Midnight Bloom Reads: Katie Dale

3 Stars

Little White Lies by Katie Dale

10:00 AM

2012 Debut Author Challenge

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

8:00 AM

Author Interview

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.

4) In the novel, Rosie learns secrets about her family that she would never have dreamed to guess. If you could live a day in someone else's life, who would you choose?

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 26^th: Guest Post & Giveaway at Evie Bookish

Tuesday, March 27^th: Q&A at XpressoReads

Wednesday, March 28^th: Guest Post & Giveaway at All I Ever Read

Thursday, March 29^th: Q&A at Book Nerd

Friday, March 30^th: Q&A at Midnight Bloom Reads