Rose Kent views books as messages. Messages in bottles that are flung out into life’s waters and discovered by those with the same belief: that we read to remind us that we’re not alone. And that books connect us across the boundaries of time, culture, geography — and even reality.

A Navy veteran and former Fortune 500 company manager, she lives near Albany, New York with her husband and blended tribe of six children. Kimchi and Calamari (middle-grade, HarperCollins Publishers, Spring 2007), her first “message,” was inspired by her Korean adopted children and her part-Korean biological children, as well as the many adoptees she’s had the privilege to meet.

Rose is finishing her second novel, Rocky Road, focused on another subject dear to her heart: ice cream. When she is not revising, she is frequenting ice cream shops for the selfless purpose of research.

What books had an impact on you when you were growing up?

Seventy times seventy books impacted my early years, but don’t worry, I won’t list them all. I loved LITTLE WOMEN, I wanted to BE Jo, exude her passion and drama. And Nancy Drew was so cool and smart. Even ENCYLOPEDIA BROWN had his place — who didn’t want to figure out how he solved the case before reading the answer on the last page? And believe it or not, the dark nonfiction THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH, documenting Nazi atrocities, found its way into my hands.

Like kids who read today, I was a sponge, soaking in so much of the written word. And it wasn’t just novels. I adored ARCHIE comic books. Veronica was tres chic. I read NEWSDAY newspaper every day because my father did. Cookbooks always caught my eye. Highbrow, lowbrow, middle of the road, there’s little that didn’t somehow find its way into my life.

Full disclosure here: There was something I never read. Washing directions on my new Sears stretch pants, and technical manuals for assembling stuff like the record player. I left that heavy reading to my parents.

Describe your favorite library.

Tough, tough question. Libraries are a little like ice cream flavors. There really aren’t any bad ones, are there? As long as there is a chair available, a helpful librarian in sight, and plenty of books around, I feel at home. I’ve lived in many towns and communities and I’ve been fortunate to find them everyone.

Of course I love the William T. Sanfory Library in Albany. That hits all the requirements on the above checklist.

Wasn’t it Ben Franklin who created the first public library? Here’s to Ben…

Now that you’re under contract, does your family better appreciate your writing?

Yes, yes, yes, my family appreciates my writing. They are excited about KIMCHI & CALAMARI publishing and all that entails.

Indeed, Mom-as-author is all fine and dandy AS LONG AS we still have clean laundry, “good” snacks in the house after school, and car rides to all the baseball games/dances/clubs/sleepovers they NEED to go to.

Mess with that list and then the book is no longer news but a major life inconvenience.

Kids are amazing about having their priorities in place.

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