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Quote of the moment
Dying should have been the worst moment in my life. I mean, hello, getting run over by a school bus full of band geeks while wearing the regulation gym uniform of red polyester short shorts and a practically see-through white T-shirt? It doesn’t get more tragic than that.
Becca chose him to be the model for Patch due to this picture.
Caught you staring! You readers who aren't using a school network which restricts your use of the Internet to read an interview of absolute awesomeness, count yourselves lucky. Think of the poor souls stuck in school now. *cough*ME*cough* Head on over to FallenArchangel.com to ohh and ahh over said interview, and the forum to gush about the majestic reveal.
FallenArchangel asks that we do not repost the feature on our blogs (boo hoo hoo), so I'll just show you one of my favourite parts of the interview. It's kind of sad, cos I had a lot of remarks, but join me in the forum so we can gush together! I hope they don't mind me posting just a snippet of the interview. If they do, I'll cut that part out.
FA: Are you a reader? What sort of books do you read? Favorite book?
DD: To be honest, I wasn’t a huge reader before this book came out. I was usually so worn out from reading for school that it was hard for me to actually enjoy it. I’m so glad I was a part of this project because it has sparked the part of me that enjoys reading. Favorite book is easy, Hush, Hush. Not only is it a great book, but I’m on the cover! I can’t wait to read the future books!
Stroking the book cover seems so wrong now. *frowns* For more Drew, check out the link I'm spamming again here. Want to know the best part? Drew will be the featured guest on this Sunday's live chat at 10pm EST. This chat is only for forum members, so head on there and sign up as a member!
P.S.- Guess what this week's query trend is: angels!
Particularly angels tempting girls with their "smoking hot bods and snowy snowy wings."
Hi Patch! It’s great to get to interview you. *cough* Describe yourself--what is your best quality? What is your worst?
Best – math. I'm a stone-cold logic kind of guy. Nora would tell you the worst thing about me is my lifestyle. It doesn't lend itself to relationships.
What is the one thing you wish other people knew about you?
The less people know about me the better.
How would you convince someone who has never seen an angel that such entities do exist?
I wouldn't. There are advantages to flying under the radar. Makes my job easier.
What is Nora’s most annoying quality? Her most admirable quality?
Most annoying – she likes to eat out at these organic coffee shops. They're usually desolate at night, and in the run-down section of town. It's asking for trouble. Her most admirable quality is her determination to fool everyone around her into thinking she's this rigid schoolgirl.
What is your biggest secret--the one thing you don't want ANYBODY to know?
You wouldn't want me to tell you. There's a dark side that comes with knowing my secrets.
What are you most afraid of?
Hell.
What do you want more than anything?
A human body.
There are some people out there who think that you’re... not so nice. Then, there are people out there who think that bad boys are sexy. Are you a bad boy, and what do you have to say to these people?
I'm not bad – I've just got a flexible code of ethics. I'm not afraid to cross a moral line to do what needs to be done.
Hi Nora, thank you for agreeing to do this interview. Unfortunately I’ve got a nasty flu so you’ll have to excuse me if my voice sounds a little weird. *coughs pathetically*
What’s your worst subject in school, and is this in any way related to Patch?
Science is my worst subject, and my biology grade wasn't helped any by sitting beside Patch. Let's just say it's hard to concentrate on school with him sitting twelve inches away.
Okay, I know there are girls out there who think that having a guy who knows everything about you is pretty darn sexy, especially if the guy in question is as hot as Patch. What are your views on that?
Patch wishes he knew everything about me! I would kill him if he ever looked inside my underwear drawer (but I have a total double standard going on, because if I was ever alone in his bedroom, I would so look. I mean, does he even wear underwear?!) Oh, and he's never read my journal, and he's never going to either. I don't believe in secrets (unless absolutely necessary), but I do believe in boundaries.
What are some of the articles that you’ve written for the school eZine?
I'm in charge of writing up movie and theater reviews, nothing big or earth shattering. It's a backseat position, but I don't mind. You won't see me applying to be the next editor of the eZine. (Vee is, though! But I swore not to tell!)
Vee is your un-twin in many ways. Will you give us five reasons why this is so?
1. We both would kill for peanut-butter ice cream
2. We were born seven hours apart
3. We have the same middle name – Colette
4. When we were eight, we swore a blood oath to get married on the same day and be each other's bridesmaids.
5. We're constantly finishing each other's sentences
What’s the best part about being friends with Vee?
Nothing! She's crazy! She's always getting me in trouble! Okay, seriously, though. It's hard to put it into words. It's kind of like when you just know you love someone. We've been best friends so long, it would be hard to peel us apart and not have parts of me stuck on her, and vice versa.
Tell me about your parents. How well do you get along with them?
My dad passed away last year, but my mom's cool. We used to be pretty close, especially right after my dad died, but she works a lot now. I don't resent it, it's just...different. Life happens. What can I say?
What were three things you liked to do when you were a child?
Go Easter dress shopping with my mom, go to the zoo with both parents and build forts in the woods with Vee.
I have to ask this: Edward from Twilight, Jacob from Twilight, Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, or Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
Xander. He's sweet and funny. (Patch is in the room, and for some reason finds this very funny.)
