Hello, Dangerous love family!
I'm here with the lovely KatieCruz who accepted to answer a couple of questions. She's one of our wonderful badass authors so go and check her out!
Denisa: How long have you been on Wattpad?
Katie: 7 years in March 9, 2011.
Denisa: Tell us a bit about yourself as a person. Only share what you are comfortable with sharing on the profile. (Hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc.)
Katie: I'm a simple person. I don't really like going out at night. I'd rather spend time with my family than go out and socialize. I don't smoke cigarettes. I don't drink alcohol. I'm a sucker for cute and pretty things. I'm afraid of heights. I'm an animal lover. I suck at Math, but I have a career that deals with numbers daily. I love the beach, but I don't know how to swim. I love drawing, baking and cooking.
Denisa: Do you have a day job other than being a writer? And do you like it?
Katie: Yes, I do. I work full time. This is one of the reasons why I have super duper slow updates. And yes, I like it. I have so much passion for what I do. I've been with my agency since November 2003.
Denisa: I see on your profile that you are from San Diego. What is your favourite place to go?
Katie: That would be La Jolla cove. We love to drive around the beach, have coffee and watch the seals and sea lions roll around the sand.
Denisa: I can see why. Now I want there as well! What is your favourite coffee shop, meal, dessert.Katie: Definitely Starbucks. Meal? I have lots of favorites. Majority are Filipino and Italian dishes. Mango or Ube ice cream for dessert.
Denisa: I think everyone loves Starbucks. I remember giving the same answer.
Do you have any hobbies apart from reading and writing?Katie: I love to draw, paint, do arts and crafts and work on scrapbooks on my free time. I'm also a blogger who owns a personal blog since 2004. It's been awhile since I last posted on my site, so I might revamp it and bring it back one day.
Denisa: Can you leave us the link in comments so we can check it out?
What's your favourite outdoors activity?Katie: Long walks in the neighborhood and my husband and I sometimes play basketball with our son at the park.
Denisa: Do you love music, what kind, what's your favourite band/singer?
Katie: I love music. I grew up listening to all kinds of genres. As long as a song has a good beat and meaningful lyrics, I will listen to it. There are so many great artists out there, to be honest, but some of my favorites would be 80's-90's music, Enigma, Enya, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, One Direction, Justin T, Beyonce, Selena Gomez, One Republic, Linkin Park, Coldplay, Adelle, Ayumi Hamasaki, some Filipino artists and so much more. I seriously wish I could list them all down.
Denisa: Can you send me a youtube link to your favourite song?
Katie: Kataware Doki (Piano version) from the movie Kimi No Na Wa. I don't know why but for some reason I just listen to this all the time.
Denisa: Do you watch a lot of movies, what's your favourite movie/s?
Katie: Oh, yes! I'm proud to say that I'm a certified movie buff. I watch a lot of CG, Marvel and DC movies with my family. My favourites are Ghibli movies, Your Name, the first 2 Home Alone movies, Bring it on, Trick'rTreat, Legally Blonde, Clueless, Mean Girls, Miss Congeniality and romantic comedies like 50 first dates, The Proposal and Just Friends.
Denisa: What's your favourite movie quote?
Katie: I have so many, but my favourites are:
~ "I am in a dress, I have gel in my hair, I haven't slept all night, I'm starved, and I'm armed. Don't mess with me!" - Gracie Hart, Miss Congeniality
~ "Don't have sex, 'cause you will get pregnant... and die." - Teacher, Mean Girls
~ "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." - Forrest Gump
Denisa: What is your main genre to write in the Dangerous Love category?
Katie: Contemporary romance. But I'm slowly branching out to other genres. It'll be fun and exciting, plus challenging.
Denisa: What inspires you to write?
Katie: Music, reading and watching movies. But my family's my number 1 inspiration since they keep pushing me to write every day.
Denisa: What is the first book that made you cry?
Katie: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Denisa: Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
Katie: I do write under a Pseudonym. My real name starts with an S.
Denisa: What was your hardest scene to write?Katie: Definitely the mature stuff. (Wink wink nudge nudge)
Denisa: I agree. I still avoid writing them.
