Quick Q and A's with Robin Brande

Robin Brande is the fablous author of two YA books- Fat Cat and Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature. You can check out her site/ blog here.

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1) First off, I’m going to give you a couple of categories and I would like you to list your favorite.

Book:

Tie: GREAT EXPECTATIONS by Charles Dickens and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS by J.K. Rowling

Author(s):

Same tie. See above.

Movie:

Tie again! THE PRINCESS BRIDE and the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.

Season:

No tie. Autumn, for sure.

Food:

Mexican! Could eat it every day.

2) Your latest book, Fat Cat, recently came out. So, can you tell us what the inspiration was behind it ?

I decided to write a book for the overweight girl I was in high school. I would have loved to read about Cat’s experiment and try it for myself. In fact, when I did my research for the book, I did try Cat’s experiment, and it totally worked!

3) Fat Cat partly deals with different types of science experiments which leaves to me to wonder if you did any type of research on the things talked about in the book while working on it?

Besides giving up the foods Cat gives up, and cooking all the foods she cooked (which was so much fun), I also did TONS of research into nutrition, health, and our food supply (factory farms, etc.). Even though I did much more research on this book than I ever have for any other, none of it felt like work, because I’m so interested in the topic anyway. It’s one of the best parts of my job that I get to spend as much time as I want exploring topics I’m fascinated by, and then I get to create a whole story based on what I find. I just love that this is how I spend my time all day.

4) How did the title Fat Cat come to be?

I started out with a much more complicated title—something like “The Einstein of Weight and Boys” (I’ve never told anyone that! Congratulations on getting it out of me!), but then a friend of mine who read the early manuscript talked some sense into me and asked, “Why don’t you just call it ‘Fat Cat’?” Der. She was obviously right.

5) Do you have a particular scene in Fat Cat that’s your favorite?

The Valentine scene. Without a doubt. Shhh—let’s not give anything away.

6) Out of all the characters you’ve written about in your two books- Fat Cat and Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks Of Nature- which one has been most like you?

That’s a hard question! Both Mena from EVOLUTION and Cat from FAT CAT have so much of me in them. But if I had to choose, I’d say Cat is more me. So much of her life is so much like mine.

7) I recently saw on your blog that Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks Of Nature has been optioned by Hollywood. So, have you have your heard any other news surrounding this since then?

I’m so excited about that! I won’t be hearing anything more for a while. The screenwriter/producer who optioned the book has a while still to write her screenplay and take it to the next step. So I’ve just tried to put it out of my mind for now and go about my business. But I’m very excited to hear what comes next.

8) What type of setting do you usually write in?

Truth? In a completely messy office that I tell myself every week I have to clean up. Siiigh. There are always so many other—and more fun—things to do. One of these days . . .

9) Is there any book out there that you wish you had written yourself?

AUSTENLAND by Shannon Hale. I love that book so much. It’s funny, romantic, and totally taps into my deep love for the BBC miniseries of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. That book was like chocolate to me.

10) Are you currently working on anything?

I have a new book due in the spring. It’s a romantic comedy that involves quantum physics and string theory. Trust me, it will all make sense.

11) Is there anything else you would like to add?

Nope, except thanks for the interview, Lauren! And thanks for your review of FAT CAT—I really appreciate that!
 
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Thanks for the great interview, Robin! :)