Hello, everyone! Welcome to another exciting author interview post! Today I had the privilege of interviewing Christian retelling author Katja H. Labonté! I’ve followed her author journey for some time on IG, and am so excited to have her here with us today on Books Less Travelled!
First I’d like to share a bit about her latest book that was released earlier this year, then we’ll get to the interview.
I have also begun to use affiliate links. I have used them in the past, but stopped before making this blog, so I haven’t used them in quite a while. As I’m slowly shifting into a new season, I have decided to start using them again. Thus I’m now stating that this post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, this is at no extra cost to you.
As lady-in-waiting to the crown princess, Thalassa d’Acton is used to hectic palace life. The bustle is a good excuse to avoid thinking of the insecurities that plague her. But when a usurper takes over the throne, Thalassa finds herself and her princess imprisoned in a lonely tower—and with all the time in the world to worry.
Outlawed Azaziah has roamed the land for years with his band of Inseparables. Playing knight errant was a God-given task, and helps him bear the knowledge that evil is spreading over his land unopposed. But now he alone knows the secret plans of the usurpers… and he isn’t enough to overturn the peril himself.
As personal and political turmoil heightens, despair floods over the hearts of Thalassa and Azaziah. What can comfort them even in the face of defeat? And can their inadequacy and loneliness possibly be the very opening the Eternal needs to change the course of their country’s destiny?
Expected Release Day:
February 11, 2025
Genre(s):
Christian Non-magical Fantasy
Retelling
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Hello, and welcome to Books Less Travelled! I’m so excited to have you here with us today. To start off, Katja, care to tell us a little about yourself and the stories you write?
Hi Stephanie! Thank you so much for having me; I really appreciate the opportunity.
Hello, everyone! My name is Katja H. Labonté, and I’m a bilingual Christian author from Québec, A.K.A. the francophone part of Canada. 😉 My first name is Scandinavian, and pronounced “Kots-ya” in English—but lots of anglophone friends call me Kats. I’ve been a bibliophile and a storyteller my whole life… my siblings can tell you tales about the stories I terrified them with as a child, and my parents can attest to how much I adored books before I could even read. 😉 I’m a pastor’s daughter, the oldest of 9 children, a certified copyeditor with her own freelance business (https://katjalabonte.wordpress.com). As an eclectic person who loves many things, I won’t take time mentioning many, but history, Redwall, beautiful art, roses, classic books, and pearls, are a (very) few.
Very simply, I am a once broken, now healing storyteller who longs to share hope and healing with other broken souls around me. I write to make a difference, to encourage, to let people know they’re not alone. I write to share the truths God has shown me. I write novels, novellas, and short stories, and while my stories can be sad and raw, handling topics like depression, anxiety, grief, self-deprecation, and more, they’re never without hope and peace, and they point towards the Light that has drawn me through my dark struggles with those personal demons of mine.
Wow, even after having followed you on IG for a while now, I didn’t know most of this. I love how you put that at the end though! The world needs more stories like that, and often as a person I think we need to have stories that can inspire and encourage, but also those that make us reflect and challenge us to learn and grow as people. That’s such an important part of the human experience, that we can grow and become better. We aren’t defined by our past or weaknesses, but have the chance to choose. Will we stay stuck in the same struggles, or seek to better ourselves and overcome? Faith is a big part of that, and I love your heart and courage in being willing to talk about and write stories that touch on some of these issues. It’s not easy, but so very needed.
1. Your book covers are gorgeous! Can you tell us a little about the inspiration for your book covers? And are they all done by the same cover designer?
Aw, thank you so much! I’ve never been asked that before and it means a lot, because I actually design almost all of my covers myself. It’s one of the writing pleasures for me. I usually create the cover before I write a book, though often it ends up slightly different—and sometimes completely redone! I have overhauled a few series a couple times. 😉 Usually, too, I have a very specific concept in mind, which makes it easier to do it myself than to get someone else. But there is one cover that I didn’t create…
A Noble Comfort’s cover was designed by Madisyn Carlin of Mountain Peak Edits & Design. She did the entire Cornerstone Series covers and I’m thrilled with how well she captured the vibe of ANC—without even reading it! She helped me find the perfect picture for my Female Main Character, and also picked the perfect background for the story. She also did the cover for A Noble Collection, one of the anthologies I’m in. (Naturally, I haven’t done the covers for any of the anthologies I’m in. Yet, anyways.)
