Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for ODD & TRUE by Cat Winters! I adore Cat and her books!!!
I have an interview with Cat to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!
I have an interview with Cat to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!
Haven't heard of ODD & TRUE? Check it out!
Trudchen grew up hearing Odette’s stories of their monster-slaying mother and a magician’s curse. But now that Tru’s older, she’s starting to wonder if her older sister’s tales were just comforting lies, especially because there’s nothing fantastic about her own life—permanently disabled and in constant pain from childhood polio.
In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase supposedly full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it’s Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters’ search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that’s wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister—despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances—might, indeed, have magic after all.
Now on to the interview!
Hey Cat!!
First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books I’m glad you could stop
by for a chat! ODD & TRUE was awesome and I can’t wait for everyone to read
it!
Thanks
so much for hosting me, Jaime!
For the readers: can you tell us a
little bit about ODD & TRUE and the characters?
ODD
& TRUE is the story of two sisters, Odette and Trudchen Grey, known as Od
and Tru. Older sister Od has always told younger sister Tru fairytales and
legends to hide the pain of their family’s history and to bolster Tru’s spirits
after a debilitating battle with polio. Now that Tru is older, she no longer
believes in magic and wants to learn the truth about their past. Od reemerges
after a mysterious two-year absence and claims they’re destined to embark on a
hunt for monsters across America. Tru finds herself doing whatever it takes to
uncover Od’s secrets, even if it means following her sister on her strange and
fantastical quest to slay a mythical beast.
The
novel was inspired by a real-life monster hunt in 1909 America.
So what’s up next for you? What are
you working on?
I’m
hard at work on a new YA novel, but I can’t yet say what it’s about. I’ll drop
a little hint, though: this one involves the teenage years of a real-life
historical figure.
Were any of the characters in the
book inspired by people from your real life?
The
bond that Od and Tru share was inspired by my relationship with my own sister.
Their childhood was far more tragic than what my sister and I experienced, but
some of our traits definitely made their way into these fictional girls.
Who was your favorite character to
write? What about your least favorite?
I loved
writing from the alternating viewpoints of my two leads, who are near and dear
to my heart, but Uncle Magnus also became a favorite. His character evolved
into something far more complex than what I originally envisioned for him.
My
least favorite? Hmm, that’s a hard one to say, because I enjoyed writing them
all. I suppose Aunt Viktoria was probably the most difficult to write because I
wanted to make sure she wasn’t a carbon copy of Aunt Eva from In the Shadow of Blackbirds.
(A
special bonus for those of you following this blog tour: I realized Od and
Tru’s mother and her siblings grew up during the same time and in the same
region as Mary Shelley Black’s mother in In
the Shadow of Blackbirds. Look for a mention of Mary Shelley’s mom, Amelia,
in Chapter Two.)
What is your favorite passage/scene
in ODD & TRUE?
Od’s
first POV chapter, when we see the day of Tru’s birth and the way Od views the
world.
What kind of research did you have
to do for the story?
This
book involved nonstop research. I started with 1909 newspaper articles that
detailed the sightings of a creature called the Leeds Devil (more popularly
known today as the Jersey Devil), and I amassed a collection of books with
topics ranging from American monster legends to domestic service in the early
1900s. Newspaper articles about numerous other topics from the era, as well as
historical medical journal articles, also helped immensely. My sister happens
to know a woman who’s descended from the Leeds family behind the Jersey Devil
legend, so I got a chance to speak with her, and a school located in the heart
of Jersey Devil country invited me to speak when I was in the middle of writing
the novel, which proved to be extremely helpful.
Who is your ultimate book
boyfriend?
Severus
Snape, the ultimate romantic, loyal Goth boy.
What inspired you to write YA?
Originally,
I tried to break into publishing by writing adult fiction, but I could never
manage to sell a book to a publisher, although I managed to sign with my agent.
When I told her my ideas for In the
Shadow of Blackbirds, she said it sounded like a YA novel and encouraged me
to go in that direction. It happened to be my very first book to sell, so I’m
thankful I followed her advice!
Lightening Round Questions
What are you reading right now? Or
what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
I’m
reading a few books I can’t name because they’re part of my research for the
secret project, but when I have a moment to steal, I’m reading AUMA’S LONG RUN,
an excellent new MG novel by debut author Eucabeth Odhiambo. Please put it on
your radar if you haven’t already.
What Hogwarts House would the
Sorting Hat place you in?
Ravenclaw
Twitter or Facebook?
I tend
to hang out more on Twitter.
Favorite Superhero?
Wonder
Woman
Favorite TV show?
Currently,
People of Earth
Sweet or Salty?
Sweet
Any Phobias?
Ophidiophobia (the fear of snakes!)
I’m
still loving Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still,” even though it’s played all
the time.
2017 Movie you’re most looking
forward to?
The
movie adaptation of Brian Selznick’s WONDERSTRUCK
Thanks
so much Cat for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read ODD
& TRUE!
About Cat:
Cat Winters’s critically acclaimed debut novel, In the Shadow
of Blackbirds, was named a 2014 Morris Award Finalist, a 2014 Best Fiction
for Young Adults pick, a 2013 Bram Stoker Award Nominee, and a School
Library Journal Best Book of 2013. Her upcoming novels include The
Cure for Dreaming (Amulet Books/Oct. 2014) and The Uninvited (William
Morrow/2015), and she’s a contributor to the 2015 YA horror anthology Slasher
Girls & Monster Boys. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Visit her
online at www.catwinters.com.
Photo by Tara Kelly
Find Cat Online:
Giveaway Details:
(3) winners will receive a finished copy of ODD & TRUE, US &
Canada.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
9/4/2017- Adventures of a Book Junkie- Interview
9/5/2017- Here's to Happy
Endings- Review
9/6/2017- YA and Wine- Guest
Post
9/7/2017- Ex Libris- Review
9/8/2017- Novel Novice- Guest
Post
Week Two:
9/11/2017- Take Me Away To A
Great Read- Review
9/12/2017-Two Chicks on Books- Interview
9/13/2017- Falling For YA- Review
9/14/2017- Stories &
Sweeties- Guest Post
9/15/2017- Lisa Loves Literature- Review
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