Hi Molly Kate! It’s wonderful to have you visit with us today. I have lots of questions for you. Let’s get to them…
What is one
favorite quote?
It is
not our abilities that show what we truly are...it is our choices. Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
What inspired you
to write your first book?
My first “book” will never be
published. My daughter had been really
sad that the Harry Potter series ended.
As a fun challenge for myself (and a treat for her), I wrote “my”
version of what the next year would entail for the Harry Potter
characters. It was simply for fun, but
it showed me that I could write a novel-length story. I also learned just how much I enjoyed
writing. After completing that story, I
began working on original fiction.
Do you write in
more than one genre?
Yes,
although I’m currently only published in romantic suspense. I have a
young adult romance (with a dash of paranormal) in the works. I’ve also
just begun a contemporary romance that I hope to develop into a series.
How much of the
book is realistic or based on real life?
Small
Town Secrets is
somewhat autobiographical. I hadn’t realized how much of myself I’d put
into the story until my husband read it and commented on it. I knew that
I found writing it to be oddly therapeutic, and I suppose that’s because I’ve
seldom discussed that part of my background with others.
Are there any new
authors that have grabbed your interest?
I
recently finished reading Deep Autumn Heat by Elisabeth Barrett. I
really loved her writing style and the small town she built as the story
developed. I haven’t had a chance to read the next book in the series
yet, but I really thought the first story was excellent.
If you had to do it
all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Originally, Small Town Secrets contained an epilogue that wrapped up the story
that didn’t make it in the final, published version. I wish I’d worked harder to keep that last
chapter in the book, since I really miss the sense of completion the epilogue
gave.
Who is your
favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about his/her work?
I’m incredibly fond of Kimberly
Derting’s work. I read a lot in the
young adult genre, and I’m always impressed with the element of suspense she’s
able to bring to her books. Also,
watching Jay and Violet’s friendship evolve and change throughout the series
has really been a beautiful story to read.
What was the hardest
part of writing your latest book?
I started writing Fade to Black last spring. When I first began working on it, I had no
idea what my summer held in store. I
lost 3 family members in 6 weeks – one being my sister in law and the other was
my father. Being emotionally drained
really brought my writing to an unexpected halt, and then it was really
difficult to get started again. Simply
completing the story proved to be a huge challenge, and it was a relief when I
could say that I’d finally worked through it and finished the story.
Do you have any
advice for other writers?
I’d love to say that writing is
easy, and while I truly enjoy bringing characters and stories to life – writing
is still hard work. You’ll have times
when writing flows like melted butter on hot toast, and then you’ll also hit
patches where your books are developing at glacial speeds. People who are successful are those who just
keep going, even when they’ve hit a difficult point in their work.
Do you write an
outline before every book? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I’ve been told I write in a kind of
unique pattern. While I don’t plot my
stories out completely, I do write my final chapter first. That way, I know my final destination. After the conclusion, I write the climax of
the story. Then, I build my “novel
journal” where I keep character sketches, pictures of actors who look similar
to my characters, and photographs of buildings or other settings in the town
I’m trying to build in my novel.
If you had to go to
a deserted island with only five books, which ones would you take?
Little Women, The Little Princess, Harry Potter and the
Half-Blood Prince, The Body Finder, and whatever story I’m reading at the time
(I hate to stop a book in the middle).
Now for the Fun
Stuff! Please Fill in the Blanks:
I
love pizza with Italian sausage and banana peppers.
I'm
always ready for pictures of Ian Somerhalder.
When
I'm alone, I’m almost always plotting my next scene (or chapter) in my head.
You'd
never be able to tell, but I really hate drawing attention to myself in
public.
If
I had a halo it would be safely tucked away somewhere, since I’d never dare
to wear it (see my answer to the statement above).
If
I could do anything I'd find a cure for food allergies. (It’s really sad when my kids are limited in
where they can go and what they can do because they might accidentally be
exposed to something they can’t eat.)
I
can never visit Australia because I’m incredibly claustrophobic. (I could never stand to be on a flight that
would last that long.)
Where can Fans Find
you?
Website:
www.mollykategray.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/MollyKateGray
Twitter:
@MollyKGray
Blog:
www.mollykategray.com
To
order the book: Playing
with Fire
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