Authors Answer: K.M. Colley
Authors Answer Q&A #607
Author interviews almost always focus on questions regarding an author’s latest publication (and that’s great because it’s how readers discover new books!) but sometimes it’s fun to ask authors to talk about their lives beyond the book they’ve just written. Authors Answer (started as a blog in 2020, moved onto Substack in 2025), is an attempt to give authors space to wax eloquent about the other influences on their writing. The questions posed here move beyond the formulaic classics like, “What books are on your nightstand?” or “What book inspired you to be a writer?” and even “You’re having a dinner party….which three authors (dead or alive) do you invite?” There are 20 standing questions. Authors pick FIVE that they want to answer.
Are you an author? Visit the Questions page to learn more about participating.
Today’s post features Keturah Maree.
K.M. Colley writes thrillers, contemporary mysteries, and cinematic stories that explore legacy and ambition. Her work often centers around powerful families, glamorous settings, and complex characters. She is also known as Keturah Maree for her online presence and for her appearances in The Other Black Girl, Queen Sugar, Atlanta, New Amsterdam, along with other hit shows and is a member of SAG-AFTRA. Born in Mobile, Alabama, she’s currently based in Tampa and Philadelphia. When not writing or reading, K.M. enjoys traveling, learning new languages, and building a creative legacy. She’s also passionate about raising her autistic daughter, who dreams of creating her own comic book one day.
Instagram: @KeturahMaree
Substack: KeturahMaree.Substack.com
Are there particular films that have influenced your writing?
There is only one movie that comes to mind that has influenced my writing and my decision to take the path of being a writer. That movie is Meet the Robinsons. When I say this, most people’s mouths fly open. Because how in the world could a children’s animated movie influence my writing? Well, simply put, the movie’s message was to keep moving forward and never give up on your dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem. The word impossible has the two words I’m possible! Additionally, Meet the Robinsons strongly influenced my writing in THE ROARING RIDLEYS through how the idea of a newfound family is introduced to the viewer. It gave a small glimpse of what it was like to be a foster child. So, the motivation of taking what was considered a hard life growing up and turning it into something beautiful truly molded me into writing rags-to-riches stories.
What period of history do you wish you knew more about?
I’ve always wanted to know more about the Roaring Twenties, and so I immersed myself in that period when writing THE ROARING RIDLEYS. At that time in history, millions of immigrants were passing through Ellis Island, and I was eager to learn everything I could about this particular time in history when New York was a true melting pot.
Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome?
I never really had the word for it growing up. Now, as an adult, I see this normalized that what I had felt many times was an actual thing. So yes, I found myself with the typical case of Imposter Syndrome when I decided to take my career as an author more seriously. I had seeds of doubt, wondering if I was qualified enough to do this. I didn’t finish college. I became a divorced single mom. So those weren’t traits that I would imagine an author would have. Then I think of many successful authors who also had similar backgrounds. I think it’s a common thing for many people, especially in this career path.
Vacation druthers… City or Rural destination? Why?
One hundred percent RURAL all day, every day. I may be strong on this because I was raised in Alabama, and not in a metropolitan city. I feel way more at peace in secluded, quiet areas. There’s always this eerie quality that lies untapped in a rural destination. It’s almost as if something is calling you, waiting for you to explore. I’d watch movies like Bridge to Terabithia and think, well, of course these kids imagined this whimsical land. They had to create it. Whereas in cities, everything is already built for you. I want to build it, even if it’s all in my imagination.
What’s the difference (at least for you!) between being a writer and an author? How do you shift gears between the two?
Oh, this is a lovely question, truly. I always thought of it like this. I was always a writer before becoming an author, per se. I would fill my journals, diaries, and scrapbooks with endless thoughts, hopes, desires, and prayers. Some would say that’s all the same thing, but in my head, my writer voice is entirely different from the author voice I use when creating these fictional worlds and people for readers to love. I make sure to keep my thoughts in my journals. More recently, I started writing think pieces on my Substack KeturahMaree.Substack.com. I used to believe I should keep my personal thoughts on topics to myself so people wouldn’t dig too deeply into my thought process. Now it’s an incredible outlet that I am enjoying a lot. My first post was about the obsession with being perfect as an eldest or only child. It resonated with so many people that could very well be a different audience from my world of writing as an author.
Endnotes!
This newsletter is a passion project started by me, Elizabeth Rynecki, to try to help shine a light on new-to-me authors. I am also an author (and a documentary filmmaker and podcaster) and if you want to learn more about me, you can visit my website or read my personal newsletter, Ink Trails: A Chronicle in Creativity.
I’ve never made Authors Answer specific social media accounts, but you can find me on Instagram, Threads, and BlueSky.