{"id":506,"date":"2021-10-25T12:55:25","date_gmt":"2021-10-25T12:55:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetatteredspine.com\/?p=506"},"modified":"2021-10-25T13:03:46","modified_gmt":"2021-10-25T13:03:46","slug":"interview-with-chloe-fowler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetatteredspine.com\/?p=506","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Chloe Fowler"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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I recently had the pleasure of connecting <\/strong>with Chloe Fowler, author of the debut novel, Chasing Fireflies.\u00a0 (See my full review posted 10\/21\/21) This young adult work releases in softcover, hardcover, and Kindle today!\u00a0\u00a0 She was kind enough to grant me a written interview, and I am so excited to share our time with you.\u00a0 So, with great pleasure, I introduce to you, Chloe Fowler!<\/strong><\/p>

Parker Dawn<\/strong>:\u00a0 Let\u2019s talk about your new book Chasing Fireflies. Can you tell us a little about the book itself, its characters, and what inspired you to write this story?<\/p>

Chloe Fowler<\/em><\/strong>:\u00a0 Chasing Fireflies is a story told in parallel about two teenagers, Rainey and <\/em>Liam. In many respects, the two of them are chalk and cheese. Rainey <\/em>comes from a very well-off family with loving and supportive parents, <\/em>while Liam has a tragically dysfunctional family and next to nothing. On <\/em>the surface, it is a love story many of us are familiar with, the <\/em>quintessential opposites attract\/star-crossed lovers\u2019 allegory. However, <\/em>despite their differences, they share a similar experience in that both of <\/em>them deal with circumstances that have left them feeling powerless. This <\/em>is what draws them together. Rainey\u2019s sister Maverick was born with a <\/em>congenital heart defect, and the prospect of losing her is a constant fear for <\/em>Rainey. Meanwhile, Liam is desperate to get away from Springbank and <\/em>disprove his fears that he will end up like his father, but he can\u2019t bring <\/em>himself to leave his mother who is stuck in an abusive relationship. I think <\/em>everyone has experienced feelings of powerlessness at some point or <\/em>another in their life. We like to think that good things happen to good <\/em>people, and that if you work hard, you can achieve anything, but life can be <\/em>cruelly and indiscriminately unfair. I think it\u2019s a testament to the human <\/em>spirit that we can overcome such insurmountable adversity and keep <\/em>striving. It\u2019s what makes life so beautiful.<\/em><\/p>

PD<\/strong>:\u00a0 The guilt Rainey felt about being healthy when her sister struggled with a bad heart is a key point in the story. How did that come about? Was this the original thought when you first developed the idea for this book?<\/p>

CF<\/em><\/strong>:\u00a0 Yes, from the book\u2019s genesis, Maverick was going to be sick. I have been <\/em>very lucky in my life in that I\u2019ve enjoyed good health, and I\u2019m ashamed to <\/em>say that most days, I take it very much for granted. It\u2019s easy to assume that <\/em>you will have a long life full of opportunity, that your body will faithfully <\/em>carry you through 80+ years without issue. You plan for a future that <\/em>stretches to some vague time many years from now. But good health isn\u2019t a <\/em>given; many people have to contend with illness on a daily basis and have <\/em>to face their mortality in a heartbreakingly imminent way. Friends of my <\/em>family had a young daughter whose heart was failing. I remember hearing <\/em>that they were waiting on a transplant list, and there was no guarantee she <\/em>would get a heart in time. I became keenly aware of my own heart beating <\/em>doggedly away and felt a sharp sense of guilt and gratitude. I think that <\/em>feeling would be amplified if the person was a close relation. <\/em><\/p>

PD<\/strong>:\u00a0 Liam is considered a bad apple and is socially shunned due to his family history. Yet, he is still morally strong, protecting those weaker than himself. How did Liam evolve for you while writing his character?<\/p>

CF<\/em><\/strong>:\u00a0 Out of necessity, Liam is a very self-sufficient character. He is extremely <\/em>apprehensive about being a good person, and questions what it means to <\/em>be good. It\u2019s unfortunate because he is a good kid, but if you live in a town <\/em>where people are constantly assuming you\u2019re bad because of who your <\/em>parents are, you\u2019re going to start to doubt yourself, and Liam has no role <\/em>model in his life to help him (he has to turn to books for guidance). I think <\/em>when you\u2019re faced with that degree of self-doubt, you become hyperaware <\/em>of how your actions reflect your morality, and you tend to overcompensate. <\/em>Liam is also forced to be around classmates, many of whom have so much <\/em>more than he does. It would be exhausting to endure their sense of <\/em>entitlement day in and day out, so he takes it upon himself to champion <\/em>the have-nots like Joshua. <\/em><\/p>

