Authors at Home: Katie Sise; “The Break”

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The Reading Lists

6 min readNov 21, 2022

We’re thrilled to be featuring Katie Sise on Authors at Home today. She is a bestselling author, TV host, jewelry designer AND mother of four. Her previous books, Open House and We Were Mothers, were met with rave reviews and put her on the map for domestic suspense. Her latest thriller, The Break, is the story of Rowan, a new mother who’s had a traumatic birth and is struggling with postpartum depression. After a breakdown, Rowan accuses her babysitter, June, of doing something terrible. When June goes missing, Rowan must dig into the depths of her dark memories to figure out what happened. The Break published in November by Little A and is a great ride of a thriller, with twists and turns you won’t see coming. Learn more about Katie, how she stays grounded and her writing process here, and pick up a copy of The Break at your indie bookseller or online!

What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to? Anything you wholly recommend as being inspiring, uplifting or just really fun?

This week I went to an inspiring book talk given by Fiona Davis and Lynda Cohen Loigman. I’m reading both of their books and they’re terrific! (The Magnolia Palace by Fiona and The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda). The sense of time and place are really well done, and both develop characters so nicely.

Can you take us through a day in the life of Katie Sise? What’s your day-to-day routine like — when you’re writing a book, and when you’re not?

I wake up and play with my four little kids and get them ready for school. When they’re at school, I write for about two hours. When they’re home, I’m playing with them and taking care of them again! I like to try to sneak in a workout, which is usually in the form of tennis, which I’m not-so-secretly obsessed with 😊 Even if I’m not writing a book, I try to write for one to two hours every day, hopefully more.

You are a jewelry designer, a mother, an author and more. How do you balance all of this?

I bet this is how most mothers feel, but a lot of it is just doing the thing that needs to be done at any moment. If someone is home sick from school, then I know there’s no getting any writing done, and I’m lucky my job is such that I have long deadlines, each one usually about eight months to one year. So when I set mini-deadlines for myself (20,000 words done by this date, etc.) I factor in lots of unexpected things coming up, because I know that will happen, especially with young children. But I’m grateful for the chaos; I don’t think I could just write in a vacuum for ten hours a day. I like a busy life!

What keeps you grounded when things get busy in the world?

I’m a homebody, and I think part of that is because being home with my family (or a good book) always grounds me. There’s nothing like a cup of coffee and a card game or a picture book to reset me. I was like this even before kids; I used to love taking walks with my now-husband (then boyfriend) in New York City, and then returning to hang out with our dog on the couch.

When you’re writing, do you have any rituals or must-haves to inspire your creativity?

The aforementioned coffee, and sometimes good music! The best inspiration for me is going to the movies. If I’m ever stuck, I love a good movie to remind me why I love working in entertainment. I love the art of storytelling.

If given the ultimatum of only being able to design jewelry or only being an author, which would you choose of these creative endeavors and why?

Definitely being an author. Storytelling scratches an itch that jewelry-making, much as I love it, just can’t do.

Did you have to do much research on postpartum for The Break? Did you experience postpartum depression? Advice for mothers who might be dealing with postpartum?

I did not experience postpartum depression, but I certainly experienced anxiety. And nearly all of my friends have experienced one or the other or both after giving birth, which is what made me want to write about it. Something so common, yet not always talked about. I appreciate the fact that artists can bring light to something and normalize it, and that in doing so they may encourage others to seek help and know they aren’t alone. So my biggest advice would be to talk with your doctor and seek help. So many of us have been there, and you’re definitely not alone.

Was there anything that really surprised you during the process of writing The Break?

Oh, yes, many things! I had no idea the killer was the killer until maybe 5/6 of the way through the book. I was also surprised that June and Rowan ended up being so close. When I started writing the book, I thought they were going to be adversaries, but it turned out to be the opposite.

When you’re not parenting, designing jewelry, or writing fantastic suspense novels, how do you spend your time?

That’s very kind! If I’m not doing any of those above things, I’m probably talking to my sister, or making silly videos for my friends, or trying to give back in some small way, like mentoring a young person or aspiring writer. The pandemic made it a little trickier to do in-person volunteering, and I need to get back to that now that things are calming down a bit.

Can you tell us what’s next for you? Another book, we hope!

Yes! I’m working on one called THE VACATION RENTAL, about a woman who rents out her idyllic country home with very unexpected consequences.

Book Summary:

Can she trust the people she loves? Can she trust herself? A new mother is pushed to the edge in a provocative thriller by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Open House.

After the traumatic birth of her daughter at a New York City hospital, Rowan O’Sullivan returns home to her apartment with her perfect newborn, Lila. At her side are her husband, Gabe, and June, a part-time babysitter hired to help Rowan in any way she can.

But in this time of joy, Rowan can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right. She feels dread. She’s breaking.

Rowan’s growing instability leads her to accuse June of unspeakable things. And when June disappears just days later, Rowan becomes a suspect. The neighbors heard the screaming. But only Rowan knows what really happened. If her mind can be trusted. Since Lila’s birth, her memory has been both unreliable and frightening.

To uncover what happened to June and protect her new baby, Rowan must try to untangle the deep recesses of her mind and face the dark things she’s so desperate to keep buried. When she does, no one is prepared for where the truth leads.

About Katie Sise:

Katie Sise is a bestselling author of six novels. Her books have been included on best-of lists by Good Morning America, The New York Post, PopSugar, Parade Magazine, and PureWow. Her current novel, The Break, is a Zibby’s Book Club pick for November. Katie is a former TV host and jewelry designer, and lives outside of New York City with her husband, four children, and a golden retriever who has finally calmed down. You can find her on social media @katiesise, or visit her website www.katiesise.com

Connect with Katie Sise:
Website | Instagram

Authors at Home: Katie Sise; “The Break”

Written by Stephanie Elliot