Interview With Katie Burgess McClaren, Hero of “Ghosts and Physics” by April Arnold

What is your story?

Oh geez, my story…teachers back in high school always gave us writing assignments like this, and I didn’t know what to say even then. A person’s story is just too intricate…and generally boring to 99% of the world’s non-family population. But since you asked so politely, I’ll give it a shot. My name is Katie Burgess McClaren, and I’m a confirmed English fanatic. I’m also passionately in love with all things sci-fi with an adoration of the fantastical too. I don’t really know what I want to be when I grow up, even though Mick–he’s my boyfriend-turned-husband…you’ll have to read the book–is always reminding me that I’m already supposed to have achieved adulthood. I don’t like that notion because it means there’s a sizeable amount of catching up to do. Anyway, I also have a penchant for ghost-hunting shows, unorthodox clothing choices, and wine of all shapes and sizes. I’m a really nice person in possession of what I think is an awesome sense of humor. I also second-guess myself a lot…most of the time, in fact. And I randomly change the subject. But all in all, most days I manage to hold myself and life together in a successful manner. It’s just a good thing that life is supposed to be about the journey and not the destination because I’ve been reaching some pretty freakish destinations lately!

Do you have a problem that wasn’t mentioned in the story?

Yes, I have a problem not mentioned in the story: roosters! No wait, that was mentioned in the story. The PRIMARY problem at present has been getting stubborn Mick to help me prove my theory on ghosts vs. time-warping people. Well, that was part 1 of the problem anyway. He finally did invent this totally groovy machine which proved my theory irrefutably…but it also got us stranded in 1922. The nice couple we met there were subsequently transported to the present, and we spent the rest of the book’s chapters trying to figure out how to swap ourselves back. Well, and some government agency was trying to steal Mick’s machine. That didn’t exactly help with the problem either.

How do you see yourself?

I’m always honorable but only sometimes healthy. Honor comes easily for me because anytime I’ve attempted dishonorableness, it’s royally backfired! Like if I tell a lie? You can absolutely bet that a) my face will immediately give me away and/or b) I’ll be lying to somebody smarter than I am who already knows the answer to the question they’re asking and are only asking said question to test my honorableness. Being healthy…well, I drink lots of diet soda and sometimes exercise during a sudden onset of Physical Fitness commitment. Okay, so I’m not at ALL honorable when it comes my commitment to Physical Fitness. I cheat on Physical Fitness all the time.

What makes you angry?

Willing, habitual, on-purpose ignorance makes me angry. And orange sports cars. I mean, what the hell??

Do you like remembering your childhood?

I had a pretty great childhood, actually, except for all the forced child labor my parents inflicted. Okay, so that’s a bit dramatic, but working in the cotton fields in the middle of a Texas summer-furnace is not a happy memory. That sweaty experience aside, my parents were rather awesome in that they took excellent and loving care of my brother and me (the cotton fields aside). We lived in a small community outside of Austin where my Dad farmed and did the cow-raising thing. There was a gorgeous creek a mile or so behind our house where I often wasted a lot of time that could’ve been spent studying or cleaning the toilet or getting a real job…stuff like that.

Anyway, when I got old enough, I escaped the country life and moved to Austin proper where I made just enough money to pay rent and support the wine and Papa John’s industries. My brother and I weren’t pushed to “be” anything as kids. That can be a really great thing since I feel like too much pressure is put on children today to know exactly what they want to do/be as adults and know it by age 5 so an educational plan/plot may be established on the first day of kindergarten. Human beings have a bad habit of categorizing their offspring to the point that said offspring feel trapped in one skill, one path, one destiny. Destiny is undefinable and ever-changing. But that’s too much philosophy! What I’m trying to say is that I kind of wish my parents HAD pushed us to be more ambitious. I feel like I’d have accomplished much more far sooner than I have.

What is your most prized possession?

My most prized possession is that killer all-leather outfit that Mick has confiscated and will never let me wear.

Have you ever had an adventure?

Have I ever had an adventure? My entire effing life has officially become an adventure! I wish the adventure would stop! I’m OD-ing on adventure! What I wouldn’t give to be bored and just STATIONARY for five minutes…

What about your past would you like to forget?

What about my past would I like to forget…hmm…well, since my past has become my future and vice versa, it’s kind of difficult to answer such things. I guess anything related to chicken coops or gopher death would be pleasant to forget, and if we suddenly get sucked into the past again, there will probably be something new that’s worth forgetting except that “something” is still in my future in the past…good gravy, where did I put that bottle of Tylenol…

If you were at a store now, what ten items would be in your shopping cart?

Ooo, I like that easy and philosophy-less question…imaginary shopping! What ten items would be in my shopping cart, let’s see…Diet Dr. Pepper, a bottle of Thai lemongrass dressing, a bottle of wine, make-up/foundation, mascara, cleaner for my contacts, sushi, chicken tenderloin, salsa, and cilantro.

How do you envision your future?