PD:<\/strong>\u00a0 Speaking of Joshua, I consider him to be an integral part of the story. Without him, I am not sure we would ever understand the depth of Liam\u2019s character. What was your thought process while creating Joshua, and do you think we will ever hear more of him???? (I would really love to hear more of Joshua!)<\/p>

CF:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Liam and Joshua\u2019s relationship is wonderful. Liam sees that, like him, <\/em>Joshua doesn\u2019t fit in at school, so he takes him under his wing much like an <\/em>older brother. Being an only child, Liam is extremely isolated, and we catch <\/em>a glimpse of both relief and wistfulness when Rainey tells him he\u2019d be a <\/em>good older brother. There is certainly relief \u2013 he wouldn\u2019t want a sibling to <\/em>have to go through what he went through \u2013 but there is also strength in <\/em>numbers, and I think Liam \u2018adopted\u2019 Joshua as a way of filling in that <\/em>missing piece, of having and wanting a brother-in-arms to commiserate <\/em>with. Also, Liam knows what it\u2019s like not having someone to help you, and <\/em>extends that help to those he sees in need. I think this is what you mean <\/em>when you talk about the depth of Liam\u2019s character. People who have been <\/em>the victim of injustice can sometimes take the selfish route and say, \u2018why <\/em>should I help you when I was never helped?\u2019 but Liam goes the other way. <\/em>It\u2019s extremely admirable, especially for one so young. Whether we\u2019ll here <\/em>more of Joshua or not, I haven\u2019t decided!<\/em><\/p>

\u00a0<\/em>PD<\/strong>:\u00a0 I know that editing is a huge part of a finished product. Just from my own reviewing experience, I sometimes cut out stuff I love simply because it doesn\u2019t fit or isn\u2019t conductive to the text. What did you end up having to edit OUT of this book?<\/p>

CF:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 I never wrote extensive scenes that I later had to cut, but that\u2019s because I <\/em>planned the book out so comprehensively from the get-go. However, there <\/em>were scenes I wanted to include, but knew I didn\u2019t have the room for, or <\/em>the timing didn\u2019t fit. For example, I wanted to show the respective families <\/em>at Christmas. I wanted to illustrate the stark contrast between the two <\/em>during a holiday that has a tendency to magnify family conflict and <\/em>financial strain. I pictured the Hayes Christmas comprising of tins of Spam <\/em>and aspic jelly, and Liam getting a soccer ball from his mom (a well-meaning gift, but given he doesn\u2019t play soccer and you\u2019d more likely give it\u00a0 <\/em>to a ten-year-old rather than a seventeen-year-old, it demonstrates a <\/em>profound disconnect in her relationship with her son). On the other hand, <\/em>Rainey would have a large family dinner with well-considered, expensive <\/em>gifts. Not that I wasn\u2019t able to touch on these class differences throughout <\/em>the book. Take Rainey\u2019s Leica M6, which she bought with her allowance. <\/em>One of my beta readers is a photographer and she said, \u201cChloe, you realize <\/em>that camera is worth over a thousand dollars?\u201d To which I replied, <\/em>\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/em><\/p>

PD<\/em><\/strong>:\u00a0 Did any of your characters surprise you while you were writing? Did you suddenly <\/em>say, hey, I didn\u2019t know he\/she had that interest?<\/em><\/p>

CF<\/em><\/strong>:\u00a0 Chase was the character that surprised me most. While I plan most of my <\/em>characters in advance, he developed significantly while I wrote him. <\/em>Initially, he was simply a foil to Liam\u2019s character, and since bullies are <\/em>often a product of their upbringing, I knew his father was going to be <\/em>abrasive and domineering. However, I didn\u2019t feel this was sufficient, or <\/em>was giving him the credit he was due as a character. I also wanted to <\/em>weave the central theme of how we cope with forces outside of our control <\/em>into his story, so I introduced his mother, Alice. I don\u2019t want to give too <\/em>much away, but this made Chase Liam\u2019s mirror image, only where Liam <\/em>sought to gain control of his life by internalizing his struggles, Chase <\/em>lashed out and compensated for his lack of control by exerting control <\/em>over others. It lent the story a certain symmetry that I found pleasing.<\/em><\/p>

PD:<\/strong>\u00a0 What is the most difficult part of your artistic process? Do you have a writing \u2018kryptonite\u2019?<\/p>

