Author Interview: Phoebe Kitanidis

The first idea of doing an interview with Phoebe came up when I saw one of her tweets saying she liked to give interviews. It happened before I even had read Whisper, which I fell in love with later.

Phoebe is such a nice person and I am honored for interviewing her. She is a Greek-American writer and has earned both BA in Rhetoric and MA in Communication Studies. You can find her online on Twitter, on Facebook and at her own blog.

Whisper, her debut novel, released on April 27, 2010. So, if you haven't bought it yet, go for it! In the following interview, she answers some questions about herself and Whisper, and also talks about Summer Falls.

The Interview

How did you get interested in writing about people who Hear Whispers and others who feel Waves?
I think we’re all affected by the emotions of people around us. And we all wonder and try to guess what the people we’re close to really think and want. I wanted to write a paranormal that is right next door to reality, about the things we naturally do without even thinking about them.

What’s your favorite quote?
One of my favorites that’s popular right now: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” –Mahatma Gandhi

Do you have a particular place you like to write? And to read?
I love to write in my office at home. (That’s where I am now.) I use my dad’s old desk and my grandfather’s bookshelves, and my office is filled with objects I love that are meaningful to me: candles, dried flowers, old letters, antique typewriters. As for reading, bliss = lying down with a book.

Have you ever bought a book for its cover?
Many times! The Luxe is one. And I’m a sucker for gold/silver foil and texture. I have also bought books just because they were autographed or very old editions.

Was Whisper the first story you ever wrote?
I’ve also written a couple short stories too, which have appeared in literary magazines. And an adult novel which is currently out on submission.

How long did you take to write Whisper, say "Yeah, I think it’s good" and then send to someone to read it?
Well, I’m a typical writer, so I rarely think anything I write is “good.” Writers are very critical of themselves! :-) After one year though, I finished Whisper and showed to my agent. He said it was ready to send out to publishers.

And did you take a long time to get your book published or it was quickly accepted?
Whisper sold super quickly, within three days. I was so happy when I got that call from my agent!

Were the main characters inspired by anyone you know personally?
All my characters have some of myself in them. Like Joy, I want to make people happy. Like Jessica, I feel alone and frustrated at the whole world sometimes. Jamie is based on a boy in my life who I know was always strongly affected by other people’s emotions.

Have you ever wished you could Hear Whispers? What do you think you would use them to?
It’s embarrassing to admit this, but if I could Hear Whispers I would probably use my gift to impress people sometimes. :-) But I’d also try to train myself not to listen so hard all the time—good relationships need some privacy.

You said you had no idea people were going to like Jamie. Why did you think that?
I don’t always find the love interests in books attractive. Sometimes I put down a book and wonder, “Why is the heroine so in love with that arrogant jerk?” Jamie is not arrogant. He’s thoughtful and kind. He is also dangerous, but it’s not his fault. And when it comes to obeying the law—well, let’s just say he can think of higher priorities. But at heart, he’s caring, so I’m very happy readers seem to like him. :-)

Are you really analyzing the idea of writing a book in Jamie's POV? Would it be a book from Whisper series or another series?
Yes, I would love to write a book in his POV. It would be all about his secret, his family, and his struggle to live with it. A Jamie-book would also be filled with action, because anywhere Jamie goes there is bound to be trouble. Joy and her family would play an important part too, so it would be a companion novel to Whisper.

What can you tell about your next book?
I’m working on a standalone called SUMMER FALLS. It’s got lots of romance in it, and the POV shifts between two protagonists, a boy named Marshall and a girl named Elise. The story opens with them waking up in bed together in a creepy little town… with absolutely no memories of how they got there—or who they are. They have no one they can trust, so they have to decide whether to trust each other. It’s a paranormal too, like WHISPER.

Thank you so much, Phoebe! For everything. Congratulations for Whisper one more time! You deserve all best. Wish you success and I hope you know I will be supporting you for any book you write!

P.S.: To browse inside Whisper, check the right sidebar. There is also a link for my review. We'll have a contest/giveaway later here, so if you want to win something, get more entries by commenting. :-)