Catherine Drake

Catherine Drake lives with her husband in Stowe, Vermont. The Treehouse on Dog River Road is her first novel.

Instagram: @CatherineDrakeWrites

Are there particular films that have influenced your writing? 

I have two daughters and occasionally, especially during the pandemic, we try to get together to watch a good, upbeat rom-com. We love the ones that have themes that are the most honest accounts of relationships. Films that have characters that have realistic premises and characters who are relatable. The classic, When Harry Met Sally, is a good example and I also love The Big Sick. We cringe at the ones where one of the main character races through the airport to finally profess their love. I tried to keep this in mind when I wrote The Treehouse on Dog River Road and made the story as relatable as I could.

Favorite non-reading activity?  I am moving, always moving. I find it hard to sit still which is why I love listening to audiobooks while doing chores. My husband and I love home improvement projects and making things. We’ve made treehouses, cabanas, snow castles and I love to make clothes and garden. We are outside as much as possible walking the dog, tennis, hiking, skiing and we love to travel.

Not all books are for all readers… when you start a book and you just don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?

I have always been okay with putting a book aside for various reasons. Many times, it is because I am not connecting with it due to external circumstances so I will put it aside and give it a try at a different time. I can tell by about 40 pages in if I want to finish and have no problem stopping. Life is short and there are so many books! When my kids were young if I wanted them to read a particular book and they were reluctant, I told them I would give them two dollars to start it and if they didn’t want to finish, they could keep the money but if they wanted to finish, they had to give me the money back. I almost always got the money back.

Is there another profession you would like to try? 

Screen writing. One of my writing coaches told me I had a very cinematic eye and I feel that. I have a great idea for a movie, a little like The Long Shot with Charlize Theron and Seth Rogan and I may give it a try.

What piece of clothing tells the most interesting story about your life?  

My wedding dress. I love that it tells the story of how far we’ve come. I got married when I was just 20 years old. We had little money when we started out - my husband was in veterinary school, and I had quit college to work a few jobs to support us.  We lived in a very sketchy area of Philadelphia and our apartment was so small that when you sat on the toilet you could open the oven door and use it as a footrest. I could not go out by myself at night, so that first year, I sewed my wedding dress. I wore the dress to our 25th wedding anniversary party and later upcycled it and made two little dresses for my granddaughters.