Becca-Fitzpatrick wrote:
Teddyree wrote:Hi Becca,
Sorry if you've already answered this question, I havent read all of the Q & A. I absolutely loved the fallen angel mythology, so refreshing after vamps and shapeshifters (mind you, I love them too) but I wanted more, more, more. Are we going to get that in Crescendo now that Patch is unveiled to Nora. I really, really want more mythology, your take on it is just so cool!
Hi, Teddyree!
<!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->
The question hasn't been asked, so no worries!
I'm glad you found the mythology refreshing! Crescendo definitely dives deeper into the mythology, particularly in relation to Nephilim, but not everything will be revealed. I'm really hoping my publisher decides to turn this into a trilogy, which means I'd like to save a few things for the final book (assuming I'm lucky enough to get one!) If you have a minute, I'd love to know what some of your favorite parts were, and what you hope is explored deeper in later books. Hope this answers your question, and thanks again!
Becca
Hi Becca,,After reading your post to Teddyree..I just needed to ask you,Is there a sibling that Nora is not aware of?Did Nora's father's temper even if warrented,have anything to do with his death,I also feel that selling the Farmhouse is not an option..Nora's mom''Is she paying back a debt of her Husbands,by working so many hours,and always on call to her "Employer"I want a "Trilogy' we all want to follow thru with you.. Best Day to you,Hush,Hush, Vtc
Vermontcozy wrote:
Becca-Fitzpatrick wrote:
Teddyree wrote:
Hi Becca,
Sorry if you've already answered this question, I havent read all of the Q & A. I absolutely loved the fallen angel mythology, so refreshing after vamps and shapeshifters (mind you, I love them too) but I wanted more, more, more. Are we going to get that in Crescendo now that Patch is unveiled to Nora. I really, really want more mythology, your take on it is just so cool!
Hi, Teddyree!
<!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->
The question hasn't been asked, so no worries!
I'm glad you found the mythology refreshing! Crescendo definitely dives deeper into the mythology, particularly in relation to Nephilim, but not everything will be revealed. I'm really hoping my publisher decides to turn this into a trilogy, which means I'd like to save a few things for the final book (assuming I'm lucky enough to get one!) If you have a minute, I'd love to know what some of your favorite parts were, and what you hope is explored deeper in later books. Hope this answers your question, and thanks again!
Becca
Hi Becca,,After reading your post to Teddyree..I just needed to ask you,Is there a sibling that Nora is not aware of?Did Nora's father's temper even if warrented,have anything to do with his death,I also feel that selling the Farmhouse is not an option..Nora's mom''Is she paying back a debt of her Husbands,by working so many hours,and always on call to her "Employer"I want a "Trilogy' we all want to follow thru with you.. Best Day to you,Hush,Hush, Vtc
I love all of your speculations, Vtc.! I don't want to ruin anything, but I will say this. Harrison Grey (Nora's father) kept a very big secret while he was alive, and it will be blown wide open in Crescendo!
Becca
Hey, Becca!
That's wonderful! I bet it's cool to have a mom who's an author. My mom used to be a journalist, but she never wrote stories. Deadlines sound as scary as heights and cheese bans. Good luck, and I hope everything works out! 
But I saw your hair - it's so pretty! I can't believe you'd kill all those lovely curls; I'd kill for them. Back when I had the extra time, I'd spend hours curling my hair, and I would use ridiculous amounts of hair spray to keep it all intact. It never worked for long, but my hair would become rocklike, which is actually good 'cause I could have - but never did, sadly - just flung it at anyone who annoyed me and knocked them out. My ingenious weapon! I had a friend once who hated her curly hair so much that she had it "permanently" straightened for something like six months. Apparently lots of people do it now. When I picture Nora, the feature I see most clearly is her curly hair. It makes me love her more!
All your characters are believable and I always felt like they were real people. In the stories I write, I sometimes think that my adult characters might not be convincing enough. Seventh question: Do you ever worry about the same thing, but for your teen characters?
Ooh. Sort of scary. Just the word "editor" intimidates me a little. Patch is a cool nickname and the name Vee seems sassy and bold to me too! All the names really fit. I love them! And I like to think of Patch as a good angel, but with a dark side. I'm glad you kept his nickname, and that your editor was cool with that.
