Thank you Catherine for the interview!

Interview

What was your inspiration for Flowerheart?

The concept of Victorian flower language – that certain flowers have certain symbolic meanings – and the pastoral, whimsical vibe of Howl’s Moving Castle (the Studio Ghibli iteration specifically). 

What drew you to writing YA fantasy?

I’ve been especially hooked on YA since reading Twilight and The Selection series back in middle school. I started writing books when I was about twelve, and so my writing identity is really connected to my younger self, too. The big feelings and the utter sincerity of YA and the complexity and fear of growing up is something I love to write about. 

How did you choose which character to focus the story? 

This story has always been Clara’s! She was the heart of the book from the start: a passionate, well-meaning, disastrous witch with a big heart and big feelings. She took the steering wheel and never let go!

What was your process for writing for Flowerheart?

I started drafting the book in about 2016 and rewrote it a few times. I revised it again and again for pitch contests, always being willing to give it a complete overhaul. Ultimately, this helped me so much. I learned a lot about character agency and worldbuilding and pacing through this process, and it brought me back to the core of the book – two kids taming their magic, confronting their emotions, and falling in love. 

What is your approach to world and character building?

First, I draw my characters! Drawing them makes their personalities burst forth, and from there, I come to learn about them and then, slowly, their world and their place in it. For Clara and her world, the worldbuilding looks fairly minimal, because magic and potions and all these flowers are so normal to her. In my first book, WE ARE THE SONG, the magic system and the worldbuilding and the religion are tied together very closely, and are very close to the main character and her internal and external conflicts, so I explore it a little bit more. 

How would you describe Flowerheart in five words? 

Fluffy, gentle, sincere, loving, sunlit. 

Did you have a favourite moment in the book to write?

Absolutely the scene when Clara and Xavier have a picnic and throw dishware off of a cliff. 

What was your favourite book growing up?

I really adored The Spiderwick Chronicles. The illustrations, the worldbuilding, the fae lore, the creepy house, the family bond, the cool older sister with a sword… it was a delightful series.

Do you have a favourite genre to read?

I bounce around a lot! I like to listen to YA fantasy to stay current with the genre, but I love short audiobooks with an interesting hook, like memoirs or narrative nonfiction. A recent favorite YA Fantasy read was PET by Akwaeke Emezi.