Elizabeth Norris Q&A! Unraveling Tour Stop!

Me: I’m thrilled to welcome Elizabeth Norris author of the 2012 debut and the totally awesome Unraveling! You can find my review of Unraveling HERE! Thank you for stopping by Elizabeth!!!

Me: In 10 words or less tell us about Unraveling!
Elizabeth Norris: Janelle’s fight to save her family, world, and Ben Michaels.

Me: Was Unraveling the first book you ever wrote?
Elizabeth Norris: I’ve written a number of other things. Unraveling is the first to be published. Most of my previous novels are buried on my computer or still waiting for me to finish them.

Me: How did the story of Unraveling come to you?
Elizabeth Norris: I was in a long distance relationship and thinking about people who were in love but were also from different worlds, and there’s something tragic and beautiful about star-crossed lovers. Similarly, I was also really looking for a thriller with science fiction elements to read, and I was having a hard time finding something, so I sat down and started writing what I wanted to read.

Me: Which character was your favorite to write about and why?
Elizabeth Norris: I really like all the characters, but my favorite is Alex. He’s a good friend. He’s there for Janelle--he listens to her and supports her, but he also isn’t afraid to stand up and call her out on something if he thinks she’s wrong. Their friendship to me isn’t about him being secretly in love with her or anything, but rather it’s about the fact that they each found “family” in each other.
Me: I like Alex too!

Me: Do you have a writing ritual?
Elizabeth Norris: In terms of where I write, I change it up a lot. I’ll write sitting at my kitchen table, sitting on the couch, at a coffee shop, or even the New York Public Library. Doing different things keeps me from getting complacent. But every time I start writing, I reread the last scene that I wrote the day before and I edit it a little. I might change a few lines or even just fix spelling errors, but that gets me in a good mindset to keep going.

Me: Do you write on the fly or do you timeline?
Elizabeth Norris: I’m a planner. When I wrote Unraveling I had about a thirty page outline that I divided up into chapter breaks so that I knew where each scene would begin and end. Some of that changed a little as I wrote, but I had a really good framework that kept me on task. I’m also very aware of how much I need to write each day in order to get the draft done on time. I don’t always meet that goal and some days I go over, but I’ve got it in the back of my mind which helps me stay on time. It’s hard to write that way, but now that I have deadlines I can’t just write whenever the mood strikes me.
Me: HOLY CRAP! A 30 page timeline? Crazy!

Me: What type of background research was required for writing Unraveling?
Elizabeth Norris: I did pretty minimal research. A lot of the details in Unraveling, either the science or the law enforcement aspects are things that I read about beforehand just because I found them interesting. For instance, a few years ago after watching the first season of Lie to Me, I read a lot about facial expressions and what that can tell people if they know how to look. And a friend of mine works for the FBI so I asked him a few questions about what he looks for to know people are lying, and both my research and my friend’s answers came into play a little in certain situations when Janelle was either trying to figure out if someone was telling the truth or if she was trying to lie.

I also read just about everything I could find in Scientific American and on the internet about multiverse theory, but I was never a good enough science student to really understand much of quantum physics.

Me: One of the many things I loved about Unraveling was how well you developed the characters, particularly Janelle! I felt like her reaction to life challenges were very real and I was wondering if Janelle relates to anyone you personally know?
Elizabeth Norris: Janelle is a lot like me--or at least she’s a lot like the person that I wanted to be in high school. I wasn’t as tough and I cared more about what people thought of me, but there are some definite similarities.
Me: I'd like to be like her too!

Me: Will there be a sequel to Unraveling?
Elizabeth Norris: There will! The next book, which is titled Unbreakable will be out in 2013.
Me: Yay! I can't wait!!!

Me: More personal questions:
You are in the middle of escaping an apocalypse and you can only take things you can grab that will fit in a backpack! What would be in that backpack?
Elizabeth Norris: Bottled water, a swiss army knife, super glue, rope, and a heavy sweatshirt or blanket. (I get cold easily).
Me: Super glue? I'm not sure what I would do with that.

Me: What is your biggest fear or phobia?
Elizabeth Norris: I have some weird fears. The first one is teeth. Now, I’m not actually afraid of teeth themselves. But I get really easily weirded out when people talk about teeth or procedures that happen to or related to teeth. And I’ve had a few panic attacks when I have to go to the dentist. (I’m understating a little but it’s embarrassing).
Me: This is totally FREAKIN' awesome! I was tempted to get a picture of some teeth and add it to this post...but I didn't want to scare you away. LoL

Me: What’s your guilty pleasure?
Elizabeth Norris: Chocolate and sour patch kids (but not together).
Me: I wonder what they would taste like together? Huh!

Me: What are your top 5 all-time fave books?
Elizabeth Norris:
1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
3. Lucky by Alice Sebold
4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
5. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Me: Top 5 books you have recently read?
Elizabeth Norris:
1. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
2. Fair Game by Patricia Briggs
3. Defiance by CJ Redwine
4. The Likeness by Tana French
5. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Me: Once again, thank you so much for stopping by and hopefully we will get the opportunity to have you back again!

You can find Elizabeth Norris here:
Blog ☆ Tumblr ☆ Facebook ☆ Twitter

Publisher's Summary: Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl's fight to save herself, her world, and the boy she never saw coming.

Check out the other Unraveling Tour Stops!
Wednesday 4/18: Elizabeth's Blog
Thursday 4/19: Magical Urban Fantasy Reads
Friday 4/20: Two Chicks on Books
Monday 4/23: Justin's Book Blog
Tuesday 4/24: Unraveling Release Day!!! *throws confetti*
Wednesday 4/25: My Five Monkeys
Thursday 4/26: Good Choice Reading
Friday 4/27: Mindy Ruiz
Monday 4/30: Literary Exploration
Thursday 5/3: Shortie Says