Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Interview with Elizabeth Norris of Unraveling & Giveaway

Thanks for being here Elizabeth, and welcome to the My 5 Monkeys.
Here are my questions :

1. Have you always been an X files fan ?

Yes. It was a show that I started watching on Friday nights when I got home from swim practice. I got so into it that I got my sister and dad and several of my friends to start watching it. It became a Friday night tradition. We'd order pizza and all hang out in my living room and watch the show. 
2. Why did you choose to have the story take place in San Diego ?

I started writing Unraveling when I first moved to NY. I really missed San Diego a lot, and geographically it was a city that I was most familiar with. (By now I'm more familiar with NY, but that took some getting used to.) I also taught high school in a school similar to Janelle's in SD, and that just made it really natural to set the book there.
3. Did you go with the FBI to research the story ?

I didn't! I wish I had though! I have a friend who I went to high school with and he's in the FBI. I've heard a few stories about his job--nothing all that exciting. The stuff he's allowed to tell people is pretty tame, but while I was writing the book I did ask him a few questions as research. Some he answered. Others he came back to me and said, "My boss says I can't tell you that." And then I'd have to research around online and see what I could find out on my own.
4. Did you study Bi-polar disease or know of someone with it?

I know several people who are bipolar, and some of them suffer from the disease more severely than others, and as a result I've seen how it can affect people and the people they live with firsthand. Janelle's mom definitely has a severe case, and part of her problem is that she doesn't take her medication. Thankfully the people I know have responded better to treatment.
 
5. Fave places to visit in California ?

Oh there are so many. California is a beautiful and wonderful place with fabulous weather--or at least, San Diego is. I used to go to the beach at Torrey Pines and in Del Mar a lot. Neither one of them are as crowded as the beaches in La Jolla or Pacific Beach, though they're great too. My favorite sushi place is in Old Town. It's called Miso Harney's and I'm friends with one of the sushi chefs who can do some of the most amazing and artistic things with food. I also love Mysterious Galaxy bookshop. That's where I used to buy all my books when I lived in SD.
6. Is there going to be another book in the series ?

There is a sequel to Unraveling. It's funny, despite the fact that I'd planned a sequel, I had really thought that the first book could have been a standalone. Now that more people have been asking me about the sequel, I'm really glad I wrote it! It's going to come out in 2013 and then I have another book in 2014 which will either be in the Unraveling series or it will be something a little different.
7. What are some of the must see TV for you ?

Right now my favorite show is Game of Thrones on HBO. I read the books last year before the show came out and absolutely fell in love with the characters and the world, and I have to say HBO did such an amazing job bringing it to the screen. I also really love Fringe which I think is such a creative and interesting show with fabulous acting and writing. And despite how much it frustrates me sometimes, I watch Vampire Diaries every week. I love Damon. He's such a great example of an anti-hero, the guy you're willing to forgive for anything because he's so charming. 
8. Chocolate or Vanilla ?

Chocolate!
9. Dog or cat ?

I like them both, but I'm allergic to cats, so Dog.
10. Do you think that there are other worlds out there ??

I hope so. It's more interesting to think we're not alone.

11. what books influenced your writing ?

I love The Hunger Games and I think Suzanne Collins taught me a lot about pacing through her books. I love the Vampire Academy series and Kelley Armstrong and Kim Harrison's adult series--they have such amazing and well thought out worlds. And I'm also obsessed with The Great Gatsby. (Kind of an eclectic mix!)
12. What are you reading right now ??

Right now I'm reading Insurgent by Veronica Roth. I managed to snag an ARC and I've been trying to prolong the reading experience by not opening it up right away, but this weekend, I'm planning to devour it.






Its a great book and my review will be up tomorrow. Thanks for being here at My 5 Monkeys , and great to know the author behind the book. 





a Rafflecopter giveaway

39 comments:

  1. I think it's very possible that there are other worlds out there. As vast as the galaxy is, I can't believe we are all there is!!

