MEET KATHRYN

Hi there!

My name is Kathryn, and I write stories about magical worlds, mysterious towns, tenacious teens, and more.

I write children’s fantasy novels as K.E. Ormsbee. The Water and the Wild is a portal fantasy trilogy. The House in Poplar Wood is a folksy, supernatural mystery. Midnight on Strange Street is a futuristic sports tale, perfect for fans of Stranger Things.

I also write quiet and quirky Young Adult novels: Lucky Few (Harold & Maude + homeschooling), Tash Hearts Tolstoy (literary web series + asexual rep), The Great Unknowable End (1970s + The Twilight Zone), and The Sullivan Sisters (Pacific Northwest + family mystery).

In recent years, I’ve written contemporary Middle Grade novels. Candidly Cline stars a queer, aspiring songwriter and is set in my home state of Kentucky. Vivian Lantz’s Second Chances is a time loop novel about a girl reliving her first day of eighth grade over and over again. My first graphic novel, Growing Pangs, is based on my life as a homeschooler experiencing life changes, anxiety, and OCD. The sequel, Turning Twelve, comes out from Random House Children’s Books on October 29. 2024!

I was born and raised in the Bluegrass State. Since then, I’ve lived across the pond, in England and Spain, and stateside in the cities of Birmingham, Lexington, Nashville, Eugene, and Salem. I now live in Austin, Texas with my wife.

Some non-author stuff I’ve done: taught English as a Foreign Language, worked at a non-profit film society, taught piano lessons, produced a Shakespearean-themed web series, and co-hosted a podcast for three years with my wife Alli.

Thank you for visiting the site! If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email.

xo Kathryn

PROFESSIONAL BIO

Kathryn Ormsbee is the author of books for children and young adults, including Tash Hearts Tolstoy and The House in Poplar Wood. Her novels have been critically acclaimed, translated into eight languages, selected for the Indie Next List and Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, and made “best of” lists at NPR, Amazon, BuzzFeed, and the Chicago and New York Public Libraries. She lives in Austin with her wife.

A seven-year-old Kathryn wears a floral denim shirt and a cartoon pig hat. The sunlight touches her curly red hair and crooked-toothed grin.

kiddo kathryn.

grown-up kathryn.