Kim Koontz

From an early age, Kim Koontz, author of the three-part series “The Catalyst," has had a vivid imagination and a knack for fictional writing.

“Writing is something that has always come naturally to me,” she said. “I love wordsmithing my way through things. I have an active imagination. I don’t think you can be a writer without an active imagination.”

Koontz describes “The Catalyst” as a cross-genre series.

“It is Christian, historical, fiction and fantasy,” she said.

The book takes place in the early 1900s on a horse farm in Greenville, Iowa. The series follows the character, Benjamin Paulie, on a spiritual, equestrian journey that tests his courage and determination.

With characters of all ages, “The Catalyst” is intended to draw a wide variety of readers.

“There’s not that one blueprint reader that I can target. My youngest reader is eight-years-old. My oldest reader is 81-years-old,” she said.

Koontz’s Christian background has had a considerable impact on her life, and on her writing.

“You don’t have to be a Christian to enjoy the book. There is something in it for everyone. But, there is a spiritual aspect.”

Koontz felt spiritually compelled to write the series. It is her hope that the book impacts readers in a positive way.

“We all have a gift and a talent, and we’re supposed to do something with that,” she said. “For me, it was this story. It’s meant to uplift and connect people.”

The first book of the series, “The Catalyst: The Waiting,” took Koontz four years to write.

“I wrote the first book entirely by hand,” she said. “When typing on the keyboard, there was a disconnect. So, I grabbed a pen and a notebook and that’s where it came out. That’s where the book lived and the characters were able to take root. While writing it, the hours just melted away. I never had writer's block. I never struggled with a scene. It all came so naturally to me.”

Set in the era of The Great Depression, Koonz spent endless hours researching for the book.

“I researched just about everything, every little nuance about that era,” she said. “Writing the book took a lot of imagination, but that wasn’t enough. That only took me so far. It required a lot of research because I wanted the reader to feel like they were there. But I will say, my imagination took me further than any research ever could.”

Currently, Koontz is writing the second book, “The Catalyst: The Gathering.”

“The second book bleeds into World War II,” she said.

“The Catalyst: The Gathering” is slated to be completed by November 2025. Thereafter, she’ll begin writing the final book of the series, “The Catalyst: The Reckoning.”

As a working mother of two teenage boys, “The Catalyst” has been a labor of love that Koontz writes in her spare time.

“I write in the early morning, late at night and on the weekend,” she said. “It’s been great because I can bounce visuals off my sons. They’ve been very supportive. I’ll ask my son, ’Can you visualize this? Does this resonate?’”

When she’s not writing, Koontz is a client service associate at Diversified Portfolio.

“Diversified Portfolio is located in Bloomfield Hills,” she said. “They are geniuses when it comes to finance. I really love where I work.”

When in Bloomfield Hills, Koontz often frequents the Bloomfield Deli.

“There are so many great restaurants in Bloomfield Hills,” she said.

“The Catalyst: The Waiting,” is currently in preorder on Amazon. The book officially launches on September 23, 2025.

Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Laurie Tennent