29 May 2012

Author Interview with Huntley Fitzpatrick (plus a giveaway!)

Here on the blog today we have Huntley Fitzpatrick! Not only is she a fantastic up and coming debut author but over the last couple of months I’ve gotten to know her and she is just lovely! Read on to learn more about My Life Next Door, Huntley’s favourite authors and fictional crushes and much, much more! And without further ado, the interview!


What was your reaction when you heard My Life Next Door was going to be published?
I was speechless. I was still pinching myself about actually having an agent, and when she called to say there was an offer I actually thought I’d misheard her and asked her to repeat it.
What inspired you to write My Life Next Door?
A series of things that suddenly clicked in my mind. My lifelong fondness for and fascination with big families, one of my older daughters reading Romeo and Juliet, reading A Secret Garden to my younger children (I always had a soft spot for Dickon, the charming guy with his love for animals).

Where and when can you be found writing?
I write any chance I get. I do a lot of it late at night. I actually carry my laptop from room to room. Another book I loved growing up was I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith. The heroine of that writes a journal and always says she finds inspiration from working in different places. If I remember correctly she even writes sitting in the kitchen sink at one point. I have not gone that far, but moving about seems to work for me.


How do you decide what to name your characters?
One of my daughters named the heroine—I described her and she thought for a little while and came up with ‘Samantha Reed’. Jase just sort of hit me the right way. For some reason it’s usually easier for me to get the hero’s name than the heroine’s.


Apart from reading and writing what occupies your time?
Family and spending time outdoors as much as possible. And trying to come up with new ways to spend as little time as possible doing laundry.
Who are your favourite authors and what is it that strikes you about their work?
I might have too many favourite authors to name. I adore John Green, Stephanie Perkins, Deb Caletti, Jennifer Echols, E. Lockhart, Kristan Higgins, okay, stop me!
Favourite fictional crush?
Again—so many. Etienne St. Clair, Augustus Waters. I still carry a torch for Rhett Butler from Gone With the Wind, which I remember reading late into the night by flashlight when I was eleven, under the impression that it was an extremely racy book I should not be caught reading.
A perfect day would consist of…
Getting up early, writing a few scenes I knew were good, then going to the beach with my family. Ice cream should also be involved.

If you were given a chance to travel back in time – to any destination in the world at any time– where and when would you go?
I have this weird compulsion to want to solve historical mysteries, so I think I’d want to investigate questions like “Did Emily Bronte really burn her second book?” and “What happened to the Princes in the Tower”. I’m not sure if that makes me curious or just nerdy!

Giveaway Time!
Click "Read More" to enter the Rafflecopter form!
Because this book is so fantastic, positively swoony and an amazing contemporary  I’m giving you a chance to win 1 (one) copy of My Life Next Door! :) Do as many or as little entries as you like. Have fun and good luck!
Open internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to you (click here to make sure they ship to your country)!

14 comments:

  1. Great interview this book is on my wishlist it sound super cute. Etienne is also a crush of mine! :D He's just so darn cute even though he's short haha. I have to read some John Green soon! I love getting to know authors! :)

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  2. My favourite YA contemporary this year has to be Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler, it's such a cute book and opens each chapter with a cipcake description! Thanks so much for the giveaway Rebecca! I can't wait to read this book! :)

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  3. This is an EPIC book! Man this book had me hooked from the very beginning! Great giveaway!

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  4. hi rebecca.

    nice interview...i won this ebook from another blog,,but i want hard copy heheheh

    my fav YA : perfect chemistry by simone elkeles..
    thanks for the giveaway ^^

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  5. Awwww! I LOVE that her daughter named the MC! And ETIENNE ST.CLAIR! YES YES YES! THE WOMAN HAS AMZING TASTE ^__^

    LOVE the interview, sunshine! ♥

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  6. oh, i really loved reading all this interview, Rebecca. It had such a lovely chatty tone to it. Huntley sounds so fun.

    (fab questions, btw!)

    Thanks for the giveaway, Rebecca. I know just how much you loved this book, and you have great taste, so I am certain I will love it too!

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  7. Etienne St. Clair... *swoons*

    Great interview! Love the way the author got her daughter to be involved. Samantha Reed does sounds good! :)

    Thanks for the giveaway! <3

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  8. My favorite contemp YA so far would be Pushing the Limits.

    thanks so much for this giveaway! GBU<3

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  9. I have been dying to read this book for months and all the fantastic reviews about it already are making me want to read it even more! Thanks for the giveaway.

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  10. Been waiting forever for this one! Huntley seems awesome, from what I've learned from her on interviews and her FB, she has the same book taste as me, which means her book will be awesomesauce I'm sure :)

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  11. Sounds like one to add to my must-read list! Look forward to losing myself in the words.

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  12. Wow. Love the interview! Sounds so good. Wish I will have this book.

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  13. I really really want to read this book, I've heard so many great things about it and just reading your review makes me want to read it more! Awesome review :)

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  14. ETIENNE! AUGUSTUS!! Okay, we clearly share the same taste in swoony male leads. So I can only imagine what gorgeous guy she's brought to life in My Life Next Door ;) I can't wait to meet him! And after reading this fantastic interview and of course, Becca's incredible review, I am SO excited to read this book!!

    Thank you for the giveaway! <3

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