Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.
Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?
My name is Kat de Falla and my aunt says a girl never tells her age!
Fiona: Where are you from?
I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but I consider myself a Madisonian at heart. It’s my favorite city on earth!
Fiona: A little about your self (ie, your education, family life, etc.).#
I’m a Doctor of Pharmacy but was a budding English major before science lured me in. I work for a retail pharmacy (and LOVE my job), write for Spine-Heath.com, and love being married to my soulmate. We are have a grade schooler, two middle schoolers, and a high schooler! My awesome husband is also a composer, so our house is always alive with talk of art science and lots of music!
Fiona: Tell us your latest news.
I have just published my sixth book which is crazy! It’s the second book of the paranormal suspense series I co-write with Rachel Green under the pen name Kat Green. The series is called Haunts for Sale and follows a paranormal real estate agent who sells haunted houses. Book One is First Contact and Book Two released June 28th and is called Second Sight.
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
I remember writing poetry when I was 10 and my autobiography when I was 12. When the writing bug you catch, it never does leave.
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
For sure when I held The Seer’s Lover in my hands. My first full length novel. Dark fantasy. Book One of my 7 Archangels Series.
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
This is a good one. I was working late in the pharmacy and an older Hispanic man came in and grabbed my hands and told me “They are everywhere. All around us. Can you see them?” I figured he needed his psychiatric meds, but he was picking up a blood pressure med. He never let go of my hands. He told me, “I was meant to come in and tell you this. You’ll never see me again.” And I never did. I immediately went home and started to pen The Seer’s Lover.
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
I wondered what the old man meant in the pharmacy that night. Did angels and demons walk among us and only some people saw them? Seers? What if my main character met a “seer” and fell in love with him? She would be…The Seer’s Lover.
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging? I am a scientist my nature, so I heavily research everything: locations, science, history. You could ask me about anything in any of my books and I can back it up with some lore or fact that I manipulated into a fast-paced story.
Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Well, like I said above, that scene actually did happen with the older man in the pharmacy. That part is the beginning of The Seer’s Lover and goes from there. My Haunts for Sale series is based on our family living in a VERY haunted house. We had to sell it. And my Moto Maddie series is loosely based on my husband’s old BMX days where he and I both grew up in Milwaukee.
Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel?
Before or during the process? Ahhh. Google Earth how I love you. I start there for places I’ve never been, but I’ve been to a lot of the locales mentioned in my books. My favorite…Mal Pais, Costa Rica. It means “bad place” – that’s a great start to a book right there, isn’t it?
Fiona: Who designed the covers?
Debbie Taylor (http://www.dcagraphics.com/) does my adult books and Elayne Griffith (https://www.teekateeka.com/)
does my middle grade series. Both are crazy amazing!
Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
You never know who you’re talking to.
Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you? I love Ashantay Peters, Katie O’Sullivan, and J.C. McKenzie. I met each of them as I starting writing myself and always grab their latest books because they never fail to pull me in.
Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.
An entity, huh? I guess I’d say the universe then. As a Star Wars fan, I sincerely believe in the force. The force was with me.
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Of course. It breathes life into me to put words on a page.
Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Rachel and I are very proud of Second Sight. We’d change nothing J
Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
Fear is inherent in everyone. Everyone, I mean is scared of something. To capture those primal fears on the pages of a novel was surreal because I have as many fears to conquer as the next person and writing something down does not the fear conquer, if you catch my drift. As an aside, because I’m terrified of heights, I once went sky-diving to “cure” myself. Yeah, that sure didn’t work!
Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
If the Haunts for Sale Series was made into a film, we’d need Zooey Deschanel to play Sloane.
Fiona: Any advice for other writers?
Never give up. Work harder. Never stop learning new things. Accept constructive criticism and allow yourself to grow from it.
Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
Yes, thank you for reading. I know so many people who read TONS. Authors need readers like people need oxygen.
Fiona: What book are you reading now?
I’m reading Hunks to the Rescue to get to Katie O’Sullivan’s short story!
Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
The first one that made me laugh and was super memorable was Blubber by Judy Blume.
Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?
My husband. I laugh when I’m near him and want to cry every time we are apart. It took us too long to find each other and every second we have together is a precious gift.
Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet?
Why? I guess I’ve love to meet William Shakespeare. Have a drink with him. Just to hang out with a genius of manipulating the human language.
Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?
I play piano. We have what we call the Kia in our living room…a baby grand that cost the same as a Kia!
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
Scary movies! Right now we have a subscription to Shudder and I can’t watch enough old horror flix!
Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?
Pizza. Purple. Anything my husband plays/writes.
Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?
Read.
Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?
Saved by one man. She is now his for all eternity. Find him and she will be by his side.
Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?
Well of course! www.katdefalla.com or subscribe to my newsletter on the home page of SunMoon Arts, the company my husband and I run that supports the arts:
Or join my Pride on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1414288768814233/
Here is my Amazon Author Page for Kat de Falla:
https://www.amazon.com/Kat-de-Falla/e/B00IMG1YA4/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
and Kat Green:
https://www.amazon.com/Kat-Green/e/B00MSCFEIQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1498848316&sr=8-1
Here are my social media links:
www.facebook.com/authorkatdefalla
authorsinterviews 