Exploring the Life of Author Ka Hancock

So my biggest joy and hardest work is my family--that doesn't make me unique, it probably makes me pretty relatable. I guess that's why I'm drawn to complicated relationships, and imperfect dynamics in my writing. I think life is kind of a circus and really quite fascinating as a participant as well as a bystander. And the older I get the more I appreciate all the nuances. I've been married to my guy for long enough to know that, for me, marriage is the greatest refiner of character ever invented. Mine, anyway.

I think people are completely fascinating, and what motivates them is usually even more so. It's why I like to write books about ordinary people thrown into circumstances they didn't ask for, plan on and weren't prepared for... and then watching them triumph!

For me, creating remarkably flawed and unassuming characters who somehow manage the nonsense in their lives well enough to live heroically is one of my favorite pastimes!

The Heart of Ka Hancock's Biography: Family and Imperfect Dynamics

Family is the cornerstone of my stories--mostly because family is the cornerstone of life. I believe that messy, complicated relationships are the richest soil for storytelling. My characters often wrestle with what we all wrestle with: the many flawed interpretations of love, loyalty, communication, and every other drop of blood, sweat and tears that make us human. These imperfect dynamics are not just plot devices; they are reflections of real life.

For example, in Dancing on Broken Glass, you'll meet an extraordinarily defiant woman who chooses her baby's life over her own because of an unyielding faith in her mentally ill husband. This story tests the foundational strength of a marriage when bipolar disorder and cancer and an inconvenient pregnancy all collide to challenge it's resiliency.

I want readers to see themselves in my characters - the flawed, the hopeful, the broken, and the brave. Life is not at all neat, and neither are my stories.

The Creative Process Behind the Stories

I am fascinated by what motivates people and how they merge their inner and outer worlds. My background as a psychiatric nurse has instilled in me a natural curiosity about human behavior. I notice things about people. I wonder things.

When I create characters, I focus on their emotional journeys. How did they get where they are? What happened to them? Who happened to them? What might be missing? What are they trying to keep hidden?

In The Duzy House of Mourning, January Duzinski finds a way to communicate with her severely brain-damaged mother. But it's a long time coming. This story is about rejection, connection, guilt, and the heartbreaking price paid for life itself. All learned through her mother's lost journals and the story documented there of her parents' forbidden love story. Ultimately it’s a testament to the power of love, forgiveness, and the courage to see what's real.

The Role of Faith and Resilience in Ka Hancock’s Work

Faith, in many forms, is a recurring theme in my writing. It’s not always religious faith but a deep belief in something greater - hope, love, family, or even oneself. Ivy in Stills is a good example of this. When you're pushed beyond what you think you can endure, suddenly you find strength you didn't know you had.

Ivy Talbot is not a superhero; she's just an ordinary girl who found the extraordinary strength to reinvent herself. She also found a friend. And another friend. And a backbone. And she started looking truth in the eye. Sometimes that's the hardest thing of all--acknowledge the truth standing right in front of you. It can be painful. It's usually much easier to keep your head in the sand. But, no. No. No. No. You must grow. This is what makes a story like Ivy's relatable and inspiring...and satisfying.

For readers who enjoy character-driven literary fiction, these themes offer a mirror to our own lives. They remind us that despite the garbage, we can live heroically.

Why I Write: Connecting Through Stories

People are people are people, and I love that their truth snakes through my writing. We learn so much from each other when we stop talking and just listen. Or read...

Writing is my way of connecting with readers who want to explore the complexities of the human experience. I want to share stories that feel real, raw, and hopeful. Stories that acknowledge the messiness of life but also celebrate the triumphs.

If you want to dive deeper into my work or learn more about my journey, come on over to my website kahancock.com

Living Heroically Amid Life’s Nonsense

At the end of the day, my goal is to create characters who manage the nonsense in their lives well enough to live fearlessly. Whether it’s a mother fighting for her family, a young girl navigating loss, or a misfit finding love, these stories are about conquering goliaths--or at least facing him with a stiff chin.

Life is complicated, gooey, and imprecise. But it is also beautiful, hopeful, and worth the slog. I invite you to join me on this journey through my books and discover the extraordinary in the ordinary.