Originally from Canada, Kate Merchant moved to the United States in 1984 with her family.  On that trip Kate and her sister learned that the great American road does belong to Buick. Her family settled in the San Fernando Valley and Kate spent her childhood in the Northridge area and Simi Valley.  

 

Kate's mother challenged her to work on her chicken scratch handwriting by writing stories during her 8th grade summer vacation.  The handwriting did not improve, but Kate found out that she really loved creating stories.  She continued reading a "book" each summer vacation until she turned 19 and had to focus on her studies.

 

Kate graduated at California State University Northridge in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Health Science.  At 25, she decided to move to New York City and started working for Columbia University in the Fall of 2003.  During this time period, two things happened.  Kate started writing again.  On the subways between 2003 - 2007 you could have found Kate writing in her favorite medium: spiral notebooks with blue ink pens. She also met her husband, Rob, who was a student at Columbia. 

 

Kate is a now 30 something, who lives in the Washington DC area with her family which includes Rob and her kids.  While she still loves her spiral notebooks with blue pens, having two small kids has convinced her that she no longer has the time to type everything she transcribes.  Especially, since her handwriting still looks like chick scratch.  Sorry, Mom. These days she types on her MacBook and thanks Steve Jobs for producing a laptop that defies the Gods, and mainly toddlers determined to destroy everything in their little paths.

 

She is very excited about her first completed foray into the professional writing world! Thanks to family and friends who have supported her so far on this journey!