The intrepid journalist mom has lifted her evening news anchor and set sail once again for the world of daytime TV.

Let’s talk about your new ABC hour-long talk show, Katie.
I’m very excited about it! With Katie I’ll be able to talk with interesting and accomplished people doing incredible things … some famous, some not—and we won’t have to play beat-the-clock.

How does it differ from your other gigs?
the luxury of time is something that is harder and harder to find on television these days. So I’m thrilled to be able to roll up my sleeves and go deeper with people and important topics. It’s incredibly creative and exciting to take a blank canvas and express yourself, and let others on the show express themselves as well.

You seem really busy! How do you manage work and family?
As a single mom, it’s definitely challenging. Add trying to have a social life and it can get even trickier. I try to limit the things I do at night and not travel too much. If I do have to be away for work, I make sure I’m home for the nights before I leave and build in plenty of time at home once I return.

How do you and your daughters, Ellie [21] and Carrie [16], spend time together?
Ellie’s away at school, but carrie and I make dinner together from soup to nuts every sunday night. I always go apple picking with both my girls in the fall. We love our vegetable garden and cooking when friends come over.

Basically your whole career has been in TV. What are some of your must-see shows?
Carrie and I often watch Glee together. Ellie loves Mad Men, and we’ll watch it on DVD. That inevitably leads to conversations about the changing roles of women. I can’t get either one of my daughters to watch Dancing with the Stars with me, though! That show is my true TV guilty pleasure.

We hope to see you on it someday! Meanwhile, our readers ask if you have advice for moms striving to do it all?
It’s incredibly important to make time for yourself, and I find that exercising really helps with my energy level. But my biggest advice would be to be kind to yourself. Kids really know how to push your guilt button. Sometimes you deserve it, and sometimes you don’t. And remember, if you have a teen, don’t take her words personally. If you did, you’d spend the whole day crying!