Meet Cathy Feemster

Welcome, fellow readers! I’m on a journey, and I hope you will come with me. I know how fun it is to read, but it is also a lot of fun to write. I live in Wichita, Kansas, a wonderful, friendly city. We Wichitans are a varied bunch. Some love to read; everyone follows our sports teams; we have our opinions. Education is a priority here. We have three universities, an eclectic art scene, an Air Force Base, and many workers in the aerospace industry.

My background is in journalism. While attending the University of Tulsa, I was awarded a Tulsa Press Club Scholarship. After working in public relations for a company in Chicago and freelancing, I purchased a monthly newspaper, East Wichita News. My team focused on community, local politics, business, and feature articles. During the 21 years I owned the newspaper, it won several awards, including the Small Business Administration Media Advocate of the Year, Health Recognition Award from the Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning, and two Arc Community Connection Awards.

When I retired, I thought my writing life was over, but the bug was still with me. Not long after my husband of 49 years died and my 46-year-old daughter died, I knew I had to move forward or drown in my memories.

That’s when I remembered a story that my grandmother told me about her dog, Shep, who saved her life. I turned that memory into a children’s book, My Friend Rachel by Shep, the dog. The experience of independently publishing a book seems to have spurred me on.

I’ve recently finished my first novel, a historical mystery, which I hope you can see on bookshelves and online soon. Two sequels and another novel are buzzing around in my head for the future.

Cathy’s plan was to read and write.

Her newspaper was cheery and bright.

But when the paper was sold,

She had to go bold.

Now she hopes that her books bring delight.

On Reading and Writing

My journey started before I could read. My brother and I constantly begged my mother to read from The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. I still have that very book, all tattered and aged. The book was given to my mother in 1924 by her aunt and uncle. She was eight at the time. But she kept it, and I’m keeping it.

When I did learn to read, there was no stopping me. I prowled my school’s library and checked out book after book. Usually, I would start reading a new one a few minutes after finishing the last one. As a youngster, my favorite book was Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty. When I finished it, I immediately decided to read it again. I loved that book!

In my early teenage years, I varied my reading topics, but mysteries were always my favorites. I also added Cold War thrillers like I Led 3 Lives by Herbert A. Philbrick. It was made into a popular television series. When I saw a movie or TV series I liked, I usually found the book and read it ravenously.

A month-long visit to Atlanta introduced me to Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. When I was there in the 1960s, my cousins took me to see all the places depicted in the book. After I got home, I bought it and read it cover to cover in a short period of time. Whew! It’s a long one, but I realized why it was a best seller.

A series of books by James Fenimore Cooper about a trapper and adventurer who lived with, befriended, and fought with Native Americans in the late 1700s captured my reading life in high school. Cooper’s beautiful description of Lake Glimmerglass took my breath away. Another high school favorite was Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, a novel about an actual mutiny. Most of the story takes place in Tahiti, and the description of the bay where the Bounty anchored was stunning.

After I married, I discovered that my husband, Mike, was a member of the Book of the Month Club. I loved ordering and reading books that they recommended. Of all the books I read, a series by Helen MacInnes was my favorite. The settings of her books were all over the world, especially in Europe. They were mostly Cold War adventure-romances. When I finished one of her books, I felt like I had been to Vienna, Paris, Salzburg, Rome, or Venice. Hundreds of books in my adult life have been of various genres, but mysteries have been my favorite throughout my busy days as a managing editor and publisher.

My Books

My Friend Rachel by Shep, the dog

Author Cathy Feemster, took the heartfelt tale that her grandmother, Rachel, related many times and made “My Friend Rachel by Shep, the dog” a book your children will want to read over and over.

Coming Soon: Historical Mystery

Stay tuned for the publication of my first novel, a historical mystery.

My Partners

Cathy Feemster is a proud member of the following organizations.

Your Turn

All the years with my nose in a book prepared me, at least in part, to make the challenging leap to write my own books. And now it’s your turn. If you have any stories to tell, please share them with my website readers and me. I would love to read the story of your reading journey. I am happy to do interactive book talks, book club discussions, and meet-and-greet events. You can reach me at: CathyFeemsterauthor@gmail.com or Cathy Feemster, 6446 E. Central Ave #115, Wichita, KS 67206.

Your email address will be kept confidential and will not be shared with anyone without your permission.

None of my writing will ever be done with the help of AI (artificial intelligence). Any use of this website to train geneative artificial intelligence is expressly prohibited.

Welcome!