Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Welcome back to the Best of 2012 Event! I'm here today with one Super-Epic author! Welcome to Cat Patrick, author of Forgotten and Revived.
Cat Patrick is an author of books for teens. Her debut novel, FORGOTTEN, is about a girl who can remember the future instead of the past. Patrick's second (unrelated) novel, REVIVED, is about a girl who's part of a secret government program to test a drug that brings people back from the dead. Patrick lives near Seattle with her husband and twin 3-year-olds, and is afraid of zombies, planes, and zombies on planes. About Cat
THE INTERVIEW:
What made you want to become a writer? Was it a favorite author? Event? Inspiration?
I can't remember one specific driving force other than the fact that writing always felt like breathing to me--something I needed to do. If I don't write for a period of time, I start to feel off.
Describe your book in 5 words.
Forgotten: Girl remembers future/forgets past.
Revived: For Daisy, death is optional.
In one sentence, what makes your books unique?
I like to write about abnormal people living in our normal world. I hope that what makes my books unique is that the characters/situations feel like they could actually happen despite being completely, utterly made up.
Hardest part of the writing process for you?
I don't love copyediting. Those are the final, picky edits that happen after you've already spent a ton of time writing and and rewriting and perfecting the book. Copyedits always come at a time when I feel like I want the book to be "out there" already.
What inspired the idea for your books/series? Was it a random flash or based off something?
I got the idea for Revived after reading about a stroke drug that could potentially jolt patients back to normal, right around the time a family friend died from cancer. I wondered: What if there were a drug that could bring you back to life?
If your character had to be renamed what would it be?
I spend a lot of time naming my characters. I can't imagine them as anything other than who they are.
Most important thing in a strong Love Interest?
Imperfection. There is no such thing as a perfect guy.
You're stranded on a desert island with one book. What is it?
Choose Your Own Adventure, so it was different every time...haha.
What is your favorite kind of scene to write (ie. Death, Action, Kissing...)?
All of the above! I love getting swept up in whatever I'm writing...falling in love with the love interest or scaring myself in a tense moment. If I'm not feeling it, the reader won't either.
Why did you choose to write for YA?
The first good idea I got happened to be about a teenager. I found that I loved writing YA and hope to stick with it for a long time.
What is the best piece of advice you could give to an aspiring author?
Early on, my agent told me to, when stuck, walk away. And I'm not talking for five minutes...more like five weeks. It's torture, because all you want to do is try to mess with the book. But every time, a little distance makes the holes/issues more obvious.
What is one of the first things you do to get your know your character a little more?
I use my baby name book and figure out their name--first, middle and last--with meanings and nicknames and everything. Then a lot of times, I'll search photos on the internet for someone who looks like I'm envisioning. That helps me describe them to readers.
Would you say that Forgotten or Revived was funner to write?
Forgotten, for sure. I wrote it before writing was my job...it was purely a hobby. When I wrote Revived, I was under contract to write it, which is amazing but also adds a certain amount of pressure to the process.
Was there any kind of switch you had to make when transitioning from your hard-core contemporary novel to a new one with a Sci-Fi twist?
That's funny: I see them as being in the same genre...Strange in Normalville.
Is there anything you hope your readers will get out of your books?
I think both of the books are ultimately about liking yourself and appreciating what you have in your life, however strange or different it may seem to others.
What can you tell us about your upcoming book, The Originals?
The Originals is about three clones living as one person in order to avoid their past. I'm so excited for it to come out in May!
SPEED ROUND:
Donuts or Bagels?
M&Ms or Skittles?
Root Beer Floats or Ice Cream Sundaes?
Book or Movie Adaption?
Thor or Captain America?
Blonde or Brunette?
Plaid or Polka Dots?
Mess or Organization?
Mixed-Up Memory or Revived Life?
WRAP-UP
TONS of love and hugs to Cat for stopping by! She is one EPIC lady and her books are really fun! I'm super psyched to be getting to Revived soon and I really enjoyed Forgotten. If you haven't read them, get on it! Oh and don't miss the GIVEAWAY OF EPIC PROPORTIONS. The list is growing. Forgotten is now an option! YAY! Happy Tuesday! See ya tomorrow with a Guest Blogger and some Hyperventilation!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Grab My Button!
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Heyo! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! I love to hear from my awesome-sauce blog readers. You just made my day! I try to reply to every comment I get so if you have a question check back later! Or just link me up to your blog (if you have one) and I'll visit you! Have a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day! <333 Inky