Kate Moretti, author of the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling novel Thought I Knew You, stops by to talk about her new book, Binds That Tie.
Hi Kate! Welcome to Zigzag Timeline. Can you tell us about
your background as an author?
Well, I have no formal training as a
writer, unless you count writing scientific reports. But I wrote my first novel
in 2011, which later became Thought I Knew You. I learned everything I know
about writing from my editor, Michelle Rever.
“Binds That Tie,” a thriller, is quite different from your
first book, “Though I Knew You,” which is contemporary romance. Why’d you
change genres?
I don’t think I really did switch
genres. Both Thought I Knew You and Binds That Tie have a female main character
with an internal struggle. Thought I Knew You incorporated mystery elements
(where is Greg?) while Binds That Tie did lean more towards a thriller. But
neither book falls squarely in any one genre. I’ve never considered Thought I
Knew You to be a true romance novel. There’s too much that doesn’t fit, nice
and neat.
How have your fans from “Thought I Knew You” reacted to
“Binds That Tie”?
So far the response is positive. I’ve
had one person tell me they liked Thought I Knew You better because Binds was a
bit too dark for them. I can appreciate that.
“Thought I Knew You” recently hit the New York Times Bestseller List.
What’s it like in the stratosphere?
Surreal. I’m actually level headed
about it. I think I write in a very popular genre and my tendency to cross into
mystery or thriller, which are also popular genres, only helps. I think Thought
I Knew You has an absolutely stunning cover, courtesy of Streetlight Graphics.
I spent two years building an audience and collecting reviews. A sale and an ad
sent it sailing. I’m not on any list anymore. I’m a flash in the pan, I tell
ya. But it’s been a blast.
Among your characters in “Binds That Tie”, who's your
favorite? Could you please describe him/her?
Oh they’re all terrible. I love Maggie.
She’s such a mess. And she makes horrible decisions. She’s too used to being
“bossed”: by her sister, her husband, her brother-in-law. She has no idea how
to stand up for herself, until she eventually does. I might be the only one who
cheered her on. Most people hate her.
What's your favorite scene from “Binds
That Tie”? Could you please describe it?
There’s a flashback when Maggie at an
amusement park and her mother is apart from the other mothers, because of how
she dresses and her mannerisms. She’s not a motherly mom. Maggie wanders off
and ends up in the funhouse, staring at herself in the mirror, trying to see if
the funhouse will really make her, for the first time in her life, have fun. But all she wants to do is sleep.
She hides in a janitor’s closet and takes a nap. When her mother finds her, she
yells at her that they shut down the park and she was so humiliated. Maggie
spent most of her childhood thinking the word “humiliated” meant “worried”. She
had no idea it means “ashamed”.
To me, this typifies Maggie’s
relationship with her family. It’s all about what she can do for them, or to
them. None of them care about her.
What's your favorite part of writing? Plotting? Describing
scenes? Dialogue?
When I’m plotting, I like drafting.
When I’m drafting, I like editing. When I’m editing, I can’t wait to get back
to plotting. I’m never satisfied. That being said, the part after the story is
written when you get to go back and just add in characterization and flashbacks
and random description? That part kicks a lot of ass.
If you were to switch genres again, what would you write?
Chick lit. Straight up girly nonsense.
What’s your experience with Red Adept Publishing been like?
I’ve had a great experience with Red
Adept. Their editing is amazing, their covers rock. They are the best small
publisher I know of. They pay for ads, they’re encouraging, they understand
that it takes time to build a fan base. I would never go to another small
publisher.
Did you ever surprise yourself when you were writing your book?
Characters who took on lives of their own? Plot elements that took unexpected
turns?
Always. That’s the best part. Miranda
and Maggie were originally supposed to be best friends. They ruined that on
their own, the jerks.
If you could co-write a book with anyone across time and
space, including famous (or not-so-famous) dead authors, who would you want to
write with?
I don’t know that I could co-write a book with anyone!
Certainly no one famous. I have a wacky way of doing things. I’m erratic and
unreliable. Whoever I picked would hate me, and I’d never want to do that. I prefer to use my writing skills to slyly
duck interview questions.
Thanks for stopping by!
Links:
Links:
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.
Book Page on RAP: http://redadeptpublishing.com/
Author page on RAP: http://redadeptpublishing.
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