An Interview with Beth Revis and Kati Gardner

Hello! It's been a while since I have posted a review, but that's because I have a lot of school work to catch up on. We had to evacuate for Florence and nothing ended up happening to our house. It was more to help our peace of mind. We had a mini vacay, it was cool. 😁

On September 26th, Beth Revis and Kati Gardner came to my local bookstore! Beth was on tour for her latest book, Give The Dark My Love (Links to purchase it at the bottom) and Kati was moderating the event! Both were super sweet and I'm so glad I got to interview them. So without further ado, here it is!

WARNING: there will be lots of potential spoilers for Give The Dark My Love and Brave Enough! Read on at your own risk!

Questions for Beth:

1.       Q: You talked a bit in the Acknowledgements of Give the Dark My Love about how you first got the idea for this book. (Charlize Theron interview, Fullmetel Alchemist, Hamilton) What specifically from those things helped inspire this book?

A: Fullmetal Alchemist because I liked the concept of not being able to trade something for nothing. I saw Charliez Theron in an interview on Ellen, and she was asked “was it hard to get into character for your character?” and she responded with “I just think about murder” (insert evil glare here). I also liked how cool and evil she looked and wanted to write a character like that.

The inspiration from Hamilton came from listening to the Broadway musical a million times and had the sudden thought “A revolution would be a good idea for my book”

2.       Q: What does the future hold in terms of a sequel? Is there anything you’re allowed to tell us?

A: Beth has stuff in the works, but nothing she can share. Kati is allowed to say that there is a sequel for her book.

3.       Q: Out of all the books you’ve written, what has been your favorite to write?

A: Beth’s favorite book is whatever she isn’t working on.

4.       Q: This is a question TAB asks authors that visit, and we asked Kati last time she was here. If you were a dinner plate, what would you be?

A: Stegosaurus plate, like the plating on their backs.

(Kati would be a glittery pink fiesta ware plate because they’re indestructible.)

 Questions for Kati about her book Brave Enough (Review linked at the bottom of the interview)

5.       Q: What was the glitter incident?

A:  The incident happened at Camp before Cason came into the picture. Davis and Jase broke into the arts and crafts shed and stole all the glitter. They sprinkled the glitter all over camp, and the next morning when the sun rose, the camp shimmered. The arts director banned them from the shed for the rest of their time at camp because after trying to clean all the glitter up, she swears it’s still in her scalp all these years later.

6.       Q: Why aerial dancing?

A: I thought Wheelchair dancing was too predictable, but it was in the original draft. I chose aerial dancing because I wanted Cason to be able to show off her strength, and silks support you in a way that makes it seem like you’re floating.  

( Fun Fact: Kati wrote that scene the day they had aerial dancers at the therapy center. Total coincidence.)

7.       Q: What inspired Brave Enough? 

A: I wanted a one leg girl to be as normal as having brown hair. I also really wanted to see myself, (a girl with one leg), in a book because I had never see it before in a book. I also really wanted a one leg girl to be kissed. I like to describe Brave Enough as “Cancer without the angst”

Questions for Beth and Kati:

8.       Q: What was the gateway book that got you into reading?

A: Kati: Six Months Live by Lurlene McDaniel 

Beth: The Chronicles of Narnia. 

Fun Fact: Beth’s first book ever written to completion was basically fanfic of Narnia except instead of a lion, it was a horse. No one would buy it, so she decided to write the sequel and try to sell that as well. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t sell either.

9.       Q: What was your favorite scene to write (in your most recent books)?

A: Kati: For me, it was when Cason is in the hospital, and Cason has a fever. Davis comes in and Cason and Davis just talk and reconcile. That’s also when she meets Noah. 

Beth: Mine is when Nedra goes home after the school is shut down because of the plague. I didn’t originally write that scene with her family, but my friend Carrie Ryan read it and she said I needed to do more showing and less telling what happened, so, everyone dies.

10.   Q: What was the hardest scene to write physically? Emotionally?

A: Beth: When Nedra goes back home (mentioned before)

Kati: When Cason has a fight with Heather, and most of Davis’ arc. 

(Fun Fact: A World Without You was Beth’s most personal book to write because her brother was going through the same thing and in the book, and Beth was the sister in that scenario.)

11.   Q: How did you come up with the names Cason and Nedra?

A: Kati: Cason was actually Carson but as I kept drafting, I lost the R and Carson became Cason. 

Beth: Nedra was a Twilight Zone inspired name.

       12. Q: Who is your literary hero?

             A: Both immediately answered with J.K. Rowling, but after some thinking, Kati decided   

             Laurel Snyder was also a huge inspiration for her.

       13. Q: What is the best book you’ve read this year (so far!)?

             A: Kati: Give The Dark My Love and Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner.

             Beth: Brave Enough and Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutskie.

       14. Q: It’s Banned Book Week! What is your favorite banned book?

              A: Kati: Either 1984 (George Orwell) or Animal Farm (George Orwell)

              Beth: Is Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury) a banned book? That’s my answer.

       15.  Q: If Cason, Davis, Nedra and Grey got together for a day, what would they do?

              A: The girls would try to “Frankenstein” Cason a new leg, and the boys would sit there in   

              awe/fear.

16.   Q: If you had to ship your MC’s with any other fictional character, who would you choose?

A: Beth: Both Nedra and Grey would fall in love with Kaz Brekker from Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology. 

Kati: Cason would probably date Phil from Love, Hate, and Other Filters while Davis would date Dimple from When Dimple Meets Rishi.

Extra Fun Facts!

17.   If Brave Enough became a movie, Kati would demand that they choose disabled actors to play her characters as she herself was a disabled actor and feels it would be necessary (It is! Just look at To All The Boys I’ve Love Before by Jenny Han! Jenny refused to work with anyone who would whitewash Lara Jean, and only one studio said they would hire an actress of color for Lara Jean.)

18.   Across the Universe was Beth’s very last book before she gave up trying to sell her books. She had written a book a year for 10 years and nothing had sold (she has probably over 1000 rejections!). Finally, Across the Universe sold as a trilogy because Sci-fi was just becoming a thing that was popular. She tried to sell the rights as a movie but kept stumbling over the people trying to pitch Passengers (starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt) and it just wasn’t working.

19.   For the Star Wars book Beth wrote, getting the call was a memory that she’ll never forget. Beth got a call from her agent just as she got out of the shower. The first thing her agent said was “Do you like Star Wars?” Beth started screaming and jumping around. She got the call on a Wednesday and flew out to the Lucas Film studios on that Friday to read the Rogue One script so she could take notes for the book. She was one of the very first people to read the Rogue One script along with a handful of other authors, so she was one of the only people in the world who knew what was going to happen. When she got home her husband insisted on no spoilers but Beth was dying to tell someone so she would rock her son to sleep and sing him spoilers ( I.E. rock a bye baby, everyone dies)

20.   The Across the Universe covers changed because when she sold it, it was originally pitched as a dystopian love story but they were actually sci-fi books so the new covers show that side of the story better.

21.   Beth’s favorite cover of her books is one that wasn’t used. It was an idea for Across The Universe that wasn’t used and she was very disappointed.

And there you have it! I had so much fun talking with them and I can't wait for their next books!

If you want to read my review of Kati's book Brave Enough, click here. 

If you want to purchase Kati's book, click one of these links: 

Quail Ridge - Book Depository - Kobo

Links for Beth's newest book:

Quail Ridge - Book Depository - Kobo

Links for Beth's first book, Across The Universe: 

Quail Ridge - Book Depository - Kobo

Links for Beth's stand alone, A World Without You:  

Quail Ridge - Book Depository - Kobo