I know, I know - you've already learned everything there is to know about me from

the "About" page of my website. There's more to me than that, I promise!

Let's start with an introduction: I'm Katelyn Schoumaker (Katie to most people), and

I'm a fiction author who just published my debut novel, Forged in Gold, in August

2024. I'm a proud New Englander (yes, I sometimes forget to pronounce my r's, and

yes, I hate the Yankees), and at the end of this year, I'll be turning 24. I know that's

not old, but with all the "skibidi rizz" going on nowadays, I seriously feel it.

If there's anything you should know about me, I'm a HUGE nerd. I think my parents

figured that out when, in sixth grade, I finished Homer's "The Iliad and the Odyssey"

in three days. Next was the entire Harry Potter series in a week (I'm a Hufflepuff, by

the way), and after that, I think they put a restriction on how many books I was

allowed to buy every month so I didn't bankrupt us. Not long after, I discovered the

Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time, and my mother's uber-girly little

princess pretty much disappeared before her eyes. Fortunately, I didn't discover

Game of Thrones (I know no king but the King in the North whose name is Stark)

until I was old enough to become as obsessed with it as I am.

Clearly, I'm a big fan of escapism. I've always felt somewhat alone in the world,

despite always being surrounded by people - I think it started when my

grandfather, Ken, died when I was ten. He was my best friend (everyone in my

family will tell you that I was his favorite person in the world, and vice versa), and

I often felt like he understood me when nobody else did. A huge gap formed in my

heart when he died, so for the next few years, I attempted to fill it by doing the one

thing that'll never fail to make me feel close to him: I started writing stories.

My grandfather (Noonoo, as our Italian-American family says) had a remarkable

ability to create stories on a whim and tell them like they'd existed for centuries.

He taught me that a good story can change the world - or, at least, someone's life.

We used to stay up at night trading stories from our imaginations, so after he died,

I kept doing it. I'd lock myself away with the computer for hours and hours, writing

to my heart's content, knowing I'd never share them with anyone but my Noonoo.

Then life threw me another curveball: my amazing, force of nature mother, Terrie,

was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer when I was thirteen. While she was sick,

writing became an outlet for my grief, anger, and confusion rather than a way to

connect with my grandfather. The same held true when she passed in 2015. By that

point, when everyone's life was turned upside-down by the loss of the most

incredible person we'd ever known, I felt like I had nothing but my writing, books,

and Iron Man to get me through it. That wasn't true, of course - I had an army of

supporters at my side - but when you're a 14/15 year old kid whose life was just

destroyed, it's hard to believe otherwise.

When it came time to decide what I wanted to do with my life, I had no idea. The

only skill I had was writing, and when I told a few trusted people that I wanted to

become an author, they told me, "Nobody reads anymore. You won't be successful."

So I didn't do it. I went to college for hospitality (I love event planning, so it felt like

a good option), but halfway through, I realized it wasn't what I was meant to do

with my life. I changed my major to English Language and Literature, knowing that

even if I failed as an author, I could help others in the industry through editing,

proofreading, and beta reading. I dabble in those areas as a freelancer, but I'd rather

be writing.

I'm sure you're wondering what changed my mind. It was my mom. I was looking

through a box of my old school projects, and I found a binder of every story I'd

ever written in the classroom. On the very first page was a sticky note with a

message from my mom: "In case you really want to become a writer!!!" She knew

before I did that I'd end up here, and she made sure to save every single story I'd

ever written so I'd know it, too (see below for pictures of the note, my Noonoo,

and my beautiful mama).

Long story short, I'm REALLY glad I randomly decided to go looking through my old

school stuff that day. If I didn't, I don't know if Forged in Gold would be published

today, or if the series I've created around it would even exist. I think both my mom

and my grandfather would be really proud that I followed my dreams - our dreams.

Other than that, I'm not very interesting. I worked in childcare (two years as an

assistant teacher in a toddler classroom at a daycare, about five years of nannying

for different families, and another two years of substitute teaching at my local

elementary schools) for most of my life, so obviously, I love being around kids!

I have two young nieces and a baby nephew through my best friend and my

cousin, and having them in my life - along with my nanny kids - definitely helped

shape the kind of stories I want to write.

I'm currently living at home with my amazing dad, Gary, and my younger sister,

Christina (check the About page photo gallery for a family photo - good luck telling

me and my sister apart). I'm a cat mom to a twelve-year-old dilute tortie, Nugget,

who's the cutest thing on the planet but also has a SEVERE attitude problem like her

mom. I've also been dating my incredible, one-of-a-kind boyfriend for almost a year

now, and let me tell you: I didn't think it was possible to find a man IRL as perfect as

men written by women (hello, Theodore Laurence!), but I'll be the first to tell you

IT IS.

That's the gist of it! Thanks for coming to my TedTalk. You'll hear more of my

blabbing later on when I talk about Forged in Gold, but for now, I'm going to

get into bed and snuggle my cat before she starts swatting me (she's a sweetheart,

I swear!).

See you soon!

xxx Katie