MEET KATHLEEN GOSS A LOCAL WRITER WITH AN OBSESSION FOR ALL THINGS PARANORMAL…

the better, she says. Further to this is Kat’s curiosity about the dark side of the human psyche, and this interest stretches as far back as she can remember.

Asked what category of book Dysphoria is, Kat replied: “It’s a casual, paranormal, and a gothic fiction book. It’s a bit spooky and out there,” she says with a grin. Dysphoria is the first book in her own name which leaves Kat feeling somewhat vulnerable, and perhaps even a little exposed. It’s these feelings of discomfort and unease that Kat thrives on because she believes it challenges her to push boundaries and thoughts otherwise left untouched.

The book took a year for Kat to write, and that was in between writing for some of her clients. Kat’s characters were pieced together from various aspects of different people she knows, some of them even from as close to home as Stanford. Her book explores the cycles of life and how, irrespective of how hard one tries, we often find ourselves repeating the same old cycles over and over again.

By: Melissa Mc Alpine

If you’re into vampires, ghosts and all things paranormal, you’re going to want to read ‘Dysphoria’ by first-time author and Stanford resident, Kathleen Goss, or Kat as she’s known. Be warned though: this mysterious and rather dark novel will leave you with more questions than answers.

A keen reader from a young age, putting pen to paper was a natural next step for Kat. Once she’d been introduced to ghost writing, she dabbled in the idea of becoming one herself and now boasts 23 books written on behalf of clients. When asked what inspired Kat to write her own book, she replied, “I was growing tired of writing other people’s stories, and I needed a change.”

Kat has had a longstanding interest in the paranormal, and once even worked for a paranormal investigations company while living in Cape Town. When writing, Kat draws her inspiration from her fascination for all things dark and macabre – the darker,

“If I’m successful, Dysphoria will provoke thoughts and encourage interesting conversations,” says Kat. There’s one scene in the book where her main character, Lilith, is set in her ways and has been through the same cycles time and time again. She is pushed well out of her comfort zone and finds herself up against some challenging situations. “Making decisions doesn’t come easy for Lilith, and reaching that decisionmaking point is riveting for me as I don’t know what I would choose, had I been in her shoes,” says Kat.

Asked what her writing process is, Kat said she works according to a very strict routine. “Otherwise, I just wouldn’t get any writing done,” she states. “I set myself goals in terms of the number of words I need to write for each day, and I do my best to stick to that.”

Kat has found that a great way of overcoming writer’s block is to take a step back from writing for a while and to focus on reading other books of a similar genre. “This will help get the juices going again,” she says with a laugh.

“My advice to new and aspiring writers is to never give up. Writing can be a difficult and sometimes frustrating process, but if you stay focused, stay true to your vision, and keep believing in yourself, you can achieve great things,” says Kat.

When she’s not reading or writing, Kat likes nothing more than sourcing new ideas for her writing by exploring cemeteries, visiting abandoned buildings and small, spooky towns in search of inspiration. Stanford and some of the surrounding towns are ideal for that.

Kat’s sinister characters from Dysphoria aren’t about to go away quietly any time soon. She already has the next two books outlined. However, she feels that after a year of working with the same ghoulish characters, a short break is in order. But first things first, Kat is looking forward to the upcoming release of the printed version of her book. She simply cannot wait for readers to get their first taste of the Burned Blood Series.

Darkness reigns supreme in this book and reading it will give you the chills.