“I always wanted to write a book set in the Highland dance community. Inspired by her own history with Highland dance, Rose saw the opportunity for a story of rivals-turned-lovers. Her more recent queer romance, The Devil Wears Tartan, targets that demographic as well. Through Catch and Cradle, she tapped into that underserved market with her younger self in mind. She saw LGBTQ+ books and shows for younger teens and older adults, but very little in-between. “I am bisexual, personally, and when I was coming out in my late teens and early 20s, there wasn’t a lot of queer media aimed at that age group.” The novel tells the story of a relationship blooming between two athletes on a women’s lacrosse team, and it was Rose’s first book to focus on romance between two characters of the same gender. She didn’t get her “big break” until the release of her 11th book, Catch and Cradle. “The biggest challenge was just to keep going.” She spent a few years working part-time jobs while writing, and recently transitioned to writing full-time. Since then, Rose has independently published more than a dozen other books. “I’m still very proud of it, but it was my first time.”
Her first effort, Latte Girl, was “far from the best,” she admits, laughing. She had always been interested in creative writing but had never tried penning a novel before. “At some point a few months into reading, I decided I would like to write these books as well.” Once she started reading romance novels, however, she couldn’t stop. “I think I shared a lot of people’s stereotypical views: they are kind of silly or not valid as literature.” Prior to that, Rose says, she’d never been interested in the genre. She was surprised to find how much independently published work was available and dove in. In an effort to lighten her mood, she searched her Kindle for options. “In the midst of lying-in bed waiting to recover, I decided to read a romance novel.” “I was shut up in this hotel room – there were no windows,” recalls Rose. Unfortunately, her backpacking trip to Cambodia in 2016 came with a side of food poisoning. Rose – who grew up in Gatineau, QC and now lives in Ottawa, ON – spent much of her early 20s travelling abroad.
Canadian author Katia Rose (her pen name) was introduced to the romance genre in an unconventional way.
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