sometimes you need to tune out all the thou-shalts and thou-shalt-nots and write what’s knocking to come out. Focusing too much on what people say you “should” be doing can get in the way of finding your own voice and style. Writing shouldn’t feel like work; it should be satisfying.

Excellent advice! :)

What are some books you’re looking forward to reading in 2020? And if you’ve already read some ‘20 books, would you like to mention them?

Well I have about 300 books on my list. That’s why I almost always have more than one book going at a time. But I presume you’re asking about titles releasing in 2020. If you’re wondering about adult titles, does Yann Martel have anything coming out, lol? As far as children’s books go, there are about 25 ‘20s on my list so far. I’d hate to choose from among them, but in general, for children’s titles I like narrative nonfiction, historical fiction, some action/adventure (fiction) and magical realism.… Is that answer a cheat?

Thank you to KT Johnston for participating in this event, and for letting me interview her! :)

Author bio: KT Johnston writes historical narrative nonfiction. She is the author of “RAILWAY JACK: The True Story of an Amazing Baboon,” a picture book set in 1880s South Africa about a railwayman and his very unusual service animal, a baboon named Jack. KT earned a degree in biology and conducted wildlife studies before settling into a corporate career as an analyst. KT’s stories advocate for unheard voices whose lives may not have been inherently spectacular, but nevertheless made a mark on history—and in a way, perhaps even on humanity itself. JACK is KT’s debut.

Here are a few links:

Her Website

Her Twitter