Interview with Becky Finlayson

Hey guys! So today I'm here with a very belated interview with the lovely Becky Finlayson, author of X&Y! Here's a bit about the book:

Olivia Adonane has it all; remarkable intelligence, stunning beauty, and – as the daughter of the head of the Triad, Society’s top three Human Designers – immeasurable wealth. Yet, all is not as it seems. Olivia discovers a dark secret about her homeland, formerly known as Great Britain, where humans are designed in the womb, and she watches her best friend, Lily, die in a secret chamber below the Triad Building in London. From here on, she has a choice. Will she continue on her pre-designed path, following in her father’s footsteps to become the country’s most powerful Human Designer? Or will she seek to rebel against the government, attempting to expose and overthrow the seemingly-invincible regime so that her fellow citizens can be truly free?

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

 I've always loved stories but the idea that I could write never hit me until my final year of university. I was getting frustrated with my thesis and decided to start writing a novel - as you do - to get out of my thesis slump. A couple of years later I decided to take a year out from paid work -I was lucky enough to have my husband support me in that - and completed two books, of which X&Y is one. The other is called "The Secrets of Nethiaria - The Magician's Book" which will be released in May.

Where is your favourite place to read/write?

My favourite place to write is at home there are fewer distractions there and usually my husband is around to spitball ideas with. Reading is something I can do anywhere, as long as here is tea and a comfy seat, I'm happy!

Do you share any traits with your main character?

I would say that Olivia and I share a similar character arc- in high school I was unsure of myself and didn't really know how amazing friendship could be until my final years of school/start of university. University is where I really began to discover myself, like Olivia. We also share dislike of being in the limelight and passion for justice.

What do you think is the hardest thing about writing?

For me the hardest thing about writing is knowing what I can put in and how much I can leave out, a bit like being in the cutting room. There are some really fun scenes in the book between Olivia and Violet that I wondered whether to keep in or not. In the end I decided 'yes' - even though they were not much to do with the major plot points it was important to see the evolution of their friendship.

Describe your book in three words?

 Questioning, tense, ruthless

Favourite colour?

Red

Favourite childhood book?

The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

Favourite food?

Phish Food Ben and Jerrys

Favourite drink from a coffee shop?

Hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows

Favourite season?

Summer!! Pretty dresses, ice cream, sunbathing, what could be better? See Olaf (Frozen) for more details :P


See more from Becky on her blog: http://rebeccafinlaysonbooks.blogspot.co.uk/


Happy reading!
~Kristy