How long have you been writing?
I’ve been publishing since July 2022. I have been writing since I was in high school, just would publish on fanfiction.net, not write to publish then.
I understand that Katerina Degratte is a pen name.
That is correct.
Why did you choose that name?
I chose it because a while ago I got called Katerina as a nickname. I liked the name, so went with Katerina as the first name. Degratte is a play on Catherine the Great.
Your Hell’s Creatures series, where did that idea come from?
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. The series itself is a play on, the gray area in life because nothing is black and white; just different shades of grey.
I noticed that each book has different characters, are any of the characters fashioned after someone you know?
I’ve used some aspects from people I know, but none are completely based on someone. Just little quirks, maybe appearance to make the characters seem more relatable.
Are there any other books to come in that series?
Unfortunately, I have let that series go. I write under a new pen name now Freya Fey Diehl for a paranormal cozy mystery.
In your Cat Johnson Chronicles, is the main character Cat fashioned after you?
Yes. It was my way of coping with a bunch of different changes in my life, in a healthy way.
Did you fashion one of the characters after your brother Colin?
Yes. He doesn’t appear until the second book, but the Colin character is basically based on Colin.
Are you working on any other books?
Yes. I am working on continuing my Silvermist Hollows mystery. Book one came out at the end of November.
The series is centered around Willow Harper.
Blurb excerpt:
Willow Harper struggles to scratch out a home of her own. After burying her adoptive parents, the lonely barista trades in her microwave meals and dead-end espresso gig to follow a pair of fast-talking felines who claim to serve her birth relatives. But the raven-haired outsider fears her newfound curiosity may get her killed when her family reunion is cut short by a fatal poisoning.
Accused of the dastardly deed and forbidden to leave the enchanted town unless her name is cleared, Willow sniffs out clues from an ever-growing list of suspects while battling to control her awakening magic. And between ghostly encounters, running the local bustling bakery, and the well-intentioned antics of her fuzzy familiar, this witch-in-training stirs up a cauldron of trouble.
Can Willow prove her innocence and catch the murderer before the next deadly brew boils?
A Charming Menace is the spellbinding first book in The Silvermist Hollow’s cozy mystery series. If you like quirky characters, whiskered rabble-rousers, and small-town shenanigans, then you’ll love Freya Fey Diehl’s paranormal page-turner.
Buy A Charming Menace to wave the wand on a magical whodunit today!
I read your memoir Letting Catherine Go…It was a fantastic, heartfelt read. You wrote that you are working to make a better you for the future, coming out of your shell, how is that going?
Some days are easier than others. I do feel I’ve been more social since then, making more plans with friends, and trying new places more often.
Do you have any favorite movies or TV shows?
I really love the show The Vampire Diaries, and Lucifer.
What kind of books do you like to read?
What I read is kind of all over the board. Enjoy mysteries, or reading on a subject, a supernatural book.
Do you have any hobbies?
I like to take walks in the park, cook, watch Netflix with my brother and read.
I heard that you like to game, what kind of games do you like to play?
I like to play the newest Pokémon games for the switch, and Pokémon Go. I also enjoyed Stray a lot when it came out. PlayStation wise I like to play a game with a strong storyline, New Horizons, Assassin’s Creed, and others along that route.
What are your dreams and goals for the future?
I hope that as I continue writing, and building up my career that I can quit the day job and go to writing full-time. I know it’s a lot of work, and have a long timetable set for myself of about twelve years.
Any advice for new authors?
If you have a story, write it. Don’t let insecurities stop you from living your dream.
If you’re new to publishing I’d suggest joining a few FB pages that write in the same genre as you.
You want to make sure your sales page is optimal, from cover to blurb. And I would suggest checking out Bryan Cohen’s 5-Day author challenge to help with profitable ads. There’s always a bunch of people in the group to cheer you on and help you out if things need to be tweaked.
Sarah Johnson 