First-time author Kate McGrath is a storyteller at heart. She spent her career in public relations and communications, refining messages and giving voice to the accomplishments and priorities of others. Now in her debut book, "The Funny Side of Widowhood," she turns that skill inward, offering a narrative that is universal as well as personal. A native New Yorker, Kate has been privileged to represent clients from several of the business sectors that have made the Big Apple famous: fashion, advertising, hospitality and Broadway. She modeled for Clairol shampoo and wrote copy for Women's Wear Daily, and started her own agency, KM Media Productions. She is most proud of creating and producing a nationally syndicated radio show, The Broadway Hour, that featured interviews with the theater's leading actors, directors, and playwrights. Kate chose to broadcast the show from the Algonquin Hotel, a legendary hangout for writers and actors. She carefully preserved and archived The Broadway Hour episodes, which today can be heard on Buzzsprout and Spotify.Kate learned about not burying leads and double-checking facts from her husband, journalist Dick Oliver. He was a Vietnam War correspondent for United Press International, a managing editor for the New York Daily News, a radio host, and a longtime TV reporter for Good Day New York. Kate lives in Manhattan, and when she's not writing, she volunteers her communication and marketing skills to a nonprofit and tries to conquer her stage fright by writing and performing stand-up routines at local open mic events.