AMoRaR Interview: Cat Rector

A Month of Rain and Reads Interviews3 months ago15 min readAdd comment

Welcome to A Month of Rain and Reads, a celebration of self-published and indie SFF throughout the entire month of November. To find out how you can take part and view the whole list of content, visit our introduction post.

Today, we’re happy to share an interview with Cat Rector, author of The Goddess of Nothing At All and Coal Gets In Your Veins.

Describe yourself like you would a character in one of your books.

Sitting at her desk, Cat Rector’s bad posture reflects the constant kink in her neck. On a good day, her hair is a wavy bob, the bangs surrounding her face a soft curl of pinks, purples, and blues. On a bad day, she becomes a distant cousin of Medusa. She hasn’t worn anything but soft yoga pants with giant pockets in over a decade, but she’s managed to create a wardrobe that is some intersection of Elven Hobbit Vampire, even with the leggings. She has bags under her eyes like a tortured Gothic lady, but acts more like a goals-oriented blue hedgehog that runs everywhere fast and has overcommitted in ten different ways. Sometimes found reading and writing, Cat Rector would like to escape late-stage capitalism and diminish into the west as all good Elves do when they’re sick and tired of Middle Earth.

Our theme for November is A Month of Rain & Reads. Do you subscribe to the idea of curling up with a good book while the rain pours down outside? What book would you read? Would you bring tea and a blanket? What would make the moment perfect?

I want to be this person, but I’m the opposite. Somewhere along the way, I tricked myself into thinking that sitting to read isn’t productive, and I’ve become an Audiobooks and Chores person. Don’t become me, reader. Sit and read, relax. I’m trying to remember how.

I did set up a beautiful space in the front porch with an old couch and a bunch of plants. The porch is lined with windows, each with long white curtains and waterfall fairy lights behind them. I have faux fur grey pillows and a matching blanket for when it gets chilly. I love it out there, and yet I use it very little. This is a good reminder to go take advantage of the space.

Why did you decide to self-publish, and what has been your biggest success so far?

I have a diploma in Public Relations, so I came into writing with a slightly business-minded background. The more you know about marketing and convincing people to buy things, the more you’ll understand that regardless of writing being a creative art, Trad Pub isn’t a museum, it’s a store trying to sell products. Most of the time, they’re looking for books that are on trend and easy to love. If you don’t write something easy to sell to a reader, they “don’t know how to market you” which is one way of saying “you’re too niche to sell a lot of copies.”

I never submitted a single manuscript to an agent, because for better or worse, my novels have specific goals that I wasn’t sure an editor or agent would agree with. I like to play with structures and ideas that aren’t the most Trad Pub friendly. My debut novel The Goddess of Nothing All All was a Norse myth retelling that was written during the resurgence of feminist retellings. Perhaps that timing would have made it a contender for an agent. However, I was trying to write a novel about the inherent queerness of Loki, and expand that into the pantheon. The big boom of queer authors hadn’t quite happened yet, and I wasn’t willing to strip those things from the novel at the request of an editor. I simply didn’t trust that my story would stay mine if a business was invested in using it to make money.

As far as successes go, I divide my successes into business and personal categories. On a personal note, people read my books and have emotional connections to them, and that’s the best part of my job. Getting to hear what my books mean to people is the most important thing to me. But from a business perspective, my debut earned out within two years and my books sell consistently. I can’t pay my bills with that money, but I feel very fortunate and accomplished to be in the position I’m in.

You’ve also had some success getting your books into libraries, which I’m sure a lot of authors would be interested in. Do you have any advice to share?

Funny you should ask…

It just so happens that I wrote an article about exactly that. You can read it here.

What is your favourite thing about being an indie author?

My favourite thing is also the hardest thing. I’m in charge of everything. When people ask, I say that my job is actually six jobs in a trenchcoat. Sometimes I’m a writer, and sometimes I’m a web designer. I’m always a marketer, and sometimes I’m trying to figure out why Indesign is exporting into Wingdings again. I love this level of control and involvement. Getting to have a rotating set of jobs of all creative and logistical types feeds a craving in me that thrives on moving fast and being immersed in the work. It’s also a lot. My debut was a huge success in my opinion, but I also burnt out trying to keep up a high pace of writing, marketing, and working 50+ hours a week at my day job.

My relationship to this work changes every year. 2025 involved family crisis moments that forced me to step back from my work, and I’m only now getting back to a place of love. It’s also a very hard year to be an indie author (or arguably, to exist) and I’ve had to reassess a lot of my goals. I’ve learned to delegate and pay for some services. I’ve learned that every single thing takes either my time or my money, and that I have to choose which I’m willing to give up for which tasks.

And I do love it. I wouldn’t trade my job for anything. It’s teaching me a lot about myself and who I am, and about what I need to change to be a healthier, more well-rounded version of myself.

Feminine rage, trauma, and queerness feature heavily in your books. They hook in readers to the point they want more, even though it can be a hard read. Why do you think these topics resonate with people so much?

I think different readers have different goals for their reading, all of which are perfectly normal. Some readers are looking to distance themselves from their real lives and problems. Others, like myself, use reading as a way to process their own lives. Sometimes a reader is both, and they rotate like the seasons, wanting to escape sometimes and process when they’re ready.

Some of my favourite books growing up were dark, heavy themes. Titles like White Oleander, The Thirteenth Tale, or A Great and Terrible Beauty. I read them and felt less alone in my own problems. When I write, my primary goal is to create opportunities for that kind of catharsis.