What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?
Katie: Probably spend less time socializing online that way I could focus more on my works.
Denisa: What makes this particular genre you are involved in so special?
Katie: You know, I met my husband when I was 18 and got married 5 months later. Happily married for 16 years now. (We're getting old - cries) Finding love at an early stage of your life doesn't always guarantee a healthy relationship. There are lots of risks when love is involved and I think that's why I love writing romance because you get to see how your characters fall in love and you wonder if they'll ever make it past the trials. When my husband left for the Army, that's when I started writing romance and the love we have for each other for almost two decades is the reason why I'm still writing. I don't think I'll ever give up on this genre.
Denisa: Hope you will have many happy years from now on!
Do you set a plot or prefer going wherever an idea takes you?
Katie: I'm half-half, to be honest. I can plan some of it and then I can also be a pantser, which is exciting, because I don't really know where it's going to take the story. Being a pantser has its risks because sometimes when you don't plan a story, you might end up painting yourself in a corner and you'll end up tossing your story in the back burner and start all over again with another story.
Denisa: What, according to you, is the hardest thing about writing?
Katie: Descriptions. I'm not a descriptive writer and I'm currently working on that issue.
Denisa: How do you see writing? As a hobby or a passion?
Katie: It's a hobby of mine. I have the passion for it because I love storytelling. If I didn't have any passion, then I probably would stop writing a long time ago.
Denisa: Which character(s), created by you, do you consider as your masterpiece(s)?
Katie: I don't think I can answer this one. I can't pick a character because it'll be unfair to all of them. They're all my babies.
Denisa: Fair enough. I can accept this.
What can you tell us about Daphne and Vincent relationship? Would you change anything?
Katie: It's hard to describe their relationship. Maybe semi-complicated? Daphne and Vincent's personalities are quite the opposite but I do believe that opposites attract and they work well together. No, I wouldn't change a thing.
Denisa: How would you react if Vincent wouldn't be a fictional character and you meet him in the real life?
Katie: I'll definitely be uneasy around him. When you meet someone who's not on the same league as you, you just take a step back and think if it's worth dating that guy. I was the same with my husband when I found out he came from a well respected and influential family at my hometown.
Denisa: What can you tell us about Klara from Forever Yours?
Katie: She's sweet, stubborn and quite an emotional person.
Denisa: What is your favourite scene from " Do you love me?"
Katie: When Clarey and Evan spent their time sitting on Evan's front porch as they watched the Sunrise.
Denisa: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find? Can you share some of those secrets with us?
Katie: I don't know if they're secrets. They're more like easter eggs, I think. I've already pointed out in the past that Vincent is modelled after my husband. Daphne and Vincent's birthdays have our birth months. Joan is modelled after my real-life high school best friend, Joan.
Denisa: This is really cool. I love the idea!
Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
Katie: Martin Luther King, Jr. I really admire his speech "I have a dream". It gives me goosebumps whenever I listen to it. You could seriously feel the power of his words.
Denisa: If you could share one writing tip that's at the top of your list with us, what would it be?
Katie: Write the whole book before you edit or else you won't get anything done. When I finish a book and take a break, I get to spot all my errors when I come back to review it. Taking a break before editing gives you a fresh perspective and that can help you take out the unnecessary things from your story.
Denisa: If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
Katie: Well, I've always been a wide reader when I was younger, but that wasn't enough. If I had to go back in time, I'd probably read more books and practice more in writing.
Denisa: Do you read much and if so who are your favourite authors?Have any new writers grasped your interest recently?
Katie: I used to. Lately, I haven't been reading much due to my full-time job. Colleen Hoover, Jamie McGuire, Stephen King and Meg Cabot just to name a few. No, I haven't seen any new writers yet. I'm completely out of the loop.
Denisa: I love Collen Hoover!
Anything else you would like to share with you fellow Wattpaders?
Katie: Keep writing. Write for yourself and not for other people. Trust me, you'll be happier that way. In the end, you never know when luck smiles at you.
It was a real pleasure talking to you, Katie. I wish you the best, to have a lot of ideas and time to write great stories!