My “Small Batch” Book and the Driftless Market

October 13, 2025 / katemckinney79 / Leave a comment

I am thrilled to announce that my book, When to Hold On, can now be purchased at the lovely local corner store, The Driftless Market and Deli, in Platteville, WI! They offer organic produce, a soup deli, other food items, books, art, jewelry, and more!

My kiddo and I love to stop in there whenever we’re in town or even when we’re passing by Platteville on our way to Galena or Dubuque. It’s such a friendly place and perfect for picking up a wholesome snack for the drive.

If the Driftless Market had existed twenty-five years ago, when I was a student at UW-Platteville, I would’ve loved it–it’s just a short walk from where I lived!

On the store’s website, they write, “Our goal is to provide shoppers with one location to buy all of the products they need while maintaining a focus on environentally friendly and sustainable production and consumption. We are passionate about taking care of our planet and want to serve as a resource for those who feel the same way.”

Well, that’s totally me, and that is why I’m so excited to have my book for sale through the store. One of the reasons I chose to self-publish was so that I could do “small batch” book selling. I did not want thousands of books printed only to have them pulped a few months later if they didn’t sell by a certain target date. I wanted to publish my book in the most environmentally-conscious way I could. That means small batches at a time and selecting independent bookstores and shops that share similar sustainability goals.

Making this book is about celebrating the slower and quieter way of life. It’s about connecting deeper with nature and people. It’s an ode to this beautiful corner of our world, the Driftless Region, a geographical area that was left untouched by glaciers and is known for its rolling hills and cold-water streams, rock outcroppings, bluffs, prairies, and oak savannas.

When to Hold On is a girl-meets-girl story that makes space for quiet people, that looks up close at the beauty in the world, that opens a door to feeling grief in order to heal, that celebrates sustainable living, that’s about family relationships, and explores the power of silence.

Read more about the Driftless Market and Deli here and stop in at 95 W Main Street, Platteville, WI.

Join us on Aug. 2!

July 25, 2025 / katemckinney79 / 2 Comments

Rose Brookins, with her writing partner Mina Petkova, has written two novels, one romance, The Stand-In, and one coming-of-age story, Portrait of a Stranger.

Alby C. Williams’s debut middle-grade novel, Where There Be Monsters, is a queer normative story featuring a nonbinary character.

I’ll be reading from my verse novel, When to Hold On, a young-adult coming-of-age story that takes place in the Driftless Area.

A Q&A session will be after the readings.

I hope you can join us!

Election Day–If Only it were a Walk in the Park

November 5, 2024 / katemckinney79 / Leave a comment

Last week, I took a walk through Owen Park in Madison, WI. Tucked away in a residential area, it’s hard to remember that the city exists just beyond.

Made up of prairie and oak savannah, there was so much beauty that captured my heart.

Now, as I sift through my photos full of sunshine, it rains outside…sometimes suddenly, strong and steady, other times light and misty. It’s a lovely gray November day, so different than these photos, but perfect for sitting inside. The contrast feels wonderful…there are so many different types of beauty in the world.

Things are changing (as they always do). It is November, and so many leaves have already fallen, flowers have turned to seed heads, grass has turned dry–an orchestra of sound in the wind.

Yes, it’s Election Day in the United States of America, and yes, I am trying to redirect my focus as to not go crazy from all the commentary. With so much anxiety riding on this election, there is a sense that whatever I write today, it will be standing on the “before” of whatever happens. And there will be an “after,” regardless of the results. This is a scary thought in itself. So, as I wait, I turn to nature.

I turn to the prairie and the oaks for comfort, wisdom and hope.

I am first reminded to bend

and join myself with the music of life.

To let a lightness fill me, illuminate my insides, and connect to others beside me.

To have courage, to stand out, stand up, be as bright as I know I am.

To also allow myself to be soft, a comfort to myself and others.

To recognize that softness in others can sometimes be guarded by prickles, but it is possible to find.

And that just as amber big blue stem meets big open blue sky,

We, too can meet others different than ourselves and rejoice.

When the time comes, let seeds fall to plant new beginnings.

Let them fly….

We can never go back.

Somethings must fall and drift.

Relish the memories.

Know that the future holds space for new seasons.

This last photo was taken during a very slow walk in Governor Dodge State Park (Dodgeville, WI) in mid-October. This one reminds me…

To Look Up! 🙂

Wishing you well this day and every day.

Autumn Reading

October 10, 2023April 30, 2024 / katemckinney79 / Leave a comment

I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely book club in California via Zoom this autumn.

Here’s what they’re saying about When to Hold On:

“A Young Adult novel for everyone…It is a coming of age novel written in poignant free verse. Addressing young love, grief, the power of silence, family relationships and social anxiety, it has universal themes that engaged everyone in our club. Get this book in your high school library, now!”
Lauren Rice, CA

“The best thing about When to Hold On is how much the form conveys. It’s in free verse and the unspoken urgency and tenderness of youth are mirrored so seamlessly, and so much information is revealed in so few words. The feelings are ageless. Timeless. Uplifting. Heartbreaking. This is one beautiful book. Read it and read it again.”
Sandra L. Christenson, CA

Each and Every One

August 4, 2023 / katemckinney79 / Leave a comment

This was taken on one of the most beautiful nights during a trip with my family around Ireland this summer. Before heading south, we spent a few days in Northern Ireland and walked along the lovely Ballycastle Beach, a slight curve of land made of many, many rocks and a strip of sand. On one end, the Glenshesk River meets the Atlantic, and at the other end, a boardwalk stretches over rocks that reach into the water. The waves were extremely calm that evening, and it being nearly the Summer Solstice, sunset came just after 10:00p.m. Rathlin Island can be seen in the distance (and although not shown in these photos, Scotland can also be viewed from the beach).