Eighth question: Did you ever consider using a pen name? And can a pen name be something wacky, like Monkee Master, or just a first name? No idea where "Monkee Master" came from, but I'm guessing that people would take the author less seriously if that were his or her pen name, so the publisher/editor would most likely want to avoid it. I've never seen any weird ones.
Thanks for answering all of them and being so nice! Hopefully I haven't repeated any. 
P.S. I did love it! Thanks so much for recommending the movie. It's so beautiful, and the music - wow. Really spectacular. I'd heard of Emmy Rossum before but I didn't know she had such a beautiful voice!
P.P.S. Okay, I have a confession to make. I might have sent a penguin over to your house to steal the Crescendo manuscript. But I couldn't help myself! And those penguins, well, they can convince anyone to do anything. Did you know they can do this weird dance to make those hypnotizing black and white stripe circles appear? Seriously! No worries, though. The penguin accepted the job but never returned, so I'm pretty sure it made a copy of the manuscript but kept it for itself. I should have known. Never trust a penguin. 
elencale wrote:
Hey, Becca!
That's wonderful! I bet it's cool to have a mom who's an author. My mom used to be a journalist, but she never wrote stories. Deadlines sound as scary as heights and cheese bans. Good luck, and I hope everything works out!
But I saw your hair - it's so pretty! I can't believe you'd kill all those lovely curls; I'd kill for them. Back when I had the extra time, I'd spend hours curling my hair, and I would use ridiculous amounts of hair spray to keep it all intact. It never worked for long, but my hair would become rocklike, which is actually good 'cause I could have - but never did, sadly - just flung it at anyone who annoyed me and knocked them out. My ingenious weapon! I had a friend once who hated her curly hair so much that she had it "permanently" straightened for something like six months. Apparently lots of people do it now. When I picture Nora, the feature I see most clearly is her curly hair. It makes me love her more!
All your characters are believable and I always felt like they were real people. In the stories I write, I sometimes think that my adult characters might not be convincing enough. Seventh question: Do you ever worry about the same thing, but for your teen characters?
Ooh. Sort of scary. Just the word "editor" intimidates me a little. Patch is a cool nickname and the name Vee seems sassy and bold to me too! All the names really fit. I love them! And I like to think of Patch as a good angel, but with a dark side. I'm glad you kept his nickname, and that your editor was cool with that.
Eighth question: Did you ever consider using a pen name? And can a pen name be something wacky, like Monkee Master, or just a first name? No idea where "Monkee Master" came from, but I'm guessing that people would take the author less seriously if that were his or her pen name, so the publisher/editor would most likely want to avoid it. I've never seen any weird ones.
Thanks for answering all of them and being so nice! Hopefully I haven't repeated any.
P.S. I did love it! Thanks so much for recommending the movie. It's so beautiful, and the music - wow. Really spectacular. I'd heard of Emmy Rossum before but I didn't know she had such a beautiful voice!
P.P.S. Okay, I have a confession to make. I might have sent a penguin over to your house to steal the Crescendo manuscript. But I couldn't help myself! And those penguins, well, they can convince anyone to do anything. Did you know they can do this weird dance to make those hypnotizing black and white stripe circles appear? Seriously! No worries, though. The penguin accepted the job but never returned, so I'm pretty sure it made a copy of the manuscript but kept it for itself. I should have known. Never trust a penguin.
<!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->
Hey, Elencale!
It goes back to women wanting what we don't have – my older sister has gorgeous, shiny straight hair and when we were teens sharing the same bathroom every morning, I had to count to a calming ten multiple times in an effort not to hate her for her gorgeous hair
Answer to question #7: I didn't worry about this while writing the book, but I worry about it now, lol! As I've read through the comments on the board, I've learned the characters didn't ring true for some people. Obviously I feel bad that I disappointed readers, but the more I'm in this business, the more I realize there will never be an author who pleases everyone. In fact, there will probably never be an author who pleases over 75% of her readership, so it reminds me just to do my best and be satisfied with that.
Good luck with your own characters – is there something in particular about the adults in your stories that you worry about? Dialogue? Motivations?
Answer to question #8: In some ways, I wish I would have used a pen name. It definitely feels more comfortable hiding behind a fictitious name, but it's too late to do anything about it now, so I'm going to grin and bear it 
Becca
P.S. So glad you liked Phantom!! Our conversation is making me want to watch it again!
