Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Once We Were Blog Tour: Kat Zhang Interview + Giveaway!

Welcome to my stop on the Once We Were blog tour! Today I'm please to have Kat Zhang here to answer a few questions about the next book in the Hybrid Chronicles and her writing life.

Welcome, Kat!!


•Eva and Addie are a little like siblings, a little like rivals, and both very different personalities. Which was your favorite to write? 
I don't know if I can say I have a favorite, haha! The series is from Eva's point of view, so that means I'm "in her head" more than I'm in Addie's, and the narrative sort of shares Eva's biases. They are definitely quite different, and I think they need each other, often, to balance themselves out.

What’s Left of Me had a very unique style and mood to it---did you have a favorite place to write to help get in the mindset of the story?
I don't really have a favorite place to write--in fact, I don't life writing in the same place for too long, so I often pack up and move if I've been working for more than a few hours. My favorite times of day to write, though, are early in the morning and late at night. The "in-between" hours, so to speak, when the rest of the world is quieter, and real life seems less intrusive :)
 
•I’m sure Eva and Addie are up for many more twists in their story---do you already know how the series will end?  Do you think it will morph and change as you write it?
Well, considering I just finished the final major edits for Book3, yes, I do ;) I always had a general idea for the story's ending, but the path on how to get there morphed over time. Stories are always like that, I think--at least for me. 

•Is there anyone special, a teacher or mentor, who inspired you on your path to becoming a writer?
When I was twelve or so, I met a lady through an online writing forum who was the first person to tell me in no uncertain terms that I would be published one day. I'm sure for her it was probably just something nice and encouraging to say to a kid, but no one had ever told me that before (understandably-- "you will definitely be published one day" isn't something just thrown around!), and it really gave me a lot of hope.

When I finished the very, very first draft of WHAT'S LEFT OF ME, I let my crit partner, Savannah Foley, read it (we'd only just met back at the time, so we didn't even know each other that well). I'd never let anyone else read the whole thing (though some of my high school friends had read the first 1/2 or so while I was writing it my senior year). So when Savannah told me she thought it was really good, I was so thrilled and encouraged :)

•What kind of books did you love to read as a teenager?
Well, this is more during my pre-teen years, but fantasy and science-fiction, mostly. THE GOLDEN COMPASS, and ENDER'S GAME, and GREEN ANGEL are three that really encouraged me to start writing when I was like 12. I still read as a teen, but less, actually, than before. I was so busy reading books for school!

Fun questions:
•Favorite snack while writing?
 fruit. also cereal. :P

•Favorite movie?
oooh....hmm...I suck at picking favorites... Recently, I watched Atonement again, and I do like that movie. I dunno about favorite, though!

•Favorite color?
White!

•Favorite band and song right now?
Don't really have a favorite band. I find myself humming "Bruises" by Train a lot recently, haha. I like songs that tell a story, or hint at one.

•And everyone who visits Stories & Sweeties answers this one:  Do you like cupcakes? J  Frosting or cake better?
Yes, I do! And I like the cake part better ;)

Thanks for having me!

FIND KAT ZHANG ONLINE:
 Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook


Enter below to win and ARC set of the first two books!
US only  •  Must be 13 or older  •  Ends 9/30/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit the rest of the stops on the Once We Were blog tour!  


15 comments :

  1. I really liked the first book. I'm hoping the second book has lots of action and both personalities of the hybrids in the mix. Great interview Becky!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have not read this series's yet but it sounds so different from anything else out there that and I really like different!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I haven't read the first book, but I've been dying to! Loved reading the interview.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good interview! I totally wanna read this book!! *___*

    ReplyDelete
  5. White? What a cool answer.
    (not an entry)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I want to read this series because there's so much hype about it and because it sounds like an amazing read from all the interviews and blurb :D

    ReplyDelete
  7. thanks for the fantastic post! This series sounds fantastic :) Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I want to read this series because the synopsis sounds super interesting. Plus, I've been wanting to read the first book since before it came out.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have been wanting to read this since I first heard of What's Left of Me a few months before it came out last year. It was when I was first getting into YA and it was one of the first YA books on my TBR list! Unfortunately my library doesn't carry it (what's up with that??) and I can only afford to buy 1-2 books a year so this would be SO awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I want to read this series because Kat Zhang keeps listing all my absolute favorite books/tv series/everything else as her favorites and inspirations and I've decided that makes her (and by extension her books) rad. Also they come highly recommended from several people who's opinions I trust.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I want to read it to see how the author delivers this awesome idea of a story :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I want to read it because the concept is so original and fascinating.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have had the first book on my TBR FOREVER. You guys, it's really sad I haven't read it yet. When I first saw the cover/title of the first book, before reading the blurb, I thought it was yet another contemporary/find-yourself type of book (not that those are bad, I read those too, just not as often). I was so wrong and got really excited after reading the summary. Thanks SO MUCH for the giveaway. Crossing my fingers!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Tell me what you love about this series or why you want to read it!
    I've been DYING to read this series!! It's my new favorite genre to read. And I HAVE to find out how two souls can live in the same body and to find out what all happens. It's definitely got my interests!! Thank you so much for this amazing and generous giveaway!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love that book and so does my sister!

    ReplyDelete