In Interview with Katie McCabe I talk about the experience of interviewing Katie for my friend Carolina Valdez Miller, but I thought it was a good idea to post the actual interview on this site as well. The interview was conducted after the conclusion of Nowhere Feels Like Home and prior to the writing of No Boundaries. So, enjoy…
LK: Hey Katie, come on in and have a seat.
Katie: Enters and throws herself into the chair causing it to tip back slightly Am I in trouble?
LK: Why would you be in trouble? Have you done something I should know about?
Katie: No. Eyes dart away and then shift back I can’t go farther than the bathroom or the front porch without help, so how could I do anything? I mean, look at me! Gestures toward her cast
LK: Hmmm. That no wasn’t very convincing, but we’ll let it slide for the moment.
Katie: So why am I here anyway?
LK: I thought that we could have a little chat before getting in to the next book in the series. I wanted to see how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking and whether you were planning to give me any problems once we get going with it.
(silence)
LK: Katie, come on. Open up and let me know what’s going on inside that head of yours.
Katie: scowling Why should I tell you anything? Look at all of the things you’ve done to me. You killed my Daddy and now I’m living with relative who were total strangers until a few weeks ago. And that’s just for starters.
LK: I know losing your daddy was tough and you’re still trying to deal with it. But sometimes bad things happen in life and we have to deal with them. Your story is helping some kids to deal with some of the bad life circumstances they run into. I know the loss of your father was a huge deal, but that’s not really what’s bothering you now, so what is it?
Katie: Slumps in the chair and drops head slightly forward so her bangs cover one eye and pouts Did you have to break my ankle? I mean if you had to maim me, did you have to take my ability to get around away? Couldn’t you have just broken an arm or something? Crosses her arms and lets a huff of air escape A broken arm would have been cool because I could still have moved around and would have had a reason not to do homework. That would have been a bonus. Instead through an entire book I was stuck in bed and couldn’t DO ANYTHING! And I STILL have this stupid cast on.
LK: I really feel bad about breaking your ankle. I think I have suffered as much as you have with it.
Katie: Ha!
LK: I’ve thought about it over and over again, and the problem is it was the right thing to happen in the circumstances and I can’t go back and change it.
Katie: I thought you were the writer, which is kind of like God. Don’t you have control over what happens?
LK: laughs Like I could control you any better than anyone else in your life has done. Katie, you know I simply give you the reins and hold on for dear life. You were out in the hills in a storm and your foot slipped into a hole – the ankle had to break. If it didn’t then it would weaken your case with Harvey in front of the judge. The break isn’t bad and you’ll be going into a walking cast in a few pages anyway.
Katie: Flings her head back to whip the hair out of her eyes Really? That’ll be totally cool.
LK: You still need to be cautious so you don’t re-injure yourself.
Katie: Yeah…whatever…I’ll be careful.
LK: Do you have any questions for me?
Katie: Do I get to spend more time with Tom this book? You keep cutting short our alone time together. Will you give me some time with him when we don’t have to worry about Sarah barging in on us? It was embarrassing when she caught us kissing and I don’t want that to happen again.
LK: You’ll get a little more alone time in this book.
Katie: Curls hand into fist and jerks arm back sharply Yeesss!
LK: Don’t get too excited – I didn’t say you wouldn’t get embarrassed in some way. And you’re relationship with Tom is going to subtly change.
Katie: You better not be breaking us up! I have to have some time with the guy when I’m not grounded. pouts
LK: You still have some growing to do in the relationship, so it’s not necessarily going to be an easy road, but right now there are no break-up plans.
Katie: Good! Let’s keep it that way.
LK: Do you have any other burning questions you want to ask?
Katie: I don’t want to sound like a baby but did you have to make Sarah get engaged? As much as she gets on my case, she’s the person I’m closest to and you’re taking her away too. And don’t give me any crap about the engagement period. You’re still taking her away from me.
LK: On Sarah and Jim, we’re both going to have to wait to see what happens. I know they’re engaged, but they won’t be getting married in this next book. In fact, Sarah is destined for a few relationship bumps in the road as well.
Katie: Really? Grins That shouldn’t make me happy, but it does. What kind of bumps?
LK: I don’t want to give too much away because I want you to react naturally to what happens.
Katie: Jumps to feet That’s not fair! You never tell me anything! Why should I even talk to you?
LK: Give me a minute to finish. The thing I can tell you is that Sarah is already thinking about trying to convince Jim to have you live with them after they are married.
Katie: Flops back in chair You’d better not be teasing me.
LK: I know it’s hard for you to believe, but I really do have your best interests at heart.
Katie: Yeah right! (pause) If you’re going to keep someone’s best interests at heart, then I want you to look after Timmy. He’s had a hard life and he needs something good to happen to him.
LK: You don’t think I’ve given him something good in his life?
Katie: Are you nuts? You made him put his own father into a coma, and he had to worry about whether he killed him or not! How on earth is that something good?
LK: What about the part where he comes to live with you and your family and is no longer in the abusive situation with his dad? And what about the fact that I have Mark taking Tim under his wing and they’re doing the male bonding thing?
Katie: Well…I guess. And I guess I should tell you thanks for bringing my best friend to me after I lost Daddy and had to move away. But does Tim have to be jealous of my boyfriend? And I think Tom is getting jealous of Tim. Why do you have to mess up anything in my life that’s actually going well?
LK: It’s what makes it a story.