Inspiration-wise… I don’t really have any cool things to say! A lot of my covers are just built off of “vibes” as I create—the pictures, fonts, and styles are sometimes pre-decided, sometimes just born of the process. The Little Sunflower was one of the hardest to design and honestly, I’m still not fully satisfied. The story is a Victorian-style parable, inspired by Mrs. Alfred Gatty’s Parables From Nature, so my story’s cover ended up mimicking the cover of her book (the version by Yesterday’s Classics). Another cover that was born of inspiration was The Colour Red, inspired by a random book I came across (By dint of tracking it down, I found it: Torch Red, by Melody Carlson, which I haven’t read, so I’m not recommending it in any way, shape, or form.) It was also inspired by the older (2018?) covers of Valerie Howard’s New England Inspirations series, particularly Deep Blue Sea. (I still love those covers so much more than the new ones…)
Interesting! Each time I see one of your covers, I always love how unique and original they are, and they turn out so pretty! Now that you mentioned The Little Sunflower, I can see why it might be more of a challenge, but I love how it turned out. Well done!
2. What genre(s) do you consider your books? Is there a genre you haven’t tried writing yet that you would like to?
I consider my genres as historical fiction (specifically ~1830s & ~1880s–1890s Ontario; 1903–1905 & 1936–1940 England; 1934 & 1940s Québec; 1880s Alberta); contemporary fiction; nonmagical historical fantasy; and nonmagical contemporary fantasy. Think L.M. Montgomery mixed with Louisa May Alcott for the his-fic, and maybe Angie Thompson for the contemporary. The historical fantasy is harder to find a similar author for; basically, it’s me writing about the imaginary history of an imaginary country, and mixing in a whole bunch of favourite elements from different historical eras, from Victorian to the Dark Ages… maybe a bit similar to Victoria Lynn’s Chronicles of Elira? Finally, contemporary fantasy is contemporary fiction, but set in an imaginary country, slightly similar to Olivia Lynn Jarmusch’s Tales of Tarsurella.
These are very broad genres, I know, so if I narrow it down a little, I’ve also written WWII fiction, Edwardian fiction, Wild West fiction, comedy, mystery, 1930s fiction, classic novel retellings, children’s animal stories (think Beatrix Potter), fairytale retellings, allegory/parables, kingdom adventure, Christmas, and (sort of) dual timeline. I cannot think of genres I haven’t tried yet, even a little, and would still like to…? Maybe a full-blown detective novel. And a devotional. And a Jacobite novel. And… okay, there’s a lot of other genres I wanna try actually. XD But it’s more about topics than actual genres.
Haha, I think that’s the beauty of stories, there’s always something new to try or to discover. It sounds like your well on your way though. That’s an impressive assortment!
3. Can you tell us a little about your latest release?
Absolutely! A Noble Comfort is a Blue Bird retelling inspired by The Three Musketeers—not a full TM retelling, but you’ll pick out elements. If you’re unfamiliar with “The Blue Bird,” it’s one of the Princess in the Tower, Prince as a Bird type of fairytales. This is a nonmagical retelling, of course; so I had a lot of fun having to flip elements around to make them work. My princess did indeed end up in a tower, but I made my prince a musician instead of a bird, for example. 😉 It’s very much inspired by my favourite classic novels, and it’s not really your typical fantasy retelling/kingdom adventure, starting with the fact that our two main characters do not end up in a romance… and they’re not even the most important characters in the book.
I wrote this story completely blind, while my life was undergoing a lot of shifting and my creative well was pretty dry. It was all God, and I am so blessed to see how he made the story an encouragement to so many readers!
Oooh, that sounds like fun! It’s always fun when a retelling is done in a slightly more subtle, or at least different, way and the author gets creative with the various retelling elements. I also love about how God helped you so much with this one. When we walk by faith, it’s Him who gets the glory, and others (and often the one He’s using) are blessed along the way. It’s such a beautiful testament and reminder of how Awesome God is. May He continue to bless you and lead you in the life He had planned for you.
