Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale Blog Tour: INTERVIEW

I was delighted when Katie Dale invited A Reading Daydreamer to take part in her blog tour!  Katie is the wonderful author of a fantastic debut novel, Someone Else's Life which came out on Thursday.  I hope you enjoy reading this interview and find out more about this talented new author.  It is with pleasure I hand over to Katie!

Welcome to A Reading Daydreamer!  Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi! Thank you so much for having me! I am an actress and a writer and I currently live in Cambridge. I write both for children (Fairy Tale Twists for 5+) and young adults (Someone Else’s Life) and my first books are being published this year! 

When did you decide that you wanted to become an author?

My mum, Elizabeth Dale is a children’s book author so I’ve loved reading and writing my whole life, but I initially followed my dream of being an actress, and went to drama school and performed in Shakespeare tours and feature films. Then in 2008 my writing career really took off when I was selected as a winner of Undiscovered Voices, a competition run by the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). One of the judges was an editor at Orchard Books and she gave me my first publishing contract – for eight books!

What inspired you to write Someone Else’s Life and how did you come up with such an intriguing storyline?

I heard a story on the news about two babies that were swapped at birth and for some reason it really stuck with me. How would I feel if that happened to me? Would it change how I felt about my parents? How would it affect my life? What would I do? After that it was the book I just had to write. 

How did you feel when you found out that Someone Else’s Life was going to be published?

It was the most amazing feeling in the world. I’d worked on it for years, and once I got an agent and worked on it some more I had hopes that it would be published, but there’s was always a part of me that feared no-one would want it after all, worried that I’d just been fooling myself all that time.

To then discover a publisher wanted to publish it – not just in the UK, but in America and Canada and Germany and Brazil as well – it’s just a complete dream come true.

What challenges did you overcome to see your writing in print and can you tell us about the publishing process?

It’s LONG! I got my offer of publication in April 2010 and the book’s only just been published – on February 2^nd 2012! In that time a lot happens – mainly editing! For my first rewrite I received EIGHTY pages of editing notes! Whilst that was quite daunting, I’m so grateful to my editors for being so attentive and diligent as it’s made the book so much better.

Then there are lots more edits, decisions about titles and covers designs, then websites and twitter, then finally – publication!!

What ambitions do you have for your writing career?

I’d love to keep writing YA novels, and children’s books, but I’d also love to write picture books too, and I’m very interested in writing for stage and screen – it would be a dream to write a film – and maybe act in it too!

Are you planning or writing any stories for your newly-found fans to read in the future?

Yes, I’ve nearly finished my second YA novel, this time more of a thriller. Here’s the blurb:

Tall, dark, and handsome, the first time Sasha meets mysterious Christian she knows he is The One. But Christian is hiding a terrible secret. Why does he clam up every time Sasha asks about his past? Why does he have the initials L.N. engraved on his watch? Why doesn’t he have any family – and why does he dye his blond hair black?

Then when Christian’s house goes up in flames, his tyres are slashed, and he flees for his life, Sasha insists on going with him.

But as Christian’s secret is unveiled in front of the whole world, it seems everything he’s ever told Sasha is a lie. Even his name. Her loyalties torn, her emotions in tatters, Sasha must decide whether to stand by the man she loves, or turn him over to his pursuers. Can what they’re saying about him really be true? Should she trust him? Or is she in terrible danger…?

But Christian isn’t the only one keeping secrets.

For what if their accidental meeting was no accident at all…

 

Are there any authors who you hope to be like?

I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult – I love all her books and the way she uses characters, point of view and personal situations to let you see all the different sides of a controversial issue.

It makes you realize you really can’t judge someone till you’ve been in their shoes.

Can you share any tips or advice for our budding writers?

Read as much as you can.

Write often – it’s like anything, the more you do it, the better you get.

Enter competitions! They can open doors that often remain closed to unpublished authors.

And finally, do you like to read and daydream?

All the time! I love losing myself in other worlds and other lives – I think it’s kind of magical. 

