Author of the Month

June

Beth Revis

February’s Author of the Month is Beth Revis, who just debuted the novel Across the Universe.  If you haven’t read it, I would suggest getting to the nearest bookstore and snagging yourself a copy, ’cause man, are they going like hotcakes.  It was brilliant, it was moving, it was EPIC.  It’s also a trilogy, which means the fun will continue. 

I asked Beth a some questions, and here’s what she said:

The Book Heist: Have you always known you wanted to be a writer?

Beth Revis: Yes!  Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to tell stories.

The Book Heist: Where did you get your ideas for Across the Universe?

Beth Revis: A lot of it came from the twist at the end–I had an idea for a solution to a mystery, and I wanted to build a novel around it.

The Book Heist: When you first wanted to write a novel, did you automatically think “dystopian”?

Beth Revis: Nope! I’ve been writing for years and mostly wrote fantasy–this was the first dystopian I wrote–and actually, I didn’t go into thinking dystopian, I went into thinking sci fi.

The Book Heist: You write about things other people would tend to shy away from (details about cryogenics, medical procedures, etc.).  What is it like for you to write these scenes?

Beth Revis: I just tried to be as honest and graphic as possible, to push it far as I could go. I do have to say, while writing the first chapter, I actually accidentally gagged myself while trying to figure out what the tubes would feel like!

The Book Heist: A lot of authors listen to music while they write.  Are you the same way?  What kinds of songs are on your playlist?

Beth Revis: I do like to listen to music–but I only listen to it for sound–I tune out the songs and the words. That said, I did listen a lot to the Beatle’s song “Across the Universe” while writing 😀

The Book Heist: What type of research did you do for Across the Universe?

Beth Revis: I just researched enough to find out why we don’t have the technology I needed for the story. For example, I figured out that we didn’t have cryogenic freezing because cell walls burst, then I invented “blue goo” to make that not happen for Amy and her family.

The Book Heist: What was it like to write from the male point of view (Elder)?

Beth Revis: Interesting! I’d write scenes and run them past my husband. For example, when Elder first sees Amy, I had written pages of description where he sees her and notices her eyes, her hair, etc. Showed it to my husband. He said, “If I were Elder, I’d just be looking at her boobs.” So I took out a lot of the description and had him look at her boobs.

The Book Heist: Being a YA author, do you read any YA novels? What are your favorites?

Beth Revis: I read YA almost exclusively. I’ll occasionally read MG, and sometimes pick up an adult novel, but nearly everything I read is YA. My faves are Robin McKinley, Patricia Wrede, CS Lewis, Carrie Ryan, and more!

Have questions you’d like me to ask for next month’s Author of the Month?  Just comment and let me know!