Exclusive Interview with Cat Patrick (Author of Forgotten)

The second that we finished Forgotten we had some lingering questions to ask and Cat answered right away!


RTR: If you could have lunch with anyone, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?

Cat: Do I have to pick just one person? If I could have lunch with anyone, alive or dead, I’d choose my grandmas and grandpa who are gone—I miss them; President Obama—I’d love to ask him what it’s like to run the country; Busy Philipps—I know we’d be BFFs; Ellen Degeneres—I love her and I love to laugh; Jane Austen—I want to know what it feels like to have such literary staying power; and famous neurologist and author Oliver Sacks—I love to write about characters with brain quirks and he’s a go-to expert on the brain. Oh, and maybe Jared Leto, because he’s eye candy who also makes great music—I think he’d be fun to hang out with.

RTR:What’s your guilty pleasure?

Cat: I’m a big fan of doing things that make you happy everyday: It only makes you more productive. So, I’m not really guilty about any of my pleasures. Things I (proudly) enjoy: Dystopian novels, fashion magazines, Fran’s Gray and Smoked Salt Caramels, Starbucks lattes, pedicures, America’s Next Top Model, champagne, Arcade Fire and any new series that AMC airs (Mad Men, The Walking Dead, The Killing…yes, please!).

RTR: How did you come up with this original concept?

Cat: My twin daughters were five months old at the time, so I wasn’t getting a ton of sleep at night. One morning, I was in my kitchen doing something, and I forgot what I was doing mid-activity. I felt like I had amnesia! I thought about how awful it would be to have amnesia as a mother, then wondered: What period of time in life would be even worse for dealing with memory issues? High school! But, I thought, what if you could remember forward instead of backward? The idea for Forgotten was born.

RTR: Jukeboxes or Juice boxes?

Cat: Jukeboxes.

RTR: Who is your favorite character in Forgotten?

Cat: That’s like asking me to choose between my children! I love all of them for different reasons: Jamie for her loyalty, Luke for his sweetness, Mom for her commitment to her family, Page for her quirk and even Carley for her candor (she could be a little nicer about it, though). And of course, I adore London. She’s the smart, easygoing, mature teen I wish I’d been.  

RTR: Did you write everything before in your head or did it all come to you while writing the book?

Cat: I’m not sure I understand this question: Are you asking about outlining? If so, I didn’t outline anything with Forgotten: I just started writing. Then I went back and edited, edited, edited.

  

RTR: Is Forgotten going to be a series? (Please say yes!)

Cat: I’m so sorry but no, I don’t have plans to do a sequel to Forgotten at this time. I love the ending because it tells the reader that everything will be okay without completely spelling it out. But my second book—which has the same sort of “strange in Normalville” vibe—will be out June 2012.

RTR: How did you think of the outfit that London has to wear in the beginning for gym class?

Cat: I remember feeling incredibly self-conscious when I had to wear shorts in gym class: That’s why I chose the shorts. For the cat T-shirt, I just tried to think of the thing London would definitely not want to be wearing while meeting a hot guy for the first time.

RTR: What are some odd jobs you had before you were a writer?

Cat: I’ve sold concessions at a movie theater; worked as a waitress at multiple restaurants and done a stint as a substitute teacher. During college, I worked in the admissions office as a telemarketer: That was my least favorite job ever!

RTR: Do you have any weird talents or hobbies?

Cat: I’m pretty good at creating PowerPoint presentations, I can do the Axl Rose dance, and I can clasp my feet together like they’re holding hands…so, I can hold feet!