5 Questions with Katie McGarry

Cover Reveal: Make Believe 5 Questions with Katie Shea

5 Questions with Katie McGarry

Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Her YA novel, Pushing the Limits, will debut with Harlequin Teen on July 31, 2012.

Now on to the FIVE QUESTION

1. Congrats on Pushing the Limits. How long did it take you from concept to publication?

I began writing Pushing the Limits in late December of 2009. I began querying the story in the spring of 2010 and landed my agent in the fall of 2010. I sold several weeks later. My book will be released on July 31, 2012. So from start to finish the process has taken over two years.

2. What was the spark of inspiration for Echo & Noah?

The original spark came when I was free writing for another story. I thought it would be fun to write a scene with my characters in therapy. Halfway into the scene, I realized that my heroine’s voice had changed. That new voice became Echo.

I gave Echo room to play and when I asked myself who would be the best person to bring her out of her shell, Noah was created.

3. What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

To never give up. The publication process is a very long and arduous one. It is full of rejection. Remember, for every no you receive, you are one step closer to a yes.

4. What is your solution to writer’s block?

I listen to music and go for a jog. I often talk about the scene I’m stuck on with my husband or beta readers. If all else fails, I go back to the last place in the manuscript where I had no problems writing and analyze what I had done between that point and where I became stuck. Often, I’m paralyzed because I’ve taken a wrong turn. This means I need to delete and rewrite.

5. Finally, Star Wars or Star Trek?

Definitely Star Wars.