The Tenerview with Kathryn Fitzmaurice

Sep 25, 2014 by admin

Clearly, my life these days has been filled with all things middle grade. I don’t remember what it was that I “bing’d” on the particular day I discovered Kathryn’s blog, but I’m grateful for the happenstance.  When I read her list of favorite middle grade books, I knew I wanted to have her for the Tenerview. She’s a woman after my own heart and I’m happy to introduce her to you.

About Kathryn Fitzmaurice:

Photo credit: Audey England

When Kathryn was thirteen years old, her mother sent her to New York City over the summer to visit her grandmother, who was a science fiction author. After seeing how her grandmother could make the characters in her books into whomever she wanted, Kathryn decided that she, too, wanted to become a writer someday. Years later, after teaching elementary school, she now writes full time and lives with her husband, two sons, and her dog, Holly, in Monarch Beach, California.

About the Books:

Destiny Rewritten

From DESTINY, REWRITTEN (released Feb 2013, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Katherine Tegen Imprint)

Emily Elizabeth Davis has been told her entire life that her destiny is to become a poet, just like her famous namesake, Emily Dickinson. But shortly after discovering that it contains a family secret, she loses the special volume of Emily Dickinson’s poetry that was given to her at birth. As Emily and her friends search for the lost book in used bookstores all across town, Emily’s understanding of destiny begins to unravel, and then rewrite itself in a marvelous new way.

Excerpt:
“And that’s when I started wondering about what Emily had written in her letter to Thomas Wentworth Higginson, and if it was possible for a person to change their destiny. If you could take it by the hand like a friend on the playground and say, “I know you wanted to swing. But I have something else to show you, something wonderful and different that you may not have thought of. Come see the slide instead.”

1. What inspired your latest book or book series?

I received a book of Emily Dickinson poetry from my grandmother on my twentieth birthday. In it, she wrote, “ED is a revered poet. Perhaps one day the same will be said of KH. Happy Birthday, Love Grama Eleanor.” This book was the starting point for Destiny, Rewritten. I knew there would be a girl, named after Emily Dickinson, who was destined to write poetry, but would rather be a romance novelist. Through out the course of the book, by way of hard work and becoming someone very much NOT like herself, Emily is able to change her destiny.

2. If I were to ask the main character of your latest book what you least understood about her or him, what would he or she say?

Emily would tell us how hard it was for her to be someone other than herself in order to change her life.

3. What lessons has writing taught you about life in general?

Sometimes, when writing, you accidentally stumble across a piece of yourself you had no idea existed. This is what I have learned.

4. What’s your favorite quote?

“The sea, it is nothing but love and emotion” -Jules Verne

5. What is perfect just the way it is?

The ocean, the tides, the way the sea is always changing, the seaweed, the tossed driftwood.

6. Prince or Michael Jackson?

Michael Jackson.

7. In five words or less, what do you most want people to know about you?

I am joyful.

8. What song best describes your current mood?

Holiday, by Madonna. (I know, this is really old, but I like it!)

9. From Proust, which living person do you most admire?

Gary D. Schmidt, who happens to write the loveliest novels.

10. What question didn’t I ask that you wish I had and what would your answer have been?

How much do you love your dog, Holly?

Answer: Holly is the best dog in the world. I’m sure everyone who owns one thinks this about their own dog, but I am attaching a photo of her, so you can see for yourself. She is so smart; she can practically empty the dishwasher!

It was a delight to have you on the Tenerview, Kathryn!  You can visit Kathryn on her website and follow her on Twitter!  You can also get your own copy of Destiny Rewritten from these fine booksellers.

Nicole