1. What drew you to YA fantasy? Have you always wanted to be a writer?
It’s a funny story-I didn’t start writing until my husband surprised me by enrolling me in a writing class for my 24 th birthday. I was so nervous to be in the class. All of the other students had graduated college with degrees in English or literature, and I graduated in Health. I felt completely out of my element, but I’m so glad I stuck with it. I’d been an avid journal-writer for so many years, but I never knew how much I’d love telling stories. It was in that class that I started writing Hush, Hush , nearly eight years ago.
2. What inspired the book Hush, Hush ?
Oddly enough, the story was inspired by something that happened to me in my own high school biology class. There’s a scene in the book where Nora’s biology teacher asks her to name characteristics she’d want in a mate. My bio teacher asked me the same question during our unit on human reproduction!
3. I keep hearing rumors of a Hush, Hush movie. Is there any truth to those rumors?
I keep hearing rumors, too, but I can promise you they’re just that-rumors. I have no plans to sell the movie rights at this time.
4. Can you tell us anything about Tempest , the third installment of the series, due out in Fall 2011?
I can start off by telling you it will no longer be called Tempest . I’m in the process of coming up with a new title, and I’m open to suggestions, ha! In the third book, Patch and Nora team up to fight a new villain. Readers who’ve read Crescendo know exactly who the new villain is.
5. Can you tell us a little bit about Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love ?
Kiss Me Deadly is an anthology of short stories from many talented YA authors. I feel lucky to have been asked to contribute a story- Dungeons of Langeais- even though I was a little intimidated, since it was the first short story I’d ever written! The story is told from Chauncey Langeais’s point of view, and shows his attempts at keeping Patch (from Hush, Hush ) at possessing his body during Cheshvan.
6. Are you working on any other projects other than your current series?
Right now I’m focusing on the Hush, Hush series, but I do have other stories I’m excited to write as soon as I can!
Becca Fitzpatrick’s first book, Hush, Hush, debuted as a New York Times bestseller. She graduated college with a degree in health, which she promptly abandoned for storytelling. When not writing, she’s most likely running, prowling sale racks for shoes, or fulfilling her mission to taste every flavor of ice cream under the sun. She lives in Colorado, the lone girl in a house filled with boys.