An Interview With Katherine Camp! And a Giveaway!

I am so excited about this interview today because it's always been one of my goals to use this blog to showcase other writers.  So when Kate asked me if I'd help her spread the word about her book, I was almost giddy with excitement at saying yes.  Plus, she's adorable.  Just look at that picture.  You can't say no to that.

So, without further adieu (and yes, I am saying that in a VERY drawn out French accenty type way), I give you Kate Ellison*, a blogger who may be found at Southern Scrawl and the author of the recently released novel, The Curse Girl.

(Her answers will be in blue, and any responses I might have will be in pink)

Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself.  How long have you been writing?  What's your favorite genre?  What's your favorite thing to do when you're not writing? I've been making up stories since I can remember--at least since I was 5 or 6 years old. I penned my first story at age 8. I've been writing ever since. My favorite genre is probably a tie between science fiction and fantasy (I read more sci fi and write more fantasy). When I'm not writing, I am usually reading, playing with my cats, or surfing the internet. I know, such a party girl ;-)


If you only had 150 characters to describe your book, what would you say? A 17-year-old girl must solve a witch's riddle and break the curse that keeps her and a boy she despises captive inside a magical house before time runs out. (confession, I went over by 7 characters... )


Unacceptable!  :P  But I love that description!  It makes me want to buy the book right now!


How did you come up with the concept for your book? I actually remember quite clearly how the idea came to me. The power had gone out in our house, and my husband and I eating pizza by candlelight in our kitchen. I'd grabbed a mirror to put under the candle to enhance the light, and I had this vivid, fully-formed image suddenly fill my imagination--a girl holding a candle, walking all alone in a pitch-dark ballroom and stumbling upon her own reflection in a giant mirror. She thinks she catches sight of someone behind her, but when she turns, they're gone. I started exploring that image, trying to find the story behind it, and it morphed into a very loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a modern, spunky flavor. I love rewriting fairy tales. There's so much creativity unleashed through structure (for me), like writing a sonnet.


Who's your favorite character from your book, and why? My favorite character is Will (the "beast" according to legend). He's sort of the typical handsome, spoiled rich boy, and he's initially very snarky. He and Beauty (the main female character) don't get along at all in the beginning. It's a tempestuous attraction. I cracked up writing a lot of his dialogue. 


When will your book be available and where? The Curse Girl is available now on Amazon for the Kindle, Barnes and Noble for the Nook, and Smashwords for all formats. I am planning to make it available in print at a later date. Soon, if all goes well. 


Yay!  How exciting!  I'll have to check it out on Amazon today.  :)


What's your favorite part of writing? Definitely coming up with the idea, and then being finished with the whole book (edits and all). 


Least favorite? My least favorite part of writing is when I've run into a plot snag or character motivation problem, and I feel like I'm butting my head against a brick wall. It's very frustrating. 


What does your workspace look like? I write on my laptop, which I move all over the house. I usually write on my couch, or on my bed. The general area surrounding me usually includes a lot of dirty dishes, books, my Kindle, and one or two cats curled up on my feet or lap or in a nearby chair (they insist on being with me at all times).


What's your kryptonite?  I.e. what's the thing that mosts tempts you away from working on your writing? Twitter orYoutube, usually. But a word on Twitter--it has been one of the best tools of my career so far, so I can't complain about it too much. I've meet so many marvelous people through it.


It's the zombie apocalypse, so what one thing do you save?  Oh, and how on earth did you manage to survive?! My laptop. Is there still internet access!? Seriously though, that thing has a lot of important information on it. And pictures. And stories. And a calculator. But this is only if I can continue to charge it, naturally. Otherwise it's useless except for wacking the undead. On the survival bit, I'm actually writing a zombie novel that explores that very question. Personally, I think I'd need to get my hands on non-perishable food and guns, a car with good mileage or maybe a motorcycle (gas is probably scarce at this point), and then I need to get out of the city and into the country as soon as possible. The best place to be is somewhere big and open so I can see the zombies coming for miles. (How's that for an in-depth answer? Yes, I totally think about these things at night when I'm trying to sleep ...) 


Don't forget the grenade launcher.  Everybody always forgets the grenade launcher. :)  Oh, and a tank.  That's the best way to beat the undead--staying safe in an armored vehicle while you blast them to smithereens (or run them over).  


Is there anything else you'd like us to know?  If you like love stories with a bit of sass, or if you like mysteries, quirky magic, or snarky humor, definitely check The Curse Girl out! Also, THANK YOU Emily for having me, it's been fun!


And thank you, Kate, for coming by!!!  


Now for all you, dear readers, Katherine has kindly offered to give away a book (ebook only at this point) to one very lucky winner!  Just leave a comment some time between now and Wednesday and I'll pick a name out of the great and amazing contest bowl!


Good luck!  And stop by Katherine's blog today!  


*Edit: Katie has started going by Kate Ellison, so yeah, sorry for the confusion.  :(  By the way, I just love that name!