BY MATT MACKINDER
Clarkston News Editor

Katie French certainly keeps herself busy.
A teacher in the English Language Arts department at Clarkston High School, French is also an author of some 35 books as an Amazon best-selling author in Young Adult Sci-Fi and Fantasy whose book, The Breeders, was a semifinalist in the 2014 Kindle Book Awards.
“I was a big reader throughout childhood, so when I got to middle school and discovered the love of writing my own stories, the idea of being a writer stuck,” said French, who grew up in Port Huron and has been in Clarkston since 2002. “It was a big goal of mine to finish a novel, which I was finally able to do in 2009. It took me a few years after that to decide to publish.
“Some of the 35 books are under a pen name, and some are co-authored with two wonderful ladies.”
Being a teacher has been a major influence on French’s book-writing endeavor.
“My favorite subject in school is, and always has been, English,” said French. “I love reading and writing. I love exploring worlds from the comfort of my home and seeing other’s perspectives. As far as subjects I like to write about, I have always been a lover of Young Adult books. I never lost the excitement I get when reading a wonderful story about humans learning how the world works for the first time. There’s nothing like first love or first discovery, and young people usually still have their sense of wonder intact.
“I love that.”
French has been at Clarkston High School for 18 and a half years. She has taught for 15 years and was a school counselor for three, teaching many different classes throughout the years, including some that don’t exist anymore.
“That’s how old I am,” French laughed.
For the past six years, she co-taught English 10. This year, she is a virtual mentor.
“I’ve worn a lot of hats,” said French.
Last month, French released the first book in a new series, Slayer Witch.
“I am going to release three of those books this year about a month apart,” said French. “I am not sure after that. I guess I’ll see how well that series does.”
French said it’s exciting to realize that some youth authors see her as a role model.
“I love kids of all ages, and I love teaching them,” French said. “If I can help them realize a goal of being an author, or to help keep their dream alive of one day being one, that excites me. I hope to be able to do that as a teacher, and later in the community when I finally retire.”
As an author, French said she definitely has her share of critics, but she takes in the negative reviews just as she does the positive reviews.
“I definitely enjoy getting feedback from my fans or having them say they’ve read a book of mine more than once,” said French. “Sometimes, if I’m feeling particularly brave, I’ll go through my Amazon one-star reviews. Those can be very eye-opening. For the most part, however, my readers are wonderful.
“When I first started two decades ago, it was more a simple creative outlet, but now my books are a business, so I do take it very seriously. It’s still a creative process, and my brain lights up whenever I get a great idea or write an exciting scene, but a lot of it is discipline or I’d never finish a full novel.
“It’s a lot like exercise – you don’t want to do it beforehand, but afterward, you feel good that you have.”