Today I'd like to welcome Katie Kacvinsky to LWS!*cheers*
If you haven't put Awaken her debut YA Dystopia novel on your wish lists you should!
This interview is also in coordination with A Cornucopia of Dystopia and I'd like to thank Casey and Danya for setting it up!
About Katie Kacvinsky Katie Kacvinsky worked in the entertainment industry and as a high school English teacher before deciding to write full time. She currently lives in Corvallis, Oregon. (From hmhbooks.com)
Andrea: Can you please sum up Awaken in a sentence for those followers who haven’t found out about your great novel, yet.
Katie: One sentence? That’s tough. Awaken is a dystopian romance about a girl who lives almost completely inside a digital world until someone helps her wake up and discover how to be human again.
Andrea: Tell us a little about yourself, we know you’re a writer but what are your favorite things and what do you do other than write?
Katie: A little bit about myself, okay, I’ll tell you three things. 1) I attempt to play the guitar but I mostly do Adam Sandler covers, 2) It is my dream to one day sell a screenplay (other than books, movies are my passion), and 3) The most random thing I own is a straw that Quentin Tarantino drank out of. I used to waitress in Los Angeles and I waited on Quentin. When he left the restaurant, I kept his straw and I am not ashamed.
Andrea: Out of all your characters in Awaken who was your favorite to write about? Or which character did you connect with the most?
Katie: Well, I had a pretty rebellious streak growing up, so I do connect with Maddie but I had the most fun writing Justin. He has so many layers to him; it was a challenge to get to develop his character.
Andrea: What inspired you to write Awaken?
Katie: I looked around at trends I saw happening and extrapolated them: social networking, all the new digital and electronic devices on the market, the environment slowly being depleted of resources…
Andrea: After reading your novel I looked back at my own electronic use, and was shocked by the amount of time I spend with them. Do you have any tips for are now electronic stocked world?
Katie: Tips? Well, texting makes you go cross eyed, cell phones probably cause brain tumors, radiation from computer screens causes skin breakouts and Facebook is actually spy software developed by the government to keep an eye on you. Okay, just kidding. My advice is to limit yourself. One day a week, turn your cell phone off. One day a week, keep your computer and your TV off. Use that time to read or be outside or spend one on one time with a friend. Be in the moment.
Andrea: Are you working on any new novels at this time? I’m crossing my fingers that there’s a sequel to Awaken, are you perhaps working on that?
Katie: I am currently doing edits for the next book Houghton Mifflin Harcourt signed, titled First Comes Love. It’s teen fiction, an angst teen love story and I absolutely love it. I am also working on a sequel to Awaken. Maddie and Justin’s story definitely needs to continue.
Andrea: Do you have anything you’d like to add?
Katie: Spoiler Alert: If anyone asked me what my favorite scene is in Awaken, or the one I am most proud of writing, it is hands down the kissing scene—the first kissing scene. I thought it was pretty awesome. I hope you all like it.
Thanks Katie for the wonderful interview! And I hope you have a successful book launch of Awaken in May!
Check Out Awaken! In Stores May 23rd, 2011.
1 Loud Comments:
Fantastic interview. I look forward to reading Awaken.
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