4. Switching gears, what can you tell us about your upcoming book?
At the moment, I don’t have any upcoming release dates. I have two stories that I am submitting to anthologies, which will (if accepted) be published in 2026/2027. Other than that, we have nothing.
I am currently working on rewriting/expanding my story in the Novelists in November anthology, Act in the Living Present, but it probably won’t be released when it’s finished, partly because I don’t have the rights back yet, partly because I’d like to finish the series before I publish the stories. I will probably work on expanding/rewriting its sequel in the Fingerprints in Frost anthology next (My Roots Shall Run Down), and then on expanding the third story, The Clouds Ye So Much Dread, which is my submission to the Whispers in the Waves anthology. If that’s accepted, then my rights won’t revert to me for that story until a year after the anthology is published (aka 2027 or 2028), so my publication timeline largely depends on when it’s released. Finally, after all that I still have to write the novel that closes this series, Something Bright in All. It’s a WWII retelling of The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and The Railway Children, and I expect it to be massive.
Alternatively, I also plan to work on the sequels to A Noble Comfort, which are An Honourable Assistance and A Gentle Solace. These will be retellings of “The Wild Swans” and Dumas’ Queen Margot, plus The Three Musketeers and “The Blue Bird,” again.
In the meantime, there’ll be a few short stories in anthologies whose rights will/have reverted to me, and I’ll be releasing them as ebooks—The Scent of Apple Blossoms, Autumn Music, The Too Palpable Clue, and probably two other stories.
Hmm, sounds like you’ll be busy, even if it’s a little while before your readers get to enjoy the efforts. I can tell there’s a lot of potential here, and that you’re mind’s already considering your next project, and I love that. It’s always a blessing to be able to create something you enjoy, and the best stories are often a labor of love.
5. What is your favorite thing about being an author? What’s an unexpected challenge you face as an author?
SOMEONE FINALLY ASKED ME THE QUESTION!!! AHHHH, I’ve been planning my answer to that question for ever!!! 😁😁😁😁
Ahem. Sorry. Okay. So my favourite thing about writing is gonna sound a bit cuckoo, but I promise it’s a thing and I’ve heard other writers say this, so I am not an unusual weirdo. So when I start writing a story, I don’t actually plot or brainstorm ahead of time, really. 90% of the time, I start with an idea and a message. Example: for Autumn Music, I started with “autumn aesthetic; writer’s block; Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken.” That was it. Literally. I had no characters, no plot, no theme… I just started to write. It’s one of my favourite stories to date, and God totally wove it together.
Anyways, because of this, I have to do my plotting and brainstorming as the story progresses. Depending on the complexity of the story, I stop multiple times a week or even a day to work through snags. Usually, these are connected to characters, because my stories are all character-driven instead of plot-driven. In Act in the Living Present, for example, I had to figure out why the main character’s older brother was unable to see her for three years, and why her parents neglected her.
As I brainstorm, the character’s personality and backstory come to life bit by bit, until all of a sudden I stumble into this goldmine, with a solid vein running through. I follow that vein and keep digging as long as it stays good, watching in fascination as the reasons for things happening connect to a character’s personality, which then branches out and touches other characters and their personality + backstory, until everything is one great living tapestry of interwoven connections.
I never feel more alive, more creative, than in that moment. The characters live. It’s the craziest thing. You feel like they were just there, existing somewhere, and you just had to tap into it. That is my favourite part of the writing process, and I just can’t help praising God and thanking him for letting us take part in his creativity. I can’t even express how beautiful, how amazing it is!
(Ironically, A Noble Comfort followed few of my usual writing rules. I plotted the story beforehand to make sure I had all the elements retold—though I did end up deviating from said plot slightly. I also didn’t have a message, and trusted God to show me as I wrote—which he did, of course!)
