Today, Olivia from YA-Mag sat down with the UK teen sensation Katheryn Thompson, author of the adult novel BROWN LEATHER SHOES!
Superintendent Andrew Arling wakes in his living room. He can move his head, but everything else is fixed to the armchair in which he finds himself seated. The room is familiar, but not everything around him belongs: the pictures on the walls, the golf clubs on the carpet, and why is he wearing brown leather shoes? He can hear the distant voices of his family, but until he can put the clues together and save himself he will forever remain in limbo. Meanwhile, Andrew’s daughter, Inspector Caley Arling is also on the case, determined to find out who attacked her father and left him for dead. Between visits to the hospital to see if he has fought his way out of the coma, Caley and her Oscar Wilde-quoting sidekick, William, must piece together equally beguiling clues that lead back to an unsolved triple murder and hopefully forward to justice. However, the closer they get to the elusive truth, the more dangerous their quest becomes and it would seem that someone close to them doesn’t want them to succeed at all.
Olivia with YA-Mag: Katheryn, welcome to the Young Adult Magazine! We’re here today discussing your novel BROWN LEATHER SHOES!
YA: Let’s talk about Caley Arling. How did you two first meet? What makes Caley the perfect character to tell this story vs. any other character?
Katheryn Thompson: It was actually Andrew who I first got the idea for, and he inevitably led to Caley. Andrew can be a bit of a control-freak when it comes to his work, and he wouldn’t be content working with anyone other than Caley, because she’s so similar to him! Caley is the perfect character to tell this story, because she has the partnership with William as well as the relationship with Andrew; she joins the other characters together. What’s so great about Caley is that she’s as tough as (her) old boots, intelligent, and intuitive, but she’s also a human being and not a superhero; from every day being a bad hair day to her irrational love of her dilapidated car.
YA: What sets Caley’s story apart from other mysteries? What will readers find that is unique to this tale?
KT: Probably the partnership between Caley and her better-half (or at least that’s what William would call himself). Crime-solving partners might seem like a cliché, but every relationship is unique in real life, and it’s the same with fiction. I’ve tried to make BROWN LEATHER SHOES realistic, and that applies to Caley and William. They are also hilarious, and still make me laugh despite the fact that in essence I’m just laughing at my own jokes!
YA: What non-book influences (films, television shows, music, plays, etc) helped spark this story?
KT: I must admit that crime TV shows and action films are my favourite, but I’ve probably been influenced more by the partnerships in the shows, which is what fascinates me the most. From New Tricks to Inspector George Gently, if you want to solve a crime you can’t do it alone! I like to see what works well in that sort of relationship and what works less well. I also like to listen to music when I work (I’m plugged into my iPod as I write this!), and often I play music which I can imagine a particular character listening to, to help me get into their mind. I can see Caley tapping her foot along to Queen, whereas I like to think that William would listen to the odd piece of Chopin or Satie.
YA: When you were younger, what was your favourite book (YA or otherwise)?
KT: When I was very young I loved The Secret Garden, because it’s such a magical adventure that I used to immerse myself in and constantly wish I was a part of. The ability to do that is what I love so much about reading. I actually moved to adult books when I was quite young (about ten or eleven), being the book-worm that I am, and some of my first murder mysteries were by Mary Higgins-Clark. I read one of her books, Pretend You Don’t See Her, once when I was away and had nothing else to read and fell in love with her writing (although Pretend You Don’t See Her is probably still my favourite).
YA: What is the story behind the title BROWN LEATHER SHOES?
KT: I decided on the title after I finished planning, and had the whole story mapped out (although changes unavoidably take place during my writing and editing), and was ready to start writing properly. I took a long time, all through my planning, to decide on a title but I usually find that by the time I have the ideas planned out, I know the story well enough to know its title. I also find it helps to have the title before I start writing, because then I can incorporate it into the book (especially in the ending). As any readers of BROWN LEATHER SHOES will know, those infamous shoes are the biggest clue to helping Andrew unravel the mysteries surrounding him, which was why it seemed so apt.
