For Hub City Times

ARPIN — Kathy Bottensek’s day job is designing homes, but her passion is writing stories, and after many years she has published her first book.

“Bitter Torments, Tender Memories” is a romance mystery Bottensek has been working on since 1982, the year she graduated from high school.

“I started writing as a hobby, taking all the stuff in my head that I wanted to pour out on paper,” she said. “It evolved as I went on. I would write a little chunk, write the ending, and then fill in the middle. As I went back, I kept adding little facets.”

Bottensek added, “You write it for yourself, but you’re also hoping to entertain somebody.”

After sending her manuscript to three different publishers, Bottensek selected Page Publishing in New York. She admitted that seeing her name in print was a thrill that she will not soon forget, “Once I held the book in my hands, it made everything real.”

Bottensek plans to write two more books.

“I used to start writing at bedtime and write until 2 or 3 a.m.,” she says. “Now, I write as soon as I get out of bed. It’s the first thing I think about doing.”