Oh, now I have to answer the “unexpected challenge” part, which I breezed by and totally forgot about. *ponders for fifteen minutes and can’t come up with anything* Ah! You know what, a challenge that was very unexpected for me was the author/bookstagram side of social media. Although I joined Instagram around 2016 (so I’m an OG!) I didn’t become aware of the toxicity in those spaces until a couple years ago. I really struggle with seeing friends fight and take polar opposite opinions, while I tend to be in the middle ground just out of my convictions. Again, that means I have to figure out which “side” or “brand” of social media I want to be aligned with. If you’re friends with someone, people can easily assume you agree with their beliefs and block you as well. That didn’t seem to be a problem when I was a teen.
Finally, I was unprepared for the pressure indie authors began placing on themselves. The “I didn’t go viral,” “I don’t get enough likes,” “I don’t sell enough books,” “I’ve only produced one book in one year” atmosphere… I was not used to this. Originally, the people around me wrote as they could and published as they could. There was no race. They took their time. They didn’t set up release dates and then scramble to finish. They didn’t put so much pressure on themselves to sell so many books or release so many books—out loud, anyways. I didn’t come away feeling guilty for not supporting, or like I wasn’t enough because I too didn’t measure up.
Please note I’m not slamming anyone who does this. If it works for you, I am genuinely delighted for you! If you can get five good books out in a year, that is amazing! I know people who can do both, and I’m thrilled for them. I just find that there’s a pressure and tension that has crept into the author space, and it’s an unexpected challenge for me.
Finally I didn’t join Goodreads until I was 18, I think, and that was when I suddenly realized people were criticizing each other, tearing reviewers or authors apart, and generally being mean and opinionated. That suddenly put a shift in my writing because I realized that anything I wrote had the potential of being scalded by an unhappy reviewer. To this day I struggle to actually sell my books because I feel like people will be less scathing if a book is free, than if they pay for it…
Yay! I’m glad I ended up being the one to ask the question you were waiting for. And that answer! I love that! While not a writer (I’ve dabbled, but never felt the need to actually really write or finish anything, so I consider myself a reader, although I do have a few characters floating around from years ago. lol) you explained it beautifully and I can understand why that would be so exciting! I also loved hearing about your process. It’s so interesting to learn how we each have our own way and style of doing things, and learning what works for each of us.
On the flip-side, I can also completely understand the struggle of social media. It can definitely be a nasty and destructive place. While there’s a lot of good that parts of the bookstagram community (especially with fellow Christians) there is also a lot of polarization and a competitive mindset that is easy to fall into as well. I don’t think you were shaming at all, and actually think you bring up some really good points and provide a helpful and needed perspective on it. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences in response to this question, or these questions rather, haha oops!
6. If you could spend the day with any one of your characters, who would it be, where would you go, and how would you spend the day?
Hm. That is a very hard question. I think Orlando from The Colour Red and the other Colours of Life books… he’s the most vibrant, real version of ME and I would love to see his freedom and happiness and try to emulate it. I think we would hang out at his family’s house and just enjoy ourselves with them.
But I’d also really like to hang out with Thalassa from A Noble Comfort, because I ADORE big beautiful elegant gowns and fancy palaces, and it would be such fun to hang out with her friends. We would go to her mansion and just have a quiet, happy day…
And Myriam & Rupert from the Song of Season series (Act in the Living Present & Co) would be such great friends. Once again, it would be delightful to hang out at home together… maybe in England, with their newfound friends…?
Can I flip a coin to decide??
Sure! I didn’t necessarily mean for this to be a ‘challenge question’ but I can also see how it might be. I love your answers and reasoning though. I think they would all be delightful ways to spend the day!
7. What’s your favorite thing that you’ve written so far? (Book or otherwise) What makes it special?
Oh, mercy.
I have a few stories that I really love in an awestruck, “how-did-I-write-this” way (Autumn Music, My Roots Shall Come Down, and In the Multitude of His Mercy). But my favorite book, in the I-love-everything-about-this-and-it-was-totally-written-for-me way, is A Noble Comfort. I’ve reread that book FOR FUN right after publishing it, which meant rereading it 5 trillion times. I’ve begun annotating it, and I’m losing my mind at all the things I love, so many things on every page… I love the writing, I love the characters, I love the plot, I love the themes, I love the settings, I love everything!!! I am 100% the ideal audience. <3
Aww, I love that! It makes me happy to hear you enjoy something you created so much, and more so in knowing that God helped you every step of the way. There’s just something unspeakably special about that. What a blessing!
