Interview & Giveaway with Katie McGarry author of Pushing the Limits ~ 3 copies

Synopsis: SO WRONG FOR EACH OTHER...AND YET SO RIGHT.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.

But when Noah Hutchins--the smoking hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket--explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she’ll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

I'm delighted to welcome Katie McGarry to The Eclectic Reader. Please make her feel welcome and enjoy the interview. 

1. I loved Echo and Noah, their circumstances while painful to read seemed authentic. How did you tap into that heartache to ensure it came across realistically?

When I write, I “become” my characters. Their highs are my highs. Their hurts become my hurts. I cried several times while writing Pushing the Limits, but I also laughed quite a bit too.

2. Alternating narration is a favourite of mine, did you know right from the start that both Echo and Noah needed to tell the story?

Yes. I knew from the start that Pushing the Limits was going to be a love story and I enjoy reading, and writing, a romance from both perspectives.

3. Your exploration of relationships is beautiful, not just Echo and Noah’s but their relationships with family members, friends and of course their counsellor. I really couldn't put Pushing the Limits down - was it difficult to maintain a balance between this type of character development, plot and pace?

Thank you for your kind words.

Sometimes, yes, it was difficult. Because of writing from dual perspectives I had a hard time making the story lines match up. Sometimes one character would have a lot more they needed to do in comparison to the other in order to advance the plot forward. Every now and then, finding a plot advancing scene for the other character was challenging.

4. I mentioned in my review that while there is heartache and pain the overall message is one of hope? Is there anything else you really hope readers take away from Pushing the Limits.

You hit the nail on the head: hope. Hope is a vital part of life to me and I wanted my readers to know that no matter what situation they find themselves in, there is always hope.

5. I understand Beth’s story Dare You To is due for release in 2013. Do you have another story waiting to get out?

I’m focusing on revisions for Dare You To at the moment. I can’t wait for people to read Beth’s story!

6. What are you reading now?

I just finished Trish Doller’s Something Like Normal. It is amazing. I highly recommend that people read it.

7. If you could be dropped into any book as a character, who would you be and why?

Growing up, I loved the Anne of Green Gables series and always wished I could be apart of her story. There was just something romantic in how she described the world around her and I always wished I could be Anne’s best friend.

8. Describe yourself in 3 words

Mother, wife, friend

Connect with Katie McGarry on her website, facebook or twitter

GIVEAWAY: 

2 copies - Aust/NZ ~ thanks to the generosity of Harlequin Teen Australia

1 copy - International ~ I'm offering a copy via Book Depository

If you'd like to win a copy just leave a comment or question for Katie McGarry and please let me know if you're an Aust/NZ or International entry. 

EXTRA ENTRIES:

+2 comment on my review of PUSHING THE LIMITS.
+2 tweet giveaway and leave a link

Giveaway ends 25th September and the winners will be announced on my blog. Good luck everyone!