Katie Walsh grew up in Hill, graduated from Plymouth State University and began her career at a communications agency in Bow. Recently, she penned “Follow You Down,” a romance novel “that blends heartfelt emotion, humor and early-2000s nostalgia,” according to Walsh.

She lived in New Hampshire for 25 years before moving to California and then settling in Westwood, Mass. Now, Walsh returns to the Granite State frequently to hike and visit family and friends.

Reflecting on her writing journey, Walsh shared more about her new novel and her connection to the area.

Q: How does New Hampshire or New England feature in your work?

They say write what you know. So, when I was looking for an idyllic summer location for
my debut book, I had two options in mind. I decided to go with Cape Cod and Chatham
for the summer romance. Living in Massachusetts, everyone had a “Cape house” and
pretty much disappeared for the summer. That was new for me. After spending more
time there, with its quintessential New England summer vibes, I understood why. When I
wrote this book, my sister and I visited Chatham Bars Inn. I wanted to be able to write
from feeling, from being there. It’s a magical place. Another source of inspiration was
my ten years waitressing at the Homestead Restaurant in Bristol, NH and Coach Stop in
Londonderry. My experiences there, and the people I met, were important background
for “Follow You Down.” I still have many stories to tell, so you can bet that some of my
future characters will be from New Hampshire, and that Newfound Lake or Lake
Winnipesauke will be featured!

Q: Tell us about your journey to becoming a writer.

About two years ago, a little voice started getting louder in the back of my mind. After I finished reading a book, I would think: I could do that. I could write a book. The voice became persistent. I started dreaming about book plots. As a lifelong poor sleeper, I’d lie awake for hours thinking about full outlines for books. I started to write the ideas down, but I didn’t know how to start.

One day, I was having a conversation with my daughter about what she wanted to be when she grew up. She asked me what I wanted to be at her age. I said, “Well — I think an actress. Or a writer.” And she said, “But Mommy, you still want to be a writer, don’t you?” Kids are so perceptive; they really pick up everything. I said, “You know, you’re right. I do.”

So, I psyched myself up to write one chapter. I was nervous. What if I didn’t LIKE the
process? I am at a computer all day for work. My job can be demanding. What if it just
felt like…work? Some days, it did. Other days, it was so fun, and the pages just flowed.
It felt like watching a movie where could decide what happened next. Then, life would
get in the way. I wouldn’t write for weeks. I was skeptical when people explained how
long it took to write a book. Now I get it. Publishing it was a huge learning curve, too. It
needed cover art. A professional copyedit. Beta readers. I’m thankful to my friends and
family that had to listen to me talk about this for one whole year, but they’ve been my
strongest supporters. And ultimately, “Follow You Down” only happened because my
husband and kids allowed me to disappear for hours at a time to write, supporting me
unequivocally in jumping off the deep end with this.

Q: Where do you find inspiration for your work?

So many places, but more than anything else, music. I’ll hear a song; it’ll put me in a
specific mood, or I’ll lose myself in how I felt when I first discovered it. Where I was, who
I was. I can create entire stories around a song. And in essence, that’s what I did with
“Follow You Down” — it’s the title of one of my favorite 90’s songs from the Gin Blossoms
and it’s an important song in the book. I also feature other songs when I wrote the
chapters that took place in 2002, because to me, nothing brings back nostalgia better
than music. I think the story itself is fun, strong and a light read, but I laughed to myself
also thinking: maybe I’ll just draw secret super fans of the Gin Blossoms. I’m okay with
that! I don’t want to be limited in my creative decisions, but I thought about making all of
my book titles after songs. At the very least, you can expect to see music featured in my
novels because it’s so important to me.

Q: What was your favorite part of the process of penning your novel?

It’s surprising that the way I write, and the joy I find in writing, could be so different than
my “typical” personality traits. Anyone who knows me would confirm I am a type A
planner. I have lists, I make reservations; I create comprehensive travel itineraries. But
writing is an escape for me, and even though there are very valid reasons to plan
outlines and track story arcs in advance of writing, I don’t do that. In novel writing, you
are usually a planner or a pants-er (as in, “seat of your pants”). I am a pants-er. With
every part of my life so orchestrated and organized, I love writing and just seeing what
happens. Sometimes I don’t even know until I start writing. Now, that does make it harder to rewrite storylines and characters in the editing process…but can live with that.
Outside of the sheer “choose your own adventure” of it all, I have also LOVED hearing
from people that they read “Follow You Down” and loved the book. People I used to work
with, childhood friends. Strangers who have no obligation to say it was good. That was
an unexpected but amazing part of this.

More on “Follow You Down”

Kate Walker is having a full-blown mid-life crisis. At age 44, she’s lost her high-profile Manhattan job, her husband of ten years and her sense of purpose. In an act of desperation, she puts out an SOS to her eclectic and spontaneous best friend Nikki.

Throwing practicality out the window, Nikki convinces Kate to put aside practicality and return to the last place where she was truly wild and free: Chatham, Massachusetts. The only problem is—Kate hasn’t set foot on Cape Cod since a steamy 2002 summer romance shattered her heart. With her life in pieces, she’s ready to risk the memories to find the part of herself she left buried in the dunes.

At the luxurious Chatham Bars Inn, Kate is immediately taken by Aiden, a disarmingly charming younger man who bears an uncanny resemblance to her old flame. As she’s drawn into Aiden’s magnetic pull, flashbacks of her summer in 2002 resurface with growing intensity, as doubts about the decision she made years ago.

Kate finds herself caught between two timelines and two versions of herself: one foot in the present, grounded in Hermès sandals and the weight of maturity; the other in 2002, teetering in Steve Madden platforms and the reckless heat of first love. As past and present blur, Kate must face who she was, who she is, and what it will truly take to be happy.

With humor and a touch of summer magic, “Follow You Down” is a story about second chances, self-discovery, and the beautiful mess of following your heart.