8. Do you have a favorite drink or snack you enjoy while writing or editing?
I do not. I never eat while writing, and I don’t drink either, unless it’s random swigs from my waterbottle. What I do do, though, is listen to music. I rarely write without music, usually curated. Instrumental and vocal, by the way! 😉
Interesting. Music has always fascinated me in how it affects us as humans so deeply. I also find it intriguing that one form of art can so deeply inspire another.
9. What message do you hope to convey to your readers through your stories?
Every one of my stories has a different message, ranging from specifically “how to live as a college student when your life is a whirlwind of stress” to generally “trust God.” But I think the recurring message that God places on my heart the most, and that a lot of my messages can be summed up as, is God loves you. He’s not out to get you. He’s not gonna abandon you. He doesn’t expect you to do alone the things too hard for you. He is a good, kind Father who is there in every moment and “all things work together for good.” From that deep belief comes hope, peace, joy, love, and other fruits of the Spirit… and ultimately, I hope to encourage those around me to live in that Spirit.
Wow, that’s powerful. I think the message that God loves you, and that we are never alone if we are in Him, I think those two are two of the most important and most precious messages that we share. Such a beautiful reminder of what truly matters in this life!
10. What’s a piece of advice and some encouragement you can share for someone wanting to become an author?
Every time anyone ever asks me this, I answer the same thing. And I really mean it.
Don’t be in a hurry to publish.
I have been writing for over a decade. I published my first ebook about seven years in. I was published in my first anthology two or three years after. I didn’t publish my first novel until around thirteen years after I started seriously writing. It was worth it. I have seen way too many people publish too early. Many end up unpublishing. It can often be a waste of time and money, and it can even affect your reputation. There is no rush. You don’t have to prove anything. It doesn’t matter how old you are. Hone. Your. Craft. Study. Experiment.
And never think you’ve reached your best. You can always be better. You can always learn. Stay very humble, because it’s all too easy to let pride creep in and control your writing career, and that hurts.
Let your writing take all the time it needs. Good things mature.
I love this, and it’s so true! I also think this is good advice, not just for new and aspiring authors but also a good reminder for those who’ve been writing for years. Sound advice. I love it! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer this one, even though I’m sure you’ve probably seen it countless times. I love hearing each authors advice here, and how it’s always a little different even when the answers are similar, but I think your answer is one of my favorites so far. Straightforward, yet filled with wisdom. Very well put!
What a wonderful interview. I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to get to know Katja a little more and to share her beautiful and heart-felt responses with you all. I hope it was a blessing to you, I know it was a blessing me as I as I reading her answers.
If you want to know more about Katja H. Labonté and her books, or if you are looking for more ways to support her and her stories, be sure to follow her on social media, signup for her newsletter, or subscribe to her blog!
Katja H. Labonté is a bilingual Québécoise (a.k.a. French-Canadian), which is wonderful and very difficult, and although she doesn’t call herself a Mixed Culture Kid, she certainly is one. To make things more interesting, her first name is Scandinavian, which causes some difficulties… francophones skip it entirely in favour of her middle name; anglophones can’t pronounce it at all; both tend to misspell it; and both also tend to misread it as Katie. But she loves how it looks when it is hand-written, so she doesn’t complain too often; and she is more than willing to accept nicknames.
Katja’s main points are that she’s a child of God with a deep love for words; an extreme bibliophile who devours over 365 books a year; and an exuberant writer with a talent for starting short stories that explode into book series. She was homeschooled all her life the Charlotte Mason way and graduated university as a copyeditor, which gives her both heart-eyes happiness and hair-pulling frustration. She spends her days obsessing over dozens of topics she’s excessively passionate about and discussing with anyone long-suffering enough to participate (and that’s why she writes books and blog posts). For a more complete list of her obsessions (we didn’t even mention Sherlock Holmes or the Titanic yet), and for all her links and social media handles, head over to littleblossomsforjesus.wordpress.com.
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September 11, 2025 at 5:16 pm
Thank you so much for having me, Stephanie!!! This was so fun!