Q&A with Kathleen Barber

 

 

 

Kathleen Barber is the author of the new novel Both Things Are True. Her other books include Truth Be Told. She lives in Washington, D.C. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Both Things Are True, and how did you create your character Vanessa?

 

A: Both Things Are True is a combination of many different inspirations, most notably influencer culture and the idea of being a “Main Character” on the internet.

 

As an elder millennial, I’ve long been intrigued (and lightly confounded) by lifestyle influencers. (My novel Follow Me explores this!) More recently, I’d become interested in yoga influencers and what I see as a fundamental dissonance between traditional yoga principles and the hyper-consumerism and “look at me”-ness of influencing.

 

Vanessa personifies that tension … and has to figure out what’s most important after her public persona is tarnished.

 

Vanessa’s good name is besmirched by association with her ex, who has allegedly been running a crypto scheme, and I was inspired to write that situation after watching the Fyre Festival documentaries.

 

I was intrigued by the way the organizer—who comes across, at least in the documentaries, as an obvious con—clearly believed he was the hero of the story. I was curious what it would be like to be intimately involved with someone like that, and how that involvement could derail your own life.

 

Vanessa’s ex bankrupting his crypto exchange and fleeing the country upends Vanessa’s entire existence, and she’s forced to strip away all the flash and glamour from her life to get back to what really matters.

 

Q: The author Meredith Schorr said of the book, “Kathleen Barber’s transition from suspense to romance is seamless, and I’m already anxiously and impatiently awaiting her next book.” What do you think of that description, and why did you decide to switch from suspense to romance?

 

A: I’m so grateful to Meredith for taking the time to read and endorse Both Things Are True! (If you haven’t yet read Meredith’s newest, Roommating, consider this your official recommendation!) I haven’t given up on suspense (in fact, look for a thriller in 2026!), but I loved getting the chance to dip my writing fingers into a rom-com.

 

A couple of years ago, I was on a writing retreat with friends (including Suzanne Park and Kristin Rockaway, both of whom generously blurbed this book!), and they were all working on either rom-coms or book club fiction projects … and seemingly having a blast. Meanwhile, I was struggling with this suspense novel that I just couldn’t work out.

 

I decided to give writing a rom-com a try, even though I was intimidated to write in a new genre. Ultimately, what I learned was that rom-coms and suspense novels aren’t that different: both need compelling characters, propulsive action, tension, and great dialogue.

 

The main difference is that suspense readers expect a twist at the end, whereas rom-com readers want a happily ever after. I love writing both rom-coms and suspense novels, and I hope to write many more of each!

 

Q: The novel is mostly set in Chicago--why did you choose that setting?

 

A: I love Chicago! I live in Washington, D.C., but I grew up in Galesburg, Illinois, which is approximately a three-hour Amtrak ride away from Chicago.

 

I loved family excursions there to visit museums, shop, and sightsee, and later, I went to law school in Chicago (like Vanessa’s sister Faith). Readers can find nods to my years in Chicago sprinkled throughout the book. For example, Faith’s apartment is on the corner of Surf and Sheridan, which is where I used to live.

 

Also, in one of my favorite scenes, Vanessa and Sam visit a bar called Friar Tuck, which was one of my frequent law school haunts—and it really does (or at least, it did the last time I checked) have both a Hat Night and an inflatable sheep.

 

Q: What do you think the story says about second chances?

 

A: Both Things Are True is a second-chance romance, but it’s not just about Vanessa and Sam getting a do-over. It’s about Vanessa getting a second chance with her whole life: So many of her previous choices (moving to New York, getting engaged to Jack) were made out of fear, and now she has an opportunity to make different choices and finally get a life that will make her happy.

 

The catalyst for Vanessa’s change is dramatic—her fiancé fleeing the country, leaving her reputation in tatters—but a person doesn’t need to hit rock bottom to decide to take another path. I believe this book shows that the path to reinventing yourself can be bumpy but ultimately worth it.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m currently drafting another rom-com that (I hope!) will appeal to readers of Both Things Are True. I’m a little too superstitious to get into the details of the book at this point, but I will say that I’m trying my hand at the enemies-to-lovers trope!

 

Also, I’m looking ahead to the publication of Sisterhood Above All, a thriller set during sorority rush that I wrote with #BamaRush TikToker Amayah Shaienne — look for that in July 2026!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m currently drafting another rom-com that (I hope!) will appeal to readers of Both Things Are True.

 

Visit me online at kathleenbarber.com, or you can subscribe to my (infrequently published) Substack at kathleenbarber.substack.com and find me on Instagram at @katelizabee!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Kathleen Barber.