Author Interview: Zoe McKnight

Final stop (for me) on the Living in Glass Houses tour! I reviewed the book last Saturday and you can read the review here – I really liked the book! I got the chance to interview author Zoe McKnight for this stop. Thank you to Zoe for answering my questions! And don't forget to enter the giveaway for a copy of this book - details are at the end of the post!

Let’s start the interview with some fast and furious favourites:

Favourite movie? The Duchess, starring Keira Knightley
Favourite author/book? The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory 
Favourite (or dream) travel destination? London. Would love to live there at some point. 
Favourite indulgence (food to eat, store to shop in, etc.)? Banana Republic and Eggnog lattes. 

What was your experience like writing and publishing Living in Glass Houses, your first novel?
It was exhilarating. It was the first time in a long time I embarked on a project that I cared so much about. I pulled many an all-nighter, spent hours on end brainstorming on ways to make it better, often vacillating between pride and self-doubt. That’s how I knew I was meant to be an author because this process breathed new life into me. The book was a definite burden of love, but I have to say I enjoyed almost every moment of it. 

Are you an outliner or a write by the seat of your pants author?
Definitely from the seat of my pants. Before I start writing, I set up the characters and their conflicts, but the details and subplots come to me along the way. Typically, I’ll have the beginning and the end in mind, then I just fill in the blanks. 

What made you decide to try your hand at writing a novel?
I'm fascinated with psychology. I love to figure out what makes people tick and I've learned that if there’s one thing that brings out the best and worst in people, it’s relationships. Some of the most rational, level-headed people I know have made some of the most shocking decisions when it came to affairs of the heart (myself included). I thought it would be interesting (and educational) to chronicle spin-offs of these stories in a novel. Blair, Jonathan and Elle are composite characters based on people I know. 

Do you have a particular writing routine? A favourite place to write or time of day to get work done?
I'm trying to develop a routine, but so far it’s been a bit of a random process. My mind is the freshest early in the morning or after midnight, so I try and stick to those time frames when I'm under a deadline. Otherwise, I try to write a little bit each day. Some days that results in several chapters, other days, just a few lines, but I think it’s important to maintain the momentum. 
As for venue, it all depends on where I am in my writing process. Early on, while I'm still brainstorming and basically throwing ideas against the wall, I can write at my local Starbuck's. But once I'm in the final stretch or editing, I need quiet. I’ll lock myself in my bedroom with no music, no TV and no cellphone so that I can focus. 

What kinds of things do you like to do when you're not writing?
When I'm not hanging out with my dogs, I'm watching a LOT of reality TV or 80's movies. I'm a huge on-line browser. I get a kick out of surfing my favorite websites and creating wish lists, although I rarely go back and purchase any of it. 

What can we expect from you in the future?
The sequel to Living in Glass Houses is in the works. It should be out by November 1. It follows the story of Blair and Vaughn from the first book. So much of the feedback I received was about the two of them and what happens next, so I decided to continue their story in my next novel. 

Now, for that giveaway! Zoe is kindly offering a copy of her novel to one of you lucky readers. You can choose a print copy or an ebook. All I ask is that you leave a comment on this post, or any of the previous posts, with your email address so I can contact you (use AT and DOT if you wish), and let me know what your favourite thing about fall is. I tried to come up with something that was related to the book but I decided to do something fun and random with this one! Bonus point if you follow the blog and/or the Facebook page. The contest will be open until midnight on Monday October 29 - the last day of Zoe's tour. If you've already commented on either of the previous posts, there's no need to comment again to enter (but I welcome responses to this interview!).

Happy reading :)