    Wendy/books4me

    ReplyDelete
  2. I always think there are other world out there. I mean, as vast as the universe is their can most definitely be other worlds out there. We live, then why not other things out there. It's not all scientifically proven that there are no other worlds so we can't say there isn't. Awesome question & Giveaway.It was fun.
    Lisseth @read-a-holicz.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've always thought there were other worlds out there becuase we can't just be the only ones plus the universe is so big there are bound to be other living creatures on other planets.

    Gi-Gi @imaginationsurroundstheworld.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I know enough to realize I don't know anything. It's definitely possible that other worlds are out there.
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think it's possible, but more like parallel worlds. Who knows, maybe.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a fun interview! You asked a bunch of questions I would have wanted the answers to, Julie, including the q about mental illness and research. I'm really happy to hear there will be at least one sequel, if not two. :)

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

    ReplyDelete
  7. The universe is too big for us to be all alone! At least that's what I think. LOL Great interview! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. There are definitely other worlds out there but who knows if there's other civilizations. Not sure it's a good thing. I've seen enough of those alien invasion movies.

    ReplyDelete
  9. There are definitely other worlds out there but who knows if there's other civilizations. Not sure it's a good thing. I've seen enough of those alien invasion movies.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I don't think we are alone. We all know the vastness of Universe and that there are many galaxies there so maybe there would be some Other planet/galaxy with life... :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yes, I do! Our universe isn't the only one and it's just so vast, it's impossible for there to not be. At least that's what I think.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hmm no wouldn't they have show themselves by now!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm with everyone above. Absolutely! But maybe we'll never know for sure. It's really fun (and a little scary) to think about.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I would hope so, because if not then there would be a huge waste of (wait for it, wait for it, ..) space!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I don't know but I don't discount the possibility!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Absolutely!!! There are too many galaxies out there for there not to be another one.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh yeah, there are millions I think we aren't aware of. Likely to be discovered after we're long gone.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm a firm believer that we are only one of millions of worlds.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I believe there are many worlds out there but i'm not sure if people are living on them.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hell yes! I think it would be too proud of us humans to think we are the only one.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'd like to believe there are other worlds out there. It just doesn't seem like we could be the only ones in the whole universe.

    ReplyDelete
  22. There's a quote in the Martian Chronicles that says something to the effect of how arrogant would we be to assume that we were the only ones out there.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Definitely! We can't be the only ones. However, I doubt in my lifetime we'll ever know for sure. If we ever get contacted or develop high-tech gear lets just hope it doesn't turn into an episode of V. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I think so - there are many physics theories that point to yes!

    Can't wait to read this - thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Yes, I definitely do. Will we reach them and be able to communicate with them in my lifetime? Probably not. Thanks for the chance to win!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Yes. It's hard to imagine sometimes, but just go out into the desert or sit on a dock on a lake on a clear, clear night and look up at the sky, and just try to tell me that we're the only world that exists. It's impossible. At least, I think so. :]

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oh Absolutely!!! Not in the sense that they are aliens though!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I think so. It's hard to imagine we're the only intelligent life in the entire universe, especially after watching a couple episodes of Ancient Aliens.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I think it's a definite possibility.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Re: your question about other worlds: yes, absolutely. I think it's crazy to believe that we're the only ones out here.

    Love this interview! <3 It definitely sounds like Elizabeth has done her research and drawn inspiration from her own life, which is great :) I can't wait to read Unraveling!

    Sonia

    ReplyDelete
  31. Honestly, I do think so. :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. it's definitely possible! who knows? :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. I believe that it's possible :)

    ReplyDelete
  34. Absolutely. It doesn't make sense for us to be the only ones.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I think there is...but they might not be like us. Who knows?Anything's possible!!!

    ReplyDelete

Help me feed the Monkeys--We love comments

We are an award free zone. Thanks so much for all the previous awards, but I can't continue passing them on at this time. Thanks