HER ANSWERS ARE RIGHT AFTER THE QUESTIONS BUT TO MAKE IT MORE CLEAR I HAVE PUT THEM IN ITALICS!
Q1. Describe the whole KNIGHT saga in one word.
1. Sex ;) haha just kidding, I'd say family.
Q2. How does the story come to you so easily since you update almost everyday and every chapter is so meaningful?
2. I honestly have no idea. KNIGHT is the first book I ever completed, but I’ve started and stopped dozens of stories. KNIGHT itself just flowed so easily for me; it was sort of scary at times. It almost felt like I was Angie in another life and I’m just writing my old life down…
Q3.. Each and every chapter is so special and relatable. How did you come up with them?
3. I literally have no clue lol. Though I’ve been writing—aiming to be professional-- for the past four years, KNIGHT is just s unprecedented in comparison to my earlier works. KNIGHT is the “first” for me in so many respects. It’s the first book I finished. It’s the first book I wrote that was simple, yet the plot had enough twists and turns. But when I begin a book, I almost always “see” the ending because it helps me know what I’m working toward. The ending for KNIGHT was actually supposed to be Harry’s death, yes, he was supposed to die...but I fell in love with his character and so did you guys, so I couldn’t let him go… Usually, though, I have writers block and have lots of troubling imagining scenes for the middle of the book. With KNIGHT, my problem was finding time to write down all the images in my head. I carried around my journal to class every day and I’d pull it out so I could jot down ideas since they came to me randomly. And as I write the scenes I “see” in my mind, they always become more detailed. Sometimes, chapters stray from the original plan I had, but I always go with it. The whole KNIGHT saga was a “go for it” kind of thing that I’m still wrapping my head around.
Q4. Most 1D fanfics are set in London where Harry is usually British but in your story he is an American. Any special reason as to why this story is based in New Jersey and why is Angela Italian?
4. The thing is, my books aren’t really fanfictions. Yes, the boys are in them, but they’re sort of like actors playing the roles of my characters. I write stories based off images I get in my mind; I don’t necessarily sit down and think about 1d and write stories on them. That’s not how my mind—or any writer’s mind-- works. My stories always stem from a single, solid image. For KNIGHT, I had this very strange image of a tall man in a leather jacket, walking alone, down a deserted alleyway. I always “see” scenes and characters in my head. For every book of the KNIGHT saga, I saw about 5-6 scenes in my head—the main scenes like Harry being shot, Harry and Angie’s first time, Carlo admitting to poisoning Angie’s mom, Harry killing his father, etc.
Q5. Do you ever wish to visit 'Sicily' and 'Palermo'?
5. I’d love to leave the U.S. in general! Lol the farthest I’ve been is to Canada. I’d really love to visit Europe and study abroad anywhere, really.
Q6. There is this huge 'outsiders' connect your story has? Why is that book so special to you?
6. OUTSIDERS is the first book I read in school that scared the shit out of me. I was this little 11 year old who grew up in this insulated, comforting neighborhood where nothing bad ever happened, yet I was reading this terrifyingly exciting book about these orphaned boys who wore a little too much grease in their hair lol. It was the first story that made me cry. #StillNotOverJohnnysDeath But then I re-read OUTSIDERS last year, I wasn’t scared, I was fascinated by the gang dynamic, by the concept of brotherhood, family, adolescence, violence. (I’m a psych major). And one morning, shortly after re-reading OUTSIDERS, I woke up with the image of a man in leather…
Q7. There are many Angelas out there like me,who have lost all belief in love. Do you think KNIGHTS exist in the real world and that we will find them someday?
7. Yes. Yes. YES. If you don’t believe something exists, then you’ll never find it. As I was writing KNIGHT, I didn’t believe good guys existed—and if they did, you wouldn’t be able to have them for whatever reason (they’re already taken, gay, fictional, etc.) But as I continued the story, I realized that lots of girls were reading and I wanted to give a positive yet realistic image of a relationship. I don’t like to talk much about my personal life, but I will safely say that the person I am with right now is as close to a knight as I could probably imagine.
Q8. What does the whole saga mean to you? Is it your way to escape reality yet be aware of it in some way?
8. Great question. I’ve grown so much since I wrote that first chapter of KNIGHT. I’ve learned so much about writing and literature, as well as about myself and my potential as a novelist. KNIGHT was initially a way to escape reality by portraying the cruelest version of it that I knew. But now, it’s sort of like my self-therapy. Writing about people who use each other or abuse or love or manipulate one another has helped me to overcome similar issues from my own life. Writing is therapy for the soul.
Q9. Your writing style is beautiful. Can you please give us ameature writers some advice as to how we can develop our writing styles?
9. Read. Read. READ! The only way to learn how to put a book together is to know how to pull one apart. And you’ve gotta listen to those snobby English teachers, they know their shit lol. What helped me find my writer’s voice was reading various, very famous authors like Fitzgerald, Salinger, Hinton, etc. Once you find your favorite, imitate them. And once you imitate them, add your own flair, write a character that is exactly like you, that way, it’s easier to describe their reactions. And once you’ve done that, you’ll be more comfortable writing characters who have very opposing opinions and personalities. (But please note that there is no one way to become a good writer. I taught myself what I know today so everything I’ve said is what works for me).
Q10. What qualities would you want in your KNIGHT? :)
10. Tall. Dark. And handsome lol XD I’m going to describe the guy I’m with cause he’s amazing... I really respect a man who knows how to express his feelings boldly. I think most guys have the misconception that “nice guys finish last.” That’s not true. If you’re nice, but you never speak up, how the hell do you think you’re going to get a girl? You’ll be friendzoned. End of story. I think Harry’s character in KNIGHT more or less describes the kind of man I like: extremely stubborn, aggressive, but really sweet and compassionate. As for looks, I’m obsessed with blue eyes & dark hair and the guy I’m with has exactly that, so…lol the only shallow thing I have is for the guy to be taller. I just love standing on my tippy toes to kiss the guy. I think it’s cute and Disney-esque lol.
Q11. In the non-fanfic version of KNIGHT,you have given all the characters different names except,Angela,Becky and Dany (thats the only difference between this version and the fanfic version) How did you come up with those names?
11. Yes, the only difference will be the names of the 1d boys. The heart of the story will be completely the same. I wanted an exotic name for my lead character, then I got the image of angels & innocence, hence “Angela.” And Angela is an Italian name, which fits the mafia story line perfectly (not that every Italian family is in the mafia, there’s actually Russian & Chinese mafias, too).
Q12. Which book out of the four is your favorite and why?
I absolutely love all four of these books and your other writings as well. You are by far the most dedicated and talented writers on here and otherwise :)
love you!
12. I think KNIGHT and PAWNS are my favorites because KNIGHT began the story; it’s so simple, yet still emotionally moving. The original Harry poem is in that book. Liam’s still alive lol! And PAWNS completes the orphan issue; Carlo admits to killing Angie’s parents and that really unravels the entire story line. Also, I absolutely loved writing Angie’s dad’s diaries. I love when characters discover things from their parents’ past & let’s be honest, J.D. sr. was pretty damn sexy haha
Stay gold!
