Interview with Katie McGarry (Author of Pushing The Limits)

Title: Pushing The Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Pages: 384
Buy Here: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Book Depository

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.
So wrong for each other...and yet so right.
No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.
"An edgy romance that pulls you in and never lets go. I was hooked!"-Gena Showalter,  New York Times bestselling author of the Intertwined series.

click on the cover above to add this book to your Goodreads TBR list.

Kayla: How do you feel about "Pushing the Limits" releasing in July?

Katie: Excited! I sold Pushing the Limits in the fall of 2010. Since then, there has been a lot of hard work and waiting. I'm so eager for people to read it!

Kayla: Did any real situations or people in your life inspire any parts in Pushing the Limits?

Katie: Yes. My heroine, Echo, suffers from a memory loss. When I was in second grade, I was bitten by a dog. I repressed the memory until I was in college. It's very strange to be "aware" that something traumatic has happened to you, but you can't remember what.

Kayla: If you consider someone your mentor, who would it be?

Katie: Actually, I have a group of mentors. For the past two years I have been involved in a Young Adult/Middle Grade critique group. The members are in the various stages of publication. This group has supported me through the entire writing process.

Kayla: What is you all time favorite book?

Katie: I have two: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and The Stand by Stephen King

Kayla: Are you a cat or a dog person? (I know this is a random question, but I am a cat LOVER so I always like to ask this question :)

Katie: While I always had a dog growing up (and loved every single one we owned), due to the answer in number 2, I'm partial to cats.

Kayla: Are there any projects/books you are currently working on? If so, could you tell us a little about it?

Katie: Pushing the Limits is actually the first book in a series. I'm currently working on revisions for the second book, Dare You To. This book will follow the journey of Beth. Beth is a secondary character in the first book. The first ten pages of Dare You To are included at the end of Pushing the Limits!

Kayla: What is your favorite part of being an Author/Writer?

Katie: Research! Since becoming a writer I have had the opportunity to hang out in a baseball training facility, participate in a legal drag race, and observe the training of mixed martial arts fighters. This has all been research for my books.

Kayla: Where is your favorite place to write?

Katie: During warm weather, I love to write on my front porch. During the winter, I adore writing on the floor next to my open front door. The afternoon sunlight shines through the storm door to make me feel like a cat curled up in the sun.

Kayla: If you could give a piece of advice to an aspiring writer, what would you say?
Katie: Persist! Unfortunately, rejection is a part of the process. The only way to see your dreams come true is to persevere. Each no is one answer closer to a yes.

Kayla: Give a reason why someone should read Pushing the Limits.
Katie: I'll give you two.
1. Pushing the Limits is a story of love and hope.
2. The hero, Noah Hutchins, is hot and was a blast to write.

Kayla: If your teenage self could see your adult self today, what would she think?

Katie: Honestly? My teenage self would be blown away. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would become a published author.

Kayla: (I HAVE READ THIS and let me tell you it is SUPER freaking amazing. This is a book you should definitely read this summer!)


Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Contact her via her website at katielmcgarry.com, at twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

Find Katie Here: Goodreads|Facebook|Twitter|Website