Catherine D. Killam

I began writing in 2012 when my granddaughters were born. I went looking for books that celebrated the wisdom, strength, and kindness of older women, and I couldn't find the stories I wanted to share with them. So I wrote The Sweeet Old Lady Down the Street, along with several other children’s books.

Back then, creating a book was a slow process. Having an illustrator bring my ideas to life could take weeks for one illustration. I loved the work, but it demanded a great deal of patience, time and money.

Today, artificial intelligence has opened new creative doors for independent authors like me. I believe AI is a tool, not an author. I use it as an assistant for research, editing, and artwork, just as previous generations of writers relied on editors, publishers, illustrators, libraries, and reference books. The stories, ideas, and voice you'll find in my books are uniquely my own. If that creative partnership appeals to you, I hope you'll enjoy reading what I've created.

Most of the books I write begin with something I want to understand better. I learn by researching, thinking, and writing. In many ways, I write for an audience of one: myself. If the finished book happens to resonate with someone else, I consider that a wonderful bonus.

That is also why some of my books may appear briefly and then disappear. Once I have finished the journey and added a copy to my own library, I sometimes choose to take a title out of print. They were written because I wanted to explore an idea, tell a story, or preserve a moment of learning, not because I was trying to build a publishing empire.

My stories are often set in the rainforests and mist-covered slopes of Volcano, Hawaiʻi, where ordinary life and quiet magic seem to exist side by side. I am drawn to stories that feel just a little outside the everyday, where intuition is trusted, chance meetings matter, and wisdom often arrives disguised as a simple conversation over a cup of tea.

Many of my books are written in the voice of the Crone, an archetype I have loved studying for years. To me, the Crone is not a symbol of age so much as a keeper of perspective, humor, compassion, and hard-earned wisdom. Through her voice I explore spirituality, personal growth, nature, mythology, and the questions that have fascinated people for centuries.

If you're looking for books written by a human being who happily embraces modern tools while remaining deeply committed to original storytelling, welcome. I'm glad you found your way here.

Follow-up on a One Star Review of Cronisms

Cronisms began in 2010 in the most unglamorous of places: my cat sanctuary, amid the daily chore of cleaning litter boxes. Yet in those quiet, mundane moments, tiny flashes of insight emerged—single sentences carrying the gentle wisdom of the Crone. I made a youtube video of Crone-isms in 2010.

It was the first book I put together using AI to create the cover. I fell in love with the project, pairing the text with a font chosen specifically to feel like a soft whisper. I use it as a daily companion. While a painful review eventually led me to unpublish it, Cronisms remains a cherished reflection of my journey.