Someone Else's Life Blog Tour! Author Interview with... Katie Dale
12:00 AM
I'm excited to be taking part today in the Canadian Blog Tour for Katie Dale's YA debut novel, Someone Else's Life! If you're looking for a heartfelt contemporary novel with an appeal for both YA and adult readers, then I'm sure you'll be interested in taking a closer look at Someone Else's Life.
Thanks to Random House Canada, I was able to ask Katie Dale a few questions...
Fans of Jodi Picoult, Caroline B. Cooney, and Lurlene McDaniel--teens and adults alike--will relish this thrilling emotional rollercoaster ride as a web of family secrets brought to light devastates lives on both sides of the Atlantic.When 17-year-old Rosie's mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington's disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty percent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when Rosie tells her mother's best friend, "Aunt Sarah," that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie wasn't her real mother after all. Rosie was swapped at birth with a sickly baby who was destined to die.Devastated, Rosie decides to find her birth mother in California. But all does not go as planned. As Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonizing decision of her own, one which will be the most heart breaking and far-reaching of all.
1) Who was your favourite character to write about in Someone Else's Life?
Kitty
was a great character to write about – she’s such a personality, and
her dialogue is often quite snappy, so her scenes are often quite
dramatic and glamourous. However, I think Jack was my favourite
character, as he tries so hard to do the right thing by everyone even
though he’s completely stuck in the middle of a terrible situation.
2) What kind of research was involved in understanding Huntington's Disease and making it an important part of your novel?
I
had never heard of Huntington’s disease before I started writing
Someone Else’s Life, so it was really important to me to make sure I got
all my facts right and gave an authentic and accurate portrayal of the
devastating disease. I consequently spent a long time researching the
disease and talking to and meeting with people who have or are affected
by Huntington’s – some of the most inspiring and courageous people I’ve
ever met.
3) Your debut novel brings a whole new level to the complexities of
family relationships. What was the most challenging aspect about writing
Someone Else's Life?
The most challenging and time-consuming
aspect was researching Huntington’s disease. I found I could imagine
myself in most of the characters’ difficult family situations, but it
was most difficult when it came to Huntington’s disease, and accurately
portraying the heartbreaking effects of the terrible disease. So it was
important to me to take the time to get it right, and be authentic.
That’s a tough one. I think living a
day in anyone else’s life would be fascinating and eye-opening, indeed
that’s one of the things I love most about writing and acting – putting
myself in someone else’s shoes for a while and imagining what life must
be like for them. I think I’d choose to live a day in the life of
someone in a third world country, as I think we could all stand to be
reminded of how lucky we are and just how much we take for granted in
life.
5) Can you tell us more about the next novel you're working on for readers to enjoy?
Yes! The next book is another stand-alone YA, but this time it’s more of a thriller – here’s the blurb:
Tall,
dark, and handsome, the first time Lou meets mysterious Christian she
knows he is The One. But Christian is hiding a terrible secret. Why does
he clam up every time Lou asks about his past? Why does he have the
initials L.N. engraved on his watch? Why doesn’t he have any family –
and why does he dye his blond hair black? Then when Christian’s house goes up in flames, his tires are slashed, and he flees for his life, Lou insists on going with him.
But
as Christian’s secret is unveiled in front of the whole world, it seems
everything he’s ever told Lou is a lie. Even his name. Her loyalties
torn, her emotions in tatters, Lou must decide whether to stand by the
man she loves, or turn him over to his pursuers. Can what they’re saying
about him really be true? Should she trust him? Or is she in terrible
danger…?
But Christian isn’t the only one keeping secrets. For what if their accidental meeting was no accident at all…
*****
Thanks so much to Katie Dale for answering my questions! If you'd like to learn more about Someone Else's Life, you can visit Katie Dale's author website.
I'm the final stop on the Someone Else's Life Blog Tour, but here are the blogs where you can check out the earlier stops during the week:
Monday, March 26th:
Guest Post & Giveaway at Evie Bookish
Tuesday, March
27th: Q&A at XpressoReads
Wednesday, March
28th: Guest Post & Giveaway at All I Ever Read
Thursday, March
29th: Q&A at Book Nerd
Friday, March 30th:
Q&A at Midnight Bloom
Reads
2 comments
What a lovely interview!
ReplyDeleteI have this in my wish list and it was nice to hear from the author! D
This looks really good!
ReplyDelete