Speculative fiction is the perfect avenue to take a real problem, like late-blooming queer identity, and coat it in fantastical details, so the reader can explore the topic without having to look at it head-on. Even though I’ve coated my books in vampires and Norse gods, I want someone to read about my characters and understand their own grief better, or the grief of their loved ones. And between those heavy moments, I also hope to give them plenty of moment of joy and laughter.

A lot of my books also examine real life systems like patriarchy, oppression, and irresponsible healthcare providers. Things some of us are already angry about. Giving a reader an opportunity to imagine justice for a fictional character can be inspiring and motivating. One of my most well-reviewed books is This Too Shall Burn. The book is a witch trial setting where one of the MCs has debilitating menstrual pain, and is experiencing it alongside religious and patriarchal trauma. I once thought the themes would be too niche, but people have come out of the woodwork to express how angry they’ve been that their doctors don’t take their reproductive pain seriously.

My books can be really heavy, and a lot of people have threatened to charge me (jokingly) for the therapy they’re going to need after reading, but I also hope that readers come out of the experience with a sense of kinship and hope. The point of diving into the deep end is not to stay down there. It’s to come back up saying that you’ve had the experience, seen the depths, and have learned something to take back to the surface with you.

You’ve been a vendor at local conventions. Could you tell us about your experience vending? What was your favourite reader interaction?

Conventions are not for the weak of heart. My first convention was at Hal-Con in Halifax, a Sci-fi Fantasy event with more than 15,000 people over three days. For this area, it’s THE massive event. I worked it alone, 12 hours a day, too nervous to properly eat or sleep, with a giant open Monster energy drink stuffed in the side pocket of my leggings. I was so exhausted that I ran my first red light that weekend.

Conventions are also amazing. I’m heading back to Hal-con to table again this year. I’m excited to meet new people, give out thousands of bookmarks, and hopefully sell some books. I love being surrounded by other artists and cosplayers, which is a huge bonus to working in a speculative fiction genre. And this time I’m bringing my writing partner Leslie Allen with me, which means I can use the bathroom without having to flag down a volunteer to watch my table for me.

My favourite interaction so far was when someone approached me and said their friend couldn’t make it to the convention but was a big fan, and asked if we could arrange a video call the next day while they were on a work break. I wasn’t aware that anyone in my province had heard of me, let alone called themselves a fan. I was floored. The next day we had a call, and the reader was crying on camera, a reaction I always thought was reserved for Real Celebrities. I sent a signed book back with their friend, along with some goodies, and the next year, I had the pleasure of seeing the same reader at a different event. It was the most surreal moment of my whole life.

You’ve also had some success getting your books into libraries, which I’m sure a lot of authors would be interested in. Do you have any advice to share?

Funny you should ask…

It just so happens that I wrote an article about exactly that. You can read it here.

What are you working on next? Can you tease us?

My next book is out with my editor and is the continuation of my latest series. The entire series combines the themes of being queer in a conservative rural setting, escaping cycles of trauma and abuse, and slathers them with vampires and sentient trauma monsters. Learning to Bleed is the second book in the trilogy and comes out March 28th, 2026.

If you’re interested in starting the series, the ebook is on sale for 99 cents, and the first three chapters are available for free on my website.

And a few quick questions. What’s your favourite…

…book, in recent times?

This is a tie between Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan or Hungerstone by Kat Dunn or Name Her Holy by Aubrey Ennis.

…game, in recent times?

Inscryption, which is my only 100% completion game, and the demo for the vampire Stardew Valley play-alike Moonlight Peaks.

…writing advice?

Act sustainably. If you burn out in year one, you’re making things harder for yourself. It doesn’t matter what Joe Bob is doing for his books. You need a pace that’s going to work for you for the next five years.

…advice for someone who wants to publish their own book?

Decide what your main goal is. Are you here to make money, or to tell stories you love, or to touch the hearts of a few people? Create your plans around your goal. We all want to be paid for our work, but if your main goal is cash, you should be writing to markets with voracious readerships. If you’re writing primarily for the art, learn to find joy in successes that aren’t financial. This is most likely a side gig for you, and create your workflow accordingly. If you’re fortunate, you’ll do both at the same time, and that’s not impossible! But lacking clear goals and perspective is a great way to lose your love of the job.

…source of inspiration?

Everything. Many of my books are about subjects I’m really into, like vampires or the Norse pantheon, combined with world issues or personal journeys I’m trying to process. I just keep following my need for general knowledge and see where it leads me.

…way to clear your mind when everything gets a bit much?

Exercise. I don’t actually enjoy exercise, but I enjoy how it leaves me feeling. After reading a lot about how exercise helps process trauma or stress out of the body, I try to work it in most days of the week. I’m on a walking pad right now, trying to make sure I’ll be tired and limber before bed. It’s working really well for me, and gives the added bonus of a stronger body, which I’m grateful for.

Do you have any last words? Any shoutouts to authors who have supported you or whose books have inspired you?

There are so many people I could thank, but I most want to thank the people who have taken a chance on my work. I owe my career to a lot of individuals, and many of them are readers who picked up something of mine, thought it was neat, and showed it to someone else. It’s truly more powerful than any other action in the writing world. Changing an author’s life is genuinely as simple as talking a friend into reading a book.

And of course a massive thank you to the team that put together this month’s event. We wouldn’t be gathered around this digital campfire without you!

Cat Rector

Cat Rector grew up in a small Nova Scotian town and could often be found simultaneously reading a book and fighting off muskrats while walking home from school. She devours stories in all their forms, loves messy, morally grey characters, and writes about the horrors that we inflict on each other. After spending nearly a decade living abroad, she returned to Canada to resume her war against the muskrats. When she’s not writing, you can find her playing video games, spending time with loved ones, or staring at her To Be Read pile like it’s going to read itself.

Find her on social media or visit her website, CatRector.com