YA: You were fifteen when you first wrote this novel. How has being a young author compared to your initial expectations?
KT: I’ll admit that I was worried that people wouldn’t take me seriously as a writer because of my age, and I have had some questions like ‘Are the characters people you know?’, which is how lots of young children write stories. I’ve also had some comments from people who’ve read BROWN LEATHER SHOES like ‘You can’t tell that it was written by a fifteen year-old’, but I’ve been really pleased with the general response. People, friends and strangers alike, seem to have genuinely enjoyed reading BLS, which for me is part of the pleasure of writing. I also didn’t tell any publishers I wrote to about my age, until they agreed to publish, because I wanted BLS to be accepted because of the story and not because of my age (which was a bit of a shock for my publishers when I did tell them!).
YA: What was the best part of publishing young for you? What has been the most difficult part? Do you find people hold you to higher or lower standards than you would want them to?
KT: The best part has to be seeing BLS for sale, whether it’s in Waterstones or on Amazon, which is both amazing and still slightly surreal! Some decisions during editing were difficult, because you have to put yourself in the mind-set of your reader (and also because you become quite attached to the story and its characters!). The most difficult part though was probably the wait before BLS was published (because I’m too impatient!), especially because lots of people don’t understand that it takes time to get a book published.
People can compare BLS to other books that have been published recently, wanting different and original ideas, which can be a little frustrating, but mostly people have just read BLS and really enjoyed it. I think it’s usually best to read a book with an open mind.
YA: What is the most important advice that you would give to a teen who is currently writing and considering seeking publication for their manuscript?
KT: “If it’s still in your mind, it is worth the risk” – Paulo Coelho. This quote sums up perfectly how I felt when I started thinking of ideas for BLS, and also once I’d actually started writing. My advice would simply be to go for it. I never considered publishing when I first started writing; I merely wrote for my own enjoyment, and because I had an idea which I wanted to work with….and now I’m a published author being interviewed about my writing!
YA: If you could cast the Dream Film of BROWN LEATHER SHOES, who would be in the lead roles?
KT: Hmmm…that’s something that lots of people have asked me about, but it’s just so difficult because I have such specific images of my characters in my head! That’s one of the reasons why I prefer reading to watching films; you can create the characters yourself. I keep returning to the idea of Harrison Ford as Andrew, which I can actually see working, but he’s older than Andrew… can I choose Harrison Ford about 15 years ago?
YA: What’s up next for you in YA land? Any pet projects you can tease us about?
KT: I have definite hopes for a sequel…and maybe even (dare I say it) a whole series. I love writing and am filled to burst with ideas for future books, especially because I feel like I know my characters so well. Soon after completing BLS I had inspiration for a sequel, which is currently under construction and I would love to see it on the shelves one day. It presents new challenges for Andrew, Caley, and William. I don’t want to give anything away, but let’s just say that Ray and Aziza won’t be engaged forever (but that’s all I’m saying!).
YA: All right, last one! If you could spend one day with Caley and William, what would you do together? What advice would you give to Caley about her past or future?
KT: Our day would have to include a drive in William’s Ferrari…although I would have trouble persuading him to let me drive! I love shopping, which would definitely be fun with William but would be a nightmare with Caley so that’s definitely off the list. I think I’d just like to spend the day with them, whatever we did, because I would love to see the way they interact, and I know that they’d make me laugh! It might be quite fun to go to work with them, to see for myself how they solve a case together.
As for advice to Caley, I don’t think she’d pay any attention to me or my advice. I can see her responding scowl, and I know exactly what William would say: “The only thing to do with good advice is pass it on. It is never any use to oneself.” – Oscar Wilde.
Readers, be sure to check out Katheryn Thompson at her website www.kkit.co.uk/katheryn/.
BROWN LEATHER SHOES, published by Book Guild Ltd, is now available at your favorite retailers and local independent bookstores, and on Amazon.com
Olivia Hennis is a transplanted New England girl dropped by a tornado into the magical Land of Jersey. For more info, follow her on Twitter.