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PULL-OUT QUOTE
“I truly dreamed it up during my first nap as a new mom.” — Dr. Kate Sorokas
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ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Dr. Kate Sorokas holds a PhD in health education and is a writer, speaker, and advocate for maternal mental health. Her debut novel, Through Her Eyes, is a thriller inspired by her real-life struggle with new motherhood — a story she literally dreamed up during her first nap after having her sons. Kate talks with Mike about white-knuckling her way through postpartum depression, the decision to tell her story as fiction rather than memoir so readers could find empathy without defensiveness, querying 75 agents with her first draft, getting editorial feedback that her manuscript was “depressing,” cutting 40,000 words and adding 35,000 new ones (including an entire best-friend character who didn’t exist before), the Celtic goddess Brigid and a fire ceremony in Ireland that wove its way into the book, and why the world needs to start seeing motherhood as something bigger than swaddles and self-care.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. She dreamed the book — literally. At a mothers’ retreat in North Carolina, Kate took her first nap since becoming a mom. She woke from a vivid dream, told a friend she wanted to read the book she’d just dreamt, and her friend said: “Maybe you’re supposed to write it.”
2. Fiction builds empathy in ways memoir can’t. When Kate shared her own struggles, people often responded with “you chose this” or “it’s not that bad.” Wrapping her story in fiction gave readers permission to connect without getting defensive.
3. The first draft was for her. Kate’s editor called the initial manuscript “depressing” and full of “laments.” She cut 40,000 words, added 35,000 new ones, and created an entire best-friend character to shift the book from one woman’s sad tale to a story about building community.
4. She was so good at pretending she was fine that no one noticed. Kate’s doctors didn’t catch it. Her partner didn’t fully see it. As an eldest daughter raised to be responsible and successful, she didn’t know what she was feeling wasn’t normal.
5. Writing happened in two-and-a-half-hour bursts. Kate wrote only when both sons were at daycare — getting into flow state as fast as possible, typing without looking back, then closing her laptop when the bus pulled in. She didn’t re-read a word until the full draft was done.
6. Bridget brought the magic. The Celtic goddess (and saint) Bridget is a thread throughout the novel. Kate traveled to Kildare, Ireland, participated in a fire ceremony at Bridget’s monastery site, and the trip deepened the spiritual layer of the book at exactly the right moment.
7. Querying 75 agents led to independent publishing. After extensive querying with her first draft, Kate partnered with Renard McGilland, a publishing agency that walked her through self-publishing — cover design, editing, and production — while she handled all promotion herself.
8. Authorship is like motherhood (again). You think once the book is out you can take a breath — but then there’s marketing, events, book clubs, and social media, all while baseball practice drama unfolds in real time.
9. The village is the message. Kate’s core thesis: healthy mothers need more than spa days and wine nights. They need community, honest conversation, and people who ask direct questions rather than offering platitudes.
10. Always choose delight. Kate’s advice to her younger self: she’s never regretted doing something because it was going to be fun, but she has regretted missing out because she was overwhelmed or scared.
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GET THE BOOK
Through Her Eyes by Dr. Kate Sorokas
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Through+Her+Eyes+Kate+Sorokas&tag=rettocasgra-20
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/through+her+eyes+kate+sorokas
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/s/through+her+eyes+kate+sorokas
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CONNECT WITH KATE
Website: https://katesorokas.com
Instagram: @drkatesorokas — https://www.instagram.com/drkatesorokas
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CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST
Mike Carlon | Uncorking a Story
Website: https://uncorkingastory.com
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Uncorking a Story is produced by Mike Carlon. New episodes drop every Tuesday.
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HASHTAGS
#UncorkingAStory #ThroughHerEyes #KateSorokas #MaternalMentalHealth #PostpartumDepression #DebutNovel #Motherhood #WritingCommunity #AuthorInterview #BookPodcast #PostpartumAnxiety #FictionWithPurpose #CelticSpirituality #Bridget #IndieAuthor #WritersOfInstagram #BookRecommendations #AuthorsOfInstagram #MomLife #VillageNotSelfCare
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