CF:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 To be honest, it\u2019s all difficult! From beginning to end, though for different <\/em>reasons. When I\u2019m coming up with an idea, I get flickers or flashes of <\/em>inspiration, which I then must weave into a cohesive plot. Then I hash out <\/em>a detailed plan. I\u2019m a stickler for following the laws of causality, so I\u2019m <\/em>constantly fussing over why a character is behaving the way they are, their <\/em>backstories, their motives. Everything must make sense, and everything <\/em>has to flow naturally. Then when it comes to writing, it\u2019s all about <\/em>endurance, fighting through the writer\u2019s block, and finding time. I\u2019m not a\u00a0 <\/em>full-time writer, so I have to eke out time when I\u2019m not distracted by my <\/em>day job, or chores, or whatever else is piling up on my to-do list. Usually <\/em>this means waking up at 5am. Luckily, I\u2019m a morning person, so I can <\/em>manage. But you know what? I love it. I love every minute of it. Even when <\/em>I\u2019m ready to pull my hair out because my brain is racing at three o\u2019clock in <\/em>the morning thinking about a scene I\u2019m working on, and I know I have a <\/em>meeting at eight. It thrills me.<\/em><\/p>

PD<\/em><\/strong>:\u00a0 <\/em>You are a very talented writer. What other writing opportunities have you had besides publishing this debut work? What sort of writing background do you have?<\/p>

CF:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Thank you! I wish I could give you some glamorous history of success, but <\/em>it has actually been a long and arduous road to completing this book. I <\/em>started writing when I was fourteen and made several attempts at getting <\/em>a manuscript traditionally published before now. Unfortunately, I was <\/em>never successful (I have a bin of rejection letters that would keep a fire <\/em>burning through a nine-month Siberian winter). I continued to write while <\/em>getting my degree in English and History at the University of Alberta and <\/em>in the years that followed. Last year, after completing Chasing Fireflies, I <\/em>ventured to query several literary agents (63 to be exact), but no one was <\/em>interested in even reading the manuscript. Rather than throw in the towel, <\/em>I decided to self-publish. I didn\u2019t have much to lose by doing so, and I still <\/em>felt, despite evidence to the contrary, that it was a story worth sharing. <\/em><\/p>

PD<\/strong>:\u00a0 Can you tell us about your next project?<\/p>

CF:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 I have two projects in the pipeline right now. The first is an adult <\/em>contemporary novel that follows a young widow coming to terms with her <\/em>late husband\u2019s infidelity. She flies across the country to see an old school <\/em>friend who owns a caf\u00e9 and meets a Korean restaurant owner. Like Rainey, <\/em>I love Korean dramas. I love the food, the culture and I am learning the <\/em>language, and I wanted to explore and incorporate it into a book. <\/em>The second project is a follow up of Chasing Fireflies. Truthfully, I hadn\u2019t <\/em>considered writing a sequel, but I\u2019ve received enough feedback from <\/em>readers hoping for one that I\u2019ve decided to move forward with it. It is not, <\/em>however, going to focus on Liam and Maverick. It\u2019s going to centre around <\/em>one of the secondary characters. For now, I\u2019ll leave it at that<\/em><\/p>

PD:<\/strong>\u00a0 Where can we expect to find Chasing Fireflies?<\/p>

CF:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Chasing Fireflies will be available in all e-book formats \u2013 it is currently up <\/em>for pre-order on Amazon Kindle \u2013 but will also be available on Kobo and <\/em>other e-reader platforms. Come October 25th, it will also be available in <\/em>softcover on all online retailers (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Chapters <\/em>& Indigo). I am hoping to have a few brick-and-mortar stores pick it up, <\/em>but that decision is in the hands of their respective requisition teams! <\/em><\/p>

PD<\/em><\/strong>:\u00a0 <\/em>Where else can we find you? (Social media, blogs, websites, etc.?)<\/p>

CF:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 You can follow me on my website www.chloefowler.ca. I have a blog on <\/em>writing, reading, and all things related. The week of the book release, I will <\/em>be posting daily, with special content including a Chasing Fireflies <\/em>soundtrack, recipes from the book, and more, so please check it out.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I recently had the pleasure of connecting with Chloe Fowler, author of the debut novel, Chasing Fireflies.\u00a0 (See my full review posted 10\/21\/21) This young adult work releases in softcover, hardcover, and Kindle today!\u00a0\u00a0 She was kind enough to grant me a written interview, and I am so excited to share our time with you.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t