GIVEAWAY / INTERVIEW WITH DEBUT AUTHOR/ CHARACTERS FOR YA BOOK PUSHING THE LIMITS - KATIE MCGARRY , NOAH AND ECHO - HARLEQUIN TEEN

Today on NOVELS ON THE RUN I have a wonderful interview with author Katie McGarry and her characters Noah and Echo. I can not express how much I loved this book. It is a very heartfelt read . 

My review for Pushing The Limits

INTERVIEW


Welcome Katie, Echo and Noah to Novels On The Run.

Michelle:   Katie, what a powerfully emotional story you wrote. I think every reader will be hard pressed not to shed a tear with your words. I can only imagine what it did to you writing about Noah and Echo. You can feel it in your words. I wanted to ask you about Mrs Collins. I really loved her character. Is she based on somebody you know? 

Katie:  Thank you for your kind words about Pushing the Limits. To answer your question, no, Mrs. Collins isn’t based on anyone I know. Instead of basing my characters off of someone, I typically put a piece of myself, no matter how small, into each of my characters. Echo has my sarcasm, Beth encompasses my fears, Isaiah and Lila share my loyalty, and Noah has my passion to love. 

Michelle:  I understand from when you signed the contract until now it has taken two years for your book to be released. The publishers obviously loved it. What was it like for you waiting to find out what the bloggers/reviewers thought of your debut story as it is not released to the public yet. How did you react once you started seeing the positive response to your heartfelt work? 

Pushing The Limits - Releases 31st July 2012

Katie:  The wait honestly wasn’t difficult. I actually signed on with my publisher in the fall of 2010 so it’s only been a little longer than a year and a half. I know it sounds like a big time gap, but when you think of everything that goes into publishing a book (cover design, revisions, line edits, copy edits, promotion, marketing, etc.) the time flew by. 

Thus far I’ve been very humbled and awestruck at the response. At BEA, I met a wonderful group of book bloggers and one of them had read the book. When she began telling me how much she enjoyed it, I think I went into shock. My brain stopped working, my heart paused, and I froze like a deer in headlights. There was no way she was talking about me. I mean, is it possible that someone really enjoyed my book? 

She was very gracious when my brain began functioning again and I was able to stutter out a “Thank you.” 

Michelle:   Hi Noah, I think you are going to have yourself quite a few fans when Katie’s book is released. How do you think you will handle the excitement? 

Noah:  Fine. I’ve got two best friends who have no problem reminding me of who I am, plus I’ve got an awesome girl. 

Michelle:  You and Mrs Collins have this relationship I adore. She is quite a caring lady. What words would you use to describe her? 

Noah:  Annoying, persistent, and an awful driver, but she’s also smart and she gets a lot of things about me that others don’t. 

Michelle:  Hi Echo, can you tell us a bit about your art. What type of art would you say is your style? I really enjoyed the scenes where you picked up a brush. 

Echo:  I consider myself an impressionist. Think of Monet or Degas, but I’m not nearly as good as them. A few of the pieces that I painted while trying to reclaim my memory are more abstract expressionist. Think Jackson Pollock for this, but once again, I’m not nearly that good. 

Michelle:   Echo, what would be the one thing people would have written in your high school yearbook? 

Echo:  I guess most people would probably write, “It was nice hanging out once or good luck.” My life completely changed in high school and so did my circle of friends. Lila though, my best friend,—she’d take up entire pages recounting our every moment together. 

Michelle:  Noah, what would have been the one thing people would have written in your high school yearbook? 

Noah:  That would have required me to buy a yearbook. I was saving my paychecks to find a place for me and my brothers to live after graduation. 

Michelle:  Noah, what tangible object symbolizes you most? 

Noah:  I’d say my leather jacket. I use it to warn the world to stay away from me and it can keep Echo safe and warm when she forgets her coat. Which by the way, is often. 

Michelle:  Now for my musical questions as I love to hear what music links characters and their relationships.Noah could you please give me a song for each of these that you feel represents the person and why? 

Noah: 

 Echo

 'Nothing Else Matters' by Metallica. 

I think of her when I hear the lyrics: 'I never opened myself this way, life is ours, we live it our way' 

Mrs Collins

Dr. Dre’s 'I Need a Doctor' featuring Eminem.

A lot of that song captures how I feel about her. She gave me hope when I was in a bad spot. Believed in me when no one else did.

Grace

'What Its Like' by Everlast.

Doesn’t represent her, but maybe she should try listening to it before she tries talking to Echo again. 

Michelle:  Echo, could you please give me a song for each of these that represents the person and why? 

Noah

I smile every time I hear 'Beast of Burden' by The Rolling Stones. It always reminds me of his sexy egotistical swagger when he’s coming onto me. Everything about him makes me smile. 

Mrs Collins

It probably sounds silly, but I think of 'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor when I think of Mrs. Collins. She just has this awesome attitude about her and she taught me how to bring out my own bit of attitude. She also taught me that I will survive everything that has happened.

Beth

I know just a little bit about Beth’s past so I’d have to say 'Farmer’s Daughter' by Crystal Bowersox .

Michelle:  Katie, could you please give me a song for each of these that represents them and why? 

Noah and Echo’s friendship

'Push' by Matchbox Twenty.

Echo and Noah never push each other physically, but they are always pushing the other in the area of trust. As in, you can trust me, but can I trust you? 

Beth and Isaiah’s friendship

'Somewhere With You' by Kenny Chesney

These two share a very complicated friendship and this song describes it to me. You’ll learn more about them in the upcoming novel, Dare You To. 

Isaiah

'Shimmer' by Fuel

Isaiah is a great guy, but there is a lot of hurt buried in him. I always thought of his pain when I heard the lyric: 'All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade away again.' 

Echo’s mum (Sorry, I couldn’t think of one for her) 

From these songs I am seeing the kleenex coming out again for Beth's story. I had better stock up.

Michelle:  Katie, is there a YA author who has grabbed your attention the most and why? 

Katie:  I recently read an ARC of Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter and it completely sucked me in and blew me away. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. It was one of those books that I have to read again because I know I missed stuff because I inhaled it so quickly. It has a fantastic plot and the hero is burning hot. 

Michelle:  Katie, is there anything you have learned from writing ‘Pushing The Limits?’ 

Katie:  Yes. I lost my best friend quite a few years ago, but I hadn’t realized how much grief I had held onto until I wrote this story. As Echo and Noah worked their grief, I also discovered I was working through mine. 

Michelle:  Katie, is there anything special you will do for yourself on the day your book hits the book store shelves? 

Katie:  To keep my nerves at bay, I’ll probably try to go about my business as normal. I will be reading from the book at Carmichael’s, a local bookstore, later that night and will sign after the reading. 

Michelle:  Dared You To is the companion novel , Beth’s story is there a quote you could give us from this book? I am rather keen to read Beth’s story. 

Katie:  Why her? Why tonight? There’s a dare and I’m going to win. “Counter’s a little slow tonight.” 

She (Beth) glares at me like I’m a little slow. “Are you speaking to me?” – First Chapter of DARE YOU TO, Ryan’s Point of View 

Thank you Katie, Noah and Echo for answering my questionsJ



Michelle

GIVEAWAY TIME

 1 x Pushing The Limits Paperback

Aussie Entries Only Sorry

Harlequin Teen are kindly donating

Thankyou!

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Giveaway starts now!

Finishes 10th August 2012
 Midnight Aussie Time

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Have a great week!!

WINNER IS KALAYSN!!
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