Hi Becca! Thanks so much for agreeing to take part in this interview! Pitch Hush, Hush to us in a one liner. Becca Fitzpatrick: A darkly romantic tale about a girl who falls for a fallen angel with a dark agenda to become human.
When and how did the idea of Hush, Hush come about? How did it go from there to publication?
The very first inspiration for the story came from an experience in my own tenth-grade biology class. We must have been studying human reproduction, because my teacher asked me, in front of the whole class, to name characteristics I would be attracted to in a mate (I know!) The experience always stuck with me, and when I sat down to write Hush, Hush, that little piece of my history evolved into an early scene in the book. I wrote the first three chapters in the fall of 2003, but I was a brand-new mom, and time was short. It wasn't until I went to Left Coast Crime (a conference for suspense and mystery writers) in March 2008 that the story really came together for me. That conference was magical. I was away from home for a few days, hanging out with friends, and I outlined the entire plot. I went home and wrote the story, and three months later signed with my agent.
Were there any notable changes from the first drafts of the book to the published manuscript?
Yes, quite a few. For one, the writing improved quite a bit! And in the early drafts, Nora's character didn't really exist – she was originally a cheerleader named Ellie. Also, there wasn't a mystery in the first draft.
Tell us more about research for the book.
I relied on Judeo-Christian mythology, then used my own creative license to flesh out details and make them relevant to the story.
What experiences, if any, did you draw from in your own life in order to create Nora? Is there anything in the books that happened exactly the same way in real life?
While writing Hush, Hush, I spent a good deal of time reading my own journals from my high school days. Hush, Hush is fictional, but relies on how I viewed the world as a sixteen year old. Most of my friends and I were wacky, impulsive, always on the lookout for fun and trouble, and making memories to last a lifetime. They were fun, scary, wild years.
Besides the originally inspiration for the story, which came from something that happened in my own biology classroom, there's a small scene in the sequel, Crescendo, involving a hot dog that I stole from my real life. Other than that, the stories are fictional.
Would you say that you’re more like Patch, Nora or Vee, or an insane mix of all three?
*Laughing!* I don't think I'm really like any of them. Patch is loosely based on a guy I knew a long time ago, and Vee's character was inspired by two of my childhood friends. Both Patch and Vee are very strong characters, and Nora is the calm between their storms.
What would Patch see if he met a Boggart? (In the Harry Potter series, a Boggart is a shape-shifter that takes on the form of its intended victim's worst fear.)
Patch's worst fear is being doomed to hell for eternity, and he feels the threat constantly breathing down his neck. If hell came at him in the form of a Boggart, he'd probably hold tight to the memory of who he used to be, who he is around Nora, and who he wants to become.
How did the transition of cheerleader Noelle transform into who Nora is now? (http://beccafitzpatrick.com/outtakes.html)
Oh, wow. That was a five-year transformation. I started Hush, Hush in the fall of 2003, and Noelle (or Ellie) was a self-absorbed and ditzy character who, in some ways, resembled the character that is now Marcie Millar. She was very into how she dressed and looked, and in the end, it was hard to spend a lot of time with her. Plus, I couldn't see Patch going for her, because there was nothing very redeeming or challenging about her. Five years later, after quite a bit of rewriting, I'd replaced Ellie with Nora, a girl who appears to be the epitome of normal.
What would you do if saw an angel fall from the sky?
I'd probably run over and see if he needed help. Especially if he was shirtless and wearing hot pants.
Who are your top three choices respectively to play Nora, Patch and Vee?
Patch: Steven Straight
I couldn't choose just one picture, so feast your eyes.
Nora: Leighton Meester
I love her portayal of Blair Waldorf, rich beee*ch.
Vee: Nobody's good enough for Vee!
Hee, hee.
Do you view Nora as someone girls can relate to or someone they should aspire to be?
Nora is doing the whole high school thing, trying to be true to herself, figuring out who her friends are, and falling in love. I think most girls can relate to that.
What are your views on Nora and Patch’s relationship?
It's complicated...just kidding! Their relationship is intense and messy, for sure. It's a bit crazed at times. As the author, the scenes between them are never boring to write. Patch is an interesting boyfriend, mostly because he's not boyfriend material. He's not what you usually see in teen fiction, at least, that's my opinion. It's easy to make readers like a charming, boy-next-door, feel-good kind of guy. It's much harder to make them like a deviant. (Not that Patch is deviant, but he's definitely not the norm!)
What’s your pick for the overall theme song for Hush, Hush?
This song isn't on my playlist, but a friend sent it to me, and I think it's PERFECT. Trouble is a Friend by Lenka.
So I’ve heard that there is a different ending in the finished copy of Hush, Hush as compared to the review copies given out to reviewers. Will you tell us more about that?
The last page in the hardback is different than the ARC ending. Not a huge change, but I think the new ending leads better into the sequel. I think the consensus is that the new ending is better. Oddly enough, it was the original ending, which I changed during edits. Just before the book went to print, my editor asked if I'd mind changing it back.
Thank you for that interview Becca! Is there anything you’d like to add?
Just a huge thank you for having me here today! I'd love to know who your readers would cast for Patch, Nora and Vee.