Quick-fire questions

Dogs or cats: Dogs (but I love cats too)

Coffee or hot chocolate: Hot Chocolate – with cream and chocolate flakes J

Mac or PC: PC – I’ve never tried a Mac

Andy or Josh: Andy

Early bird or night owl: Definitely a night owl – I do not like early mornings!

Book or e-book: Book

Britain or America: Britain, but I love the diversity of the States.

Acting or writing: Both!

Thanks Katie!

 Thanks for having me!

Twitter: @katiedaleuk 

Read the 1st chapter on Katie's website:  http://katiedaleuk.blogspot.com 

Read my review of Someone Else's Life HERE

Thanks again to Katie for inviting me to take part in her first ever blog tour and answering all my questions!  Be sure to read Someone Else's Life, it's now one of my favourite books! (Check out the book trailer below!)

I am happy to announce that A Reading Daydreamer has now been running for exactly one month.  Thank you to all my followers and everyone who reads this blog, I appreciate every one of you!

Happy reading,

Beverley x

REVIEW: Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

Name: Someone Else's Life

Author: Katie Dale

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Date published: 2nd February 2012

Number of pages: 485

Source: Chicklish
Rating: 5 stars

When Rosie Kenning’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s disease, her whole world falls apart. Not only does Rosie desperately miss her mum, but now she has to face the fact that she could have inherited the fatal illness herself. Until she discovers that Trudie wasn’t her biological mother at all... Rosie is stunned. Can this be true?  Is she grieving for a mother who wasn’t even hers to lose? And if Trudie wasn’t her mother, who is?  But as Rosie delves into her past to discover who she really 
is, she is faced with a heart-breaking dilemma – to continue living a lie, or to reveal a truth that will shatter the lives of everyone around her...

Someone Else’s Life revolves around Rosie, a girl who has to deal with the pain of realization that the mother she had loved for seventeen years was not actually her birth mum. Desperate to find her real mother, she tags along with her boyfriend Andy to the United States as he embarks on his gap year.  While she discovers shocking secrets that break her heart, she stands strong and perseveres with what she believes.

When I was told that this book is like Jodi Picoult for teenagers, I jumped at the chance to read it, being a fan of Jodi Picoult and her skilfully written, realistic books. Reading the synopsis made me even sure that this was my type of book. As soon as I started to read it, I was engrossed, pulled in by all the different emotions and feelings of the characters. Although most of the book is told from Rosie’s perspective, all the other characters are developed brilliantly and their personalities shine through. I loved Rosie and her fresh, honest account of how she handled all the secrets, lies and truths. She is a character that you can easily warm to and I really did empathise with her throughout the book; I could feel her grief, her joy and everything in between. The emotions seem to jump off the page and penetrate your heart and that is the one of the things that makes this such a fascinating read.  

Another praiseworthy feature is its predictability or should I say unpredictability. An anonymous character contributes to the narration of this story and this person is revealed in Part Two of the book, so no peeking!  I honestly thought that I knew who this person was but it turns out I was wrong, adding to the unpredictable element of the story. When you think you’ve got it all sussed, Katie tweaks the story and surprises you with the unexpected. 

It hits all the right notes: it has action, romance and adventure all mixed into reality. Right now there are too many books that don’t have a deeper meaning but Someone Else’s Life has taught me to ‘make the most of the time we’ve got, seize the day, treasure every moment with the people we love’ (quoted from p475). This message is entwined throughout the book and reminds us that we should live life to the full, no matter what. It is utterly flawless and is perfection in the form of a book; it has everything you could wish for in a book and had me hooked from page one (I had to sneak off to the library at lunch so that I could continue reading it!). Overall it is a warm, poignant novel with a unique story-line that is sure to touch your heart and stay in its treasured place on your bookshelf for years to come. It deserves all of its 5 stars and I would recommend it to teenagers who aren’t just ready for Jodi Picoult books and young adults who enjoy reading real-life stories. I hope Katie Dale continues to write more amazing novels for us to read!!!

Click HERE to pre-order it, or buy it as soon as it hits the shops!

Thanks must go to Luisa at Chicklish for sending me this utterly amazing book!

Happy Reading,

Beverley x