Dream Me
Kathryn Berla
Published by: Amberjack Publishing
Publication date: July 11th 2017
Genres: Romance, Time-Travel, Young Adult
Zat is a dreamer from the distant future—a time when humans no longer dream and Earth is a desolate wasteland. He dreams of the beautiful Earth of the past, and a fiery-haired beauty named Babe. Against the wisdom of his peers, Zat decides to risk everything to travel back in time and live in Babe’s dreams…
Babe is the perpetual new girl in town. Her father’s job frequently moves the family around the country, and Babe just longs for a place to call home. As she settles into the sleepy town of Sugar Dunes, Florida, Babe begins to have strange dreams of a green-eyed boy named Zat. Night after night, Babe shows Zat her world. But the dreams come at the cost of nearly crippling migraines every morning. Babe’s life outside of her dreams pales in comparison to her growing love for Zat and their time spent together.
But the more time Babe and Zat spend together in her dreams, the more Babe’s pain increases, and Zat begins to question the reality of his existence. How can he live a life with Babe, when all they have is her dreams?
Can a dream become a reality?
Today we welcome Kathryn for an interview!
1.
Did you always know you wanted to
be a writer or did you want to be something else?
Writing is the one thing I’ve consistently wanted to do throughout
my life. It’s always been either in the forefront or the back of my mind.
2.
How long does it take you to write
a book from start to finish?
I like to
have a first draft completed in ninety days.
3.
How do you come up with themes for
your stories?
Ideas for
stories pop into my head literally 24/7. The idea for DREAM ME came to me in a
dream which is why it’s a bit surreal in places. I might read about something
or hear something in the news. Or I might just see something in my daily life or
be puzzling out an idea that comes up in conversation. Last night, I was
walking late at night. It was quite dark so I was carrying a flashlight. It was
a gorgeous, warm summer night and I walked past an SUV parked alongside the
road. The windows were open and music was playing and three people were sitting
on top of the car looking out at the city lights. Another guy was leaning
against the car talking to them. A story started to write itself in my head.
Sometimes I just think of a great title and write the story to fit it. I keep a
file of my story ideas.
4.
Do you have a schedule of when you
write?
I have a
daily word count in mind so I start in the late morning and don’t stop until I
reach that word count.
5.
How are you able to balance other
aspects of your life with your writing?
Unfortunately,
when I’m in the process of writing a novel there is no balance. I pretty much
don’t do anything until my word count has been reached. And then I try not to
think about the story until the following day—but that usually doesn’t happen.
I always take an hour or so to exercise no matter what.
6.
What elements do you think make a
great story line?
I’m the kind
of writer who favors character development and the beauty of words. I like to
get inside people’s heads. But I also love to read a good action-focused novel.
Anything that entertains. If the reader wants to keep turning the page, that’s
a sign of success.
7.
What was the hardest thing about
writing a book?
Ending it and
saying to yourself “this book is now done and it’s time to move on.”
8.
How many books have you written so
far? Do you have a favorite?
I’ve written
nine books. It would be hard for me to pick a favorite because they’re all like
my children so I must (and do) love them equally.
9.
Do you have a favorite character?
I have about
four or five favorite characters in all of my books but to name them would make
my other characters sad ☹
10.
Where do you write?
I write in a
reclining chair with my feet up and a lap desk to hold my computer. I wrote my
first novel in bed.
11.When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the route
you took?
I took the
normal route that most authors take. Querying to agents. Querying to
publishers. I’ve been fortunate and had wonderful publishers and editors. I’m
also very impressed with my many friends who choose to self-publish so I don’t
think there’s any right or wrong way—just whatever feels right to the
individual author.
12.
Have you gotten feedback from
family about your book(s)? What do they think?
My family is
very supportive and they generally offer very helpful advice. My husband has
gotten me up and going when I’ve been in a slump on more than one occasion. He
can be critical but he’s probably the person most responsible for keeping my
career on track. With him around, there’s no such thing as writer’s block.
13.
What kinds of things do you like to
do outside of writing?
Movies are a
huge part of my life and have been ever since I was a child. I watch tons of
movies—almost everything. And TV series as well (Netflix, etc). I love to go on
long walks and exercise and travel. And of course, I love to read. I’m an
insatiable reader.
14.
What kinds of advice would you give
to someone who wants to start writing?
Read, read,
read. I believe that reading is the best education for a writer. But you also
must write. So, pull out your laptop and start writing. Anything. You can dream
about being a writer but if you don’t write something your dream will never
come true. I’m a solitary writer—I have never used a critique group. But
whether you work best by yourself or with input from others, just do it.
15.
What is your favorite book?
favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to
write?
My favorite book ever is EARTH
ABIDES. My favorite author is Margaret Atwood.
16.
Do you have any go to people when
writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta
reading and such?
No. I’m a solitary writer. But I
will bounce things off my husband and kids.
17.
Are you working on anything
now?
Yes. I’m about to start as soon as
my calendar is clear. But the story is brewing in my head already. When I
actually sit down to write a book most of it is already written in my head and
in background notes.
18.
Tell us 5 things that make you
smile
Elephants. Dolphins. Owls. Warm
summer nights. Beaches.
19.
Tell us 5 things that make you sad
When my kids or husband are sad.
Children who don’t have enough to eat. People who don’t listen to each other.
Mean people/bullies. Anyone who suffers in silence without a support system.
20.
If you could travel anywhere in the
world to visit a place so you could use it as a background for a book, where
would it be?
Good
question. I’ve traveled a lot and there are so many amazing places I’ve seen in
the US and abroad. I suppose I would say India or Vietnam.
Thanks so much for being with us today, Kathryn!
Author Bio:
Kathryn Berla graduated from the University of California at Berkeley as an English major. She has lived in many different countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. She currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Thanks for being on the tour! :)
ReplyDeleteDream on sounds like a great read. Thank you
ReplyDeleteDream me!
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