Can One Overcome Trauma?
This month’s featured guest is award-winning and bestselling suspense author Kate Angelo, and she would answer this question with a rousing, YES!
Kate knows personally of what she speaks. Her childhood was quite adventurous. She was surrounded by exotic pets in their suburban home–some dangerous (Kate shares about one “pet” in our YouTube interview).
Growing up, she was a bookworm, dog groomer, exotic pet wrangler, horse trainer, cowgirl, and teenage pool shark. These adventures hid a more challenging issue. After aging out of foster care, she cultivated her inner computer nerd and worked as a web programmer.
During a visit to Australia, she encountered Jesus and left the corporate world to pursue a life in ministry.
From childhood trauma to Jesus, Kate’s own story is one of redemption. Which is why she is passionate about redemption and how to overcome the pain of the past in her ministry, and her books.
Kate’s latest series, The King Legacy
Kate’s latest release, the first book in The King Legacy series is Girl Lost. Ironically, Girl Lost was my
first book by her. Needless to say, it won’t be my last!
What’s Girl Lost About?
Officer Luna Rosati and Special Agent Corgin King are at odds over their failed teenage romance that led to a baby given up for adoption. When she returns to her hometown, her mentor and the source to find her daughter is brutally kidnapped. Rosati and Corgin reunite on two missions—to find their now-teenage daughter and their mentor. However, they stumble upon a rogue biomedical research facility. Together they must bring down the facility while facing threats that endanger more than their own lives—and the lives of their daughter and mentor.
5-STARS BECAUSE: The characters are thoughtfully developed, each with interesting backgrounds that come to light through unexpected twists—Angelo’s approach to revealing their backstories kept me invested in their journeys. Her fast-paced writing style consistently kept me guessing until the final pages, making it impossible to predict what would happen next. I especially appreciate series that introduce a diverse mix of characters, and I’m excited to get to know each one as the series unfolds. Any book I can’t put down and that leaves me eager for the next installment is a winner in my eyes! This is my first book by Kate Angelo, and it truly whetted my interest for more.
How about More Insights into this Author?
Who is your favorite character—protagonist or antagonist—and why?
Most people expect me to say the protagonist, but writing an antagonist stretches me in ways I don’t anticipate. I can’t accept that someone is “just evil.” I need to understand the wound, the lie they believed, or the moment they broke. Exploring that complexity is profound for me. And through that process, I’m always reminded of how God sees them—not as villains, but as people He still loves and longs to redeem. That perspective changes how I write every character on the page.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m diving into edits for Fatal Pattern, book two in the King Legacy series. It picks up a few threads left open in Girl Lost and follows Tori and Blade—characters readers will recognize. This time, they’re uncovering the truth behind the murder of Tori’s parents more than twenty-five years ago. It’s a blend of cold-case mystery, danger, and emotional healing, with the suspense dialed up.
What is the best writing tip you have ever received? How was it helpful?
“Read—a lot.”
It sounds simple, but it changed everything for me. Reading widely helped me understand pacing, how characters can grow layer by layer, and how to build moments that matter. It expanded my vocabulary and sharpened my instincts as a storyteller.
But maybe the most important lesson was realizing that not every book is for every reader—and that’s okay. I love character-driven, slow-build stories with a thread of romance and bursts of high-action suspense. Reading taught me to embrace what I love and write boldly in my lane.
A friend once asked me, “What are you passionate about? So passionate that you cry out and pound your fist on the table?” What is your pound-on-the-table passion?
Relationship education—hands down. I grew up in chaos, moved through trauma, and eventually landed in foster care. I entered adulthood without the relational tools most people take for granted. When I finally learned how to build healthy relationships, everything in my life shifted. Now I’m passionate—pound-my-fist-on-the-table passionate—about helping people strengthen their marriages and families so they don’t repeat the cycle I came from. Strong homes change generations.
More About Kate’s Passion on a Special Author 2 Authors YouTube Episode
I just finished interviewing Kate on my YouTube channel. Oh. My. Goodness. How edifying and encouraging. And, of course, fascinating. Our time together was almost an hour. Normally, I like to keep the interviews to 30 minutes, but, goodness, she had such powerful insights into overcoming childhood trauma, relationships, and living and thriving with ADHD. In fact, she and her husband have a ministry (Vanguard Marriage and Family Advocates) that trains couples and families to use proven tools to build relationships that last. So, hubby and I took those portions and produced a separate “Uncut” Episode. It is well worth the watch/listen. Here’s the Link.
December’s A2A Giveaway!
Yes! Thanks to Kate and Revell Publishing, this month’s giveaway winner will receive a paperback copy of her latest release, Girl Lost.
How? Well, by entering! Not just once, but up to SIX times– (see the YouTube interview)!* Leave a comment below and share this blog and if you haven’t already, please subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of this blog and receive a free gift from me — and an extra entry.
NOTE: WANT TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING THIS INCREDIBLE GIVEAWAY?*
Check out my YouTubeA2A interview with Kate. Because, in the video interview Kate answer different fun questions–and we have some funny and inspiring discussions!
By Liking and Commenting on the video episode, you will have one more entry.* Sharing the video, another entry.* Subscribe, and you have TWO entries for a chance to win.*
The Deadline is December 11th
Watch our interview–
That means, my friends, if you comment and subscribe -– or are already a subscriber -– to my blog, then watch the video and LIKE, SHARE, and COMMENT on the VIDEO, then Subscribe to my YouTube Channel, your name will be entered SIX TIMES–SEVEN!*
Next month: Katherine Delano is next month’s featured guest. A former Wall Street stockbroker, her debut novel is a psychological thriller that is so convincing that I kept checking my doors and windows! She is a suspense author to watch!
Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed getting to know Kate–I certainly did! Until January, God bless and KEEP READING!
*So sorry, entries from the contiguous US only.
