Author Interview - Becca Fitzpatrick

Thank you to Becca Fitzpatrick, author of Hush Hush, for taking the time to answer some questions about her favourite books and also her own series of books.

Becca grew up reading Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden with a flashlight under the covers. She graduated college with a degree in health, which she promptly abandoned for storytelling. When not writing, she’s most likely prowling sale racks for reject shoes, running, or watching crime dramas on TV. (Info courtesy of Becca’s Goodreads profile). Hush Hush is Becca’s first book and was published by Simon & Schuster Children’s Books in 2009.

Have you made any new years resolutions for 2010? If so, are there any that you can share with us?

Becca: Laughing! I haven’t made any yet – I’m not that organized! Right now my goal is to finish Crescendo edits on time, and then I’ll start making new goals. Hopefully there’s nothing wrong with making resolutions all year long, because that’s usually how I operate!

Have you ever read a book and thought “damn it! I wish I’d written that!”? If so, which one and why?

Becca: Yes, I’ve thought that! When I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, I couldn’t help but wish a) I could write like that, and b) have her whole story in my head.

You’re about to be stranded on a desert island for a year and you’re only allowed to take 3 books with you. What do you take?

Becca: Oh man, tough question! 1. How about Jane Austen: the Complete Novels (one book, several stories. I’m trying to economize here.) 2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Now on to the fabulous Hush Hush: Where did you get the idea from? Did the plot and characters sneak up on you or hit you like a sledgehammer?

Becca: The very first inspiration for Hush, Hush came from something that happened to me in my own tenth-grade bio class. My teacher asked me, in front of the whole class, to name characteristics I’d like in a mate. I was so embarrassed! Years later, when my husband enrolled me in a writing class for my birthday, my teacher asked me to write a scene “showing, not telling, humiliation.” I immediately started crafting a scene based on my experience in biology. That short writing assignment evolved into one of the early scenes in Hush, Hush.

The setting for Hush Hush is fantastically dark and eerie. Is it based on anywhere you know?

Becca: No…unless you count my imagination! When I started writing Hush, Hush, I knew right away that atmosphere was going to play a big role in the book. I wanted a small, seemingly harmless New England town that was moody and creepy enough that up-to-no-good fallen angels could be at home there. I’m very happy with the way the book’s atmosphere seems to rise right out of the pages. Obviously there are things I wish I could go back and change about the book, but the atmosphere is one of the things I feel I nailed. It’s just the way I imagined it.

I absolutely adored Vee (Nora’s best friend). Do you know a Vee in real life?

Becca: I used to! Vee’s character was inspired by two of my childhood best friends. They were both wacky, crazy, wild girls. They said and did what was on their mind without reservation. In a lot of ways, I envied them the same way Nora envies Vee.

The sequel to Hush Hush, Crescendo, is coming up later in 2010. Can you give us any sneak previews of Crescendo?

Becca: In Crescendo, readers will find out what really happened the night Nora’s dad was murdered. Let’s just say he was living a secret life…one with ties to Patch…Several minor characters also return with bigger roles, including Marcie Millar, Detective Basso, and Rixon. The most prominent new character is a guy named Scott Parnell, whom Nora knew years ago as Scotty the Potty.

Will Crescendo be the last book in the series or are there more planned?

Becca: I’m only contracted for Crescendo, but I really hope I get to write a third book. I have a storyline for Book 3, so I’m definitely not ready to be done with the series just yet.

Do you have any plans for other series after this one? If so can you tease us with any juicy tidbits?

Becca: I do have another story idea! In fact, I started working on it right after Hush, Hush went on submission to editors. I have a plot, and a couple of pretty cool characters. The story has a paranormal element, but not in the way people might expect. It’s a sexy, flirty novel, and it’s lighter than Hush, Hush.

Finally, the quick fire round:

Cats or dogs: Dogs
Summer or winter: Summer
Bath or shower: Shower
Beach or mountains: Beach
Coffee or tea: Neither! I’m a water girl. It’s the best drink in the world, and it’s great for your skin!