First off I want to thank Katie for taking the time out of her hectic schedule to answer some questions for us today. As you all know I am such a HUGE fan of Pushing The Limits and I knew that I needed to pick Katie's brain.
Where did your inspiration for PTL come from?
I was actually writing another book when I stumbled across the
voice of Echo. When my character broke out into “How much wood would a woodchuck
chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood” then later wished she would
spontaneously combust, I knew I had found someone new…someone whose wit made me
laugh, but whose hurt made me ache.
I write love stories so I free wrote for awhile in order to find
the perfect guy for Echo—that one person who could help her with her pain. This
person was Noah.
How many drafts did you go through before it became just right?
I typically have two to three drafts of a novel before I consider
it done, but…I continually go through the draft and make changes
as I write so it is continually evolving.
Are the character's based on anyone or purely fictional?
My characters aren’t based on anyone I know. Instead of basing my
characters off of someone, I put a piece of myself, no matter how small, into
each of my characters. Echo has my sarcasm, Beth encompasses my fears, Isaiah
and Lila share my loyalty, and Noah has my passion to love.
Echo and Noah come from extremely different backgrounds. Did you always have
this in mind?
Yes. I wanted to write characters who were, on paper, opposites of
each other, but faced very similar emotional problems.
The chemistry between Noah and Echo is incredible. How were you able to balance
it so well without going over the top?
Thank you! I think the best answer to this is my constant rereading
of scenes. I write what I like to read and then as I reread what I wrote, I
change things if I feel like something is too much or causes me to roll my
eyes. I want to have butterflies when I read. Even if I’m the person who wrote
the scene.
When did you realize that you wanted to become a full time author?
Writing chose me. I’m a stay at home mom of three very active
children and writing is my passion. I’m very blessed to have the opportunity to
publish my stories. At heart, I still consider myself a full time mom. J
Did you ever expect PTL to have as much success as it has had?
No. Most days I have to pinch myself so I know I’m not dreaming.
Are you interested in writing any other genre besides contemporary?
Contemporary is my first love! Maybe someday I’ll write something
else, but for now I’m sticking with contemp.
Beth was given a great opening in PTL. Did you always know that you would write
a story just for her?
I knew I would write Beth’s story when Noah walked into the house and
found her bruised and bleeding at the kitchen table. My heart broke for her in
that moment and I knew I had to get her story down on paper as soon as I could.
Thankfully, my readers don’t have to wait too long to read Beth’s
story. Dare You To is scheduled to be released on May 28, 2013.
Find Katie
So as a way to make this more fun and if you read my 2012 Wrap Up and 2013 Resolution post, you know that I want to participate in more challenges and be more interactive and since I have found a new love with Contemporary YA novels I thought this challenge would be perfect!
