Today I'm happy to present an interview with Kate Watson! Ms. Watson is the author of the YA book,
Seeking Mansfield, which releases May 1st! :)
Here's the interview!
Would you please describe your book, Seeking Mansfield, in seven words?
Mansfield Park + Anna and the French Kiss (the + doesn't count as a word, right? I'm sneaky like that...)
Seeking Mansfield is described as a reimagining of Mansfield Park. What made you want to reimagine that book? And is that your favorite Austen novel?
I first read Mansfield Park when I was going through a time in my life where I felt overlooked and unheard, and I connected to the main character, Fanny (worst name ever, for the record), in a really emotional way. She's so different than Jane Austen's other characters, in that they're strong and often bold, which is typically how I see myself. Yet Fanny's story resonated with me. So a few years ago when I was rereading Mansfield Park, I kept imagining the circumstances that would make a modern Fanny Price, and I knew I had to see how it played out.
My favorite Austen book varies day by day, but in general, Pride and Prejudice is my favorite. I've reread it more than any other book in history.
Random question! What's your favorite food?
Brownies. Lunch lady brownies, to be exact. The ones with frosting that give you diabetes just looking at them. Mmm.
Mmm, brownies sound good right now!
What's one piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Don't let anyone else define your success as a writer. Self doubt is pervasive in the writing community, and there's this element of wondering when we will "make it," so to speak. When does that happen? When you get an agent? Yeah, but an agent doesn't necessarily equal a book deal. So is it the book deal? Or when you hold your book in your hands for the first time? Or when your book sells more copies than there are members of your family? Or if/when it wins an award or makes a bestseller list? Yeah, but what good is a single bestseller if you never publish another book?
You can "yeah, but" your face off if you really dwell on all the different possibilities and doubts. Yet what is a writer? One who writes. So if you want to know when you've "made it," it's when you put fingers to keyboard. If you're writing, you're succeeding.
Very good advice!
What are some MG and YA books you're looking forward to in 2017? And if you've already read some '17 books, which books have you loved?
Oh dear, this will be hard. Topping my list of most anticipated books are:
DEAR MARTIN by Nic Stone
THE DUKE OF BANNERMAN PREP by Katie Nelson
WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI by Sandhya Menon
KISSING MAX HOLDEN by Katy Upperman
SPEAK EASY, SPEAK LOVE by McKelle George
BLOOD ROSE REBELLION by Rosalyn Eves
As for books I've already read and loved: DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING, THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN, ALLEGEDLY, YOU'RE WELCOME, UNIVERSE, #famous, SAD PERFECT, POISON'S KISS, YOU DON'T KNOW MY NAME and IF BIRDS FLY BACK are all standouts, but there are about fifteen more that I could name if you have the time... :)
These all look awesome!
Thank you so much to Ms. Watson for participating in this event! :)
Author bio: Kate Watson is a young adult writer, wife, mother of two, and the tenth of thirteen children. Originally from Canada, she attended college in Utah and holds a BA in Philosophy. A lover of travel, speaking in accents, and experiencing new cultures, she has also lived in Israel, Brazil, South Carolina, and now calls Arizona home. Her first novel, Seeking Mansfield, debuts in Spring 2017, with the companion to follow in 2018. She is also a contributor to Eric Smith’s WELCOME HOME adoption anthology (Flux 2017).