How do I envision my future…wow, which one? It could literally shift with a single push of the button on Mick’s electromagnetic field-increasing, time-shifting machine. Our future will forever be decided by circumstances that we and this mechanical marvel have created. Uncontrollable events have been set in motion. Unavoidable outcomes have been initiated. I envision my future as one not of my own choosing. I didn’t mean to get all depressing on you, but yeah…that answer is a truthful one…because I’m honorable.

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About April Arnold:

http://secondwindpublishing.com is your initial go-to source for my books. They will also be available on Amazon.com in both print and electronic formats. Updates and information on the State of my Writing Union will be posted on my WordPress blog entitled Diabloggical Me. I’ll also be posting information on my Ghosts and Physics Facebook page which is coming soon!

Click here for an Interview with April Arnold, Author of “Ghosts and Physics”

Interview with April Arnold, Author of “Ghosts and Physics”

What is your book about?

Ghosts and Physics is about a girl with a vision. Albeit, it’s a comparatively unorthodox and “out there” vision, but it’s visionary, nonetheless. She theorizes that what we see and/or perceive as “ghosts” may not actually be ghosts at all but, rather, people and things existing in other overlapping times. This story is about how she and her physics-genius boyfriend go about not only proving her theory, but wreaking hilarious havoc with the time/space continuum as well. Of course, sometimes what seems to be a ghost is, actually, just a ghost; so there are a few true hauntings as well!

How long had the idea of your book been developing before you began to write the story?

This plot actually came to me in a gradual kind of way. I love watching all the ghost-hunting “reality” shows, but I’m also into the “what if?” side of solid, provable science…a strange mental balancing act, at times. I had just read an article about a girl who witnessed a person dressed in 1800s garb suddenly materializing in front of her along a roadway. As the materialization occurred, the environment around her also began to shift until the girl herself was very clearly IN the 1800s. This experience lasted several seconds, and then her world shifted back to normal. It was in that moment that Ghosts and Physics began materializing in my mind.

How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the book?

All my life I’ve been told that good writers write what they know. Therefore, the main character, Katie, and many of her experiences are almost entirely me and mine. The other characters are loosely based on people I know or have known.

How long did it take you to write your book?

This book began as two short stories which I began writing in 2009. Once those were completed, I thought, who in the world is going to have any interest in marketing two short stories? Either you write enough shorts to fill an entire book, or you combine and “thicken” these two plots into a full-length novel. Obviously I opted for the latter. I was, of course, also employed full-time at a “real job,” so I worked on the book until completion in 2013.

How (or when) do you decide that you are finished writing a story?

Stories never seem to be truly “finished.” I could still be organizing, writing, tweaking, rewriting, and editing this book ad nauseum but finally had to simply MAKE myself reach an end point. I knew I wanted to write at least two more books in this series, so I forced my ideas to stop flowing and wait for the next manuscript. Patience isn’t one of my stronger personality traits!

What is the most difficult part of the whole writing process?

Thus far, the most difficult part of the writing process has been the editing. A confirmed grammar and spelling nerd, I always assumed that fixing punctuation and spelling mistakes would be a breeze (I will NOT use Spellcheck as it is a machination of the devil). And maintaining plot continuity? No problem! Yeah, that didn’t work out so well. It’s amazing how many quotation marks get missed when you’re proofing a story you’ve not only written but have already read through twenty times or more. Then there’s the contradictions in character descriptions or actions from chapter to chapter. For example, it can be a real challenge to remember that the red sweater in one chapter still needs to be the color red several chapters later instead of suddenly morphing into chartreuse.

What are you working on right now?

As of this moment, I’m already 80 pages into a second book in the Ghosts and Physics series and have a basic plot outline for book #3. I also have two other books being mentally-written as I create these. Those two lean more toward a “historical horror” genre, if you will, and by “horror,” I mean the intelligent and suspenseful kind…not the “grab a chainsaw and massacre the entire cast” kind.

What writer influenced you the most?

As a teenager, I was heavily influenced by the creative, imaginative writing and storytelling style of Frank Peretti. In more recent years, Joss Whedon and Janet Evanovich have become my greatest influences. In a perfect world, should Ghosts and Physics ever make it to “movie” status, I would love to see Mr. Whedon write the screenplay and direct! I’ve also mentally cast the four main characters (mostly). Katie MUST be played by Emma Stone. I’d dearly love to see James Franco play Katie’s boyfriend Mick. No one but Sandra Bullock should ever attempt the part of Eva, and her husband Timothy would be excellently portrayed by John Cusack.

Describe your writing in three words.

My writing in three words: smart, imaginative, comedic.

Where can we learn more about your books.

http://secondwindpublishing.com is your initial go-to source for my books. They will also be available on Amazon.com in both print and electronic formats. Updates and information on the State of my Writing Union will be posted on my WordPress blog entitled Diabloggical Me. I’ll also be posting information on my Ghosts and Physics Facebook page which is coming soon!