Authors To Watch: K.C. Hardy, authors of One Way Ticket Home

Kristie Hardy, whose life is the inspiration behind this book, holds a B.S. in Education, a minor in English, and is a former teacher.  But her most recent profession as a private investigator spawned a desire to unearth the long-suppressed details of her own personal story.  She is a mother of two, and a thirty year metastatic breast cancer survivor. Kristie currently resides in San Antonio, Texas with her husband.

Cate Hardy, Kristie’s daughter and co-author, is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.  Cate lives in San Antonio, Texas with the loves of her life: her husband and two children. 

Kristie and Cate are the mother/daughter writing team of K.C. Hardy. Their latest book is the Christian inspirational fiction, One-Way Ticket Home.

For More Information

• Visit K.C. Hardy’s website.
• Connect with K.C. on Facebook and Twitter.

Title: One-Way Ticket Home
Author: K.C. Hardy
Publisher: Casbury Lane Press
Pages: 262
Genre: Christian Inspirational Fiction

Days before boarding the plane to Italy for her daughter’s wedding, Julie Whitaker receives an unexpected phone call from her past. The memory of Mark Jennings, a handsome and charming Top Gun pilot, had haunted her for decades. Their fairy tale wedding was everything she’d ever dreamed of, but it quickly turned into her worst nightmare.

Starting a new a life without Mark proved to be much harder than Julie had imagined. But in her darkest hour, God revealed Himself in a miraculous way, giving her the strength she needed not only to battle depression, but to face a diagnosis of breast cancer that threatened to cut her life short.

Now, amidst the splendor of the Italian Alps, on the eve of her daughter’s wedding, Julie’s thoughts are catapulted back to Mark and the reason for his call.  After thirty years, will Julie have a chance to see him once again? And would she even want to?

Based on true events, One-Way Ticket Home will take you on an unforgettable journey of love, loss, hope and forgiveness. With grace, candor and an indomitable wit, K.C. Hardy reminds us that it is often in our darkest hours, that the strength of the human spirit shines the brightest.

For More Information

• One-Way Ticket Home is available at Amazon.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Tell us a little about yourselves. 

We’re a mother-daughter team and we both reside in San Antonio, Texas.  Kristie Hardy is a former teacher and private investigator. She has two grown daughters and one husband.  In her free time, she is the right- hand woman for Cate’s business.  Cate Hardy is a small business owner, a wife and mother of two.

When did you begin writing? 

We began this journey about eight years ago. And what we thought would take anywhere from six months to a year…has taken a little over eight years. So much for best laid plans!

Describe your writing process. Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants? 

When and where do you write? We write totally by the seat of our pants. Anywhere.  Anytime.  It’s been a fun and somewhat crazy ride, but we’ve loved every second of it.

Can you tell us about your most recent release?  

 One-Way Ticket Home is our debut novel that is based on true events in Kristie Hardy’s life.

How did you get the idea for the book? 

Life will give you the most interesting story lines that are better than you could ever fabricate on your own.

Of all your characters, which one is your favorite? Why? 

Julie Whitaker is our favorite character because of the universal struggles that she faced and ultimately conquered. Watching her character grow into a strong, independent and healthy woman was very rewarding.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing your book? 

The most challenging aspect of writing this book was the fact that  it was based on a true story and several of the scenes in the book were very difficult for Kristie Hardy to relive.

Which authors have inspired your writing? 

Mitch Album, Nicholas Sparks, Debbie Macomber, Rebecca Wells and Jennifer Weiner are at the top of our favorite author list for their fabulous story telling.

What projects are you currently working on? 

We are currently working on a second book - The Awakening of Piper Blue.   Our goal is to release it much sooner than One-Way Ticket Home was released.

What advice would you offer to new or aspiring authors? 

Don’t give up! EVER!