True, it seems like everyone wants what they don't/can't have. I felt the same way with my older sister! I'm pretty sure she has naturally straight hair, but it doesn't take much to make it curl. I was always jealous of her for that. I bet your sister secretly wished she had your hair!
Oh no! I strongly disagree with those people. I've read many books with characters who seemed off, but I've never read a book that I completely disliked. I think it's best to focus on the positive rather than the negative, especially in reviews. I've read some horrible ones that attack the author or editors and those always make me upset since the people who worked so hard on the book might read it someday and other people might choose not to read it because of that one bad review. I can't understand how anything about your wonderful book could disappoint any reader, but you're right. Even the best books and authors have people who don't like them. Sometimes I feel like people say they dislike something just because so many other people say they loved it.
Thank you! Usually dialogue. I worry that they might sound childish. They don't seem to, but I feel like since I'm not an adult yet myself I can't be sure if I'm portraying them correctly. Especially in a story where certain characters are over a hundred years old. For research I plan to eventually read more books and watch movies set in those times. I also have the same issue with characters who have accents. Two of my favorite types are English and Russian. Both can be very pretty and, well, sort of seductive. It's easy for me to hear them in my head, but it's the actual words/dialects that can be confusing.
Your name's very pretty! No ficticious name could match it.
Now, I am off to think of more questions!
P.S. I hope you do! I plan on watching it again next weekend with some friends!
I felt that Nora's mom knew what was up with Patch (being a fallen angel) esp. when she asked him if it was "cold" swimming outdoors, so I think Nora's mom will play a bigger role into uncovering some family secrets - which I would love!
(I've already lended the book out to a friend, so forgive my omission of character names, as I finished the book last month. Although that shows my appreciation for the book itself - to recommend it and let others borrow my copy!)
I was, however, disappointed in the ending with a few things (but hope it is either explained more clearly or elaborated in the sequel and maybe these were mentioned previously I haven't had time to read thru all 16 pgs of Q &A yet ; )
- Where was Patch except talking to Nora's mind in the gym; why wasn't he fighting Jules to protect her?
- The fight scene in Nora's house was quite fast and not really wrapped up in the end - so I'm curious to read the final ending that will be in the published version (such as the mom coming home to a half-burned down house, Nora seeming to be resting from a long sleep, the disappearance of the "counselor" and the interactions with the cops who area creepy and suspicious in their own way.)
- Why was Patch already watching Nora when Nora looks into his past?
- Why was the prep school girl killed - motive? And it's hard to believe that Elliot would commit such a crime to be in Jules' good graces and be part of the rich kids club.
- How does Patch becoming a guardian angel solve the problem of their relationship (Nora/human who will grow old and die and their inability to feel each other.)
Overall, though, I'm still thinking about this book and am quite impressed with this debut novel, Becca! I'd love to interview you on my blog: writerinspired.wordpress.com
khimair wrote:Thank you for your words, whenever I read that writers talk about their experiences, I am convinced that we must be persistent to achieve the goals you want, not just have a good idea and know how to write it..
Becca-Fitzpatrick wrote:
ConnieK wrote:Hi again, Becca!
You mentioned that it took you 5 years to complete the process of seeing HUSH, HUSH go from ms. to print. What kept you going in those 5 years with this book? Did you ever just hate the story sometimes and want to abandon it and write something else? If so, what brought you back to it?
Thank you!
Hi, Connie!
When I started the book (and the writing class where it all began), I had a two-month-old baby, so I didn't have a lot of time to put into the book. An hour here or there was about all that I squeezed in. And just when I started writing the book in earnest, I got pregnant again and took more time off. During those few years, I didn't have much of a chance to get frustrated with the book, because it was at the bottom of my current worries
During the summer of 2007 I decided I needed to take a little more time for myself, and I decided if I was ever going to finish the book, it had to be now. I wrote the first draft in about three months, and immediately sent it out to agents. Two wrote back, saying they'd like to see a rewrite. I wrote while my children napped and slept, and sent the revised draft back to both agents. They both responded saying I was getting closer, but the mystery wasn't solid enough. Both offered to see another rewrite. By this point I was getting frustrated, because I felt like I couldn't get the story right. I also didn't have much time to spend writing, which didn't help. Then, in March 2008, two of my friends invited me to go to Left Coast Crime (a mystery and suspense writing conference). I spent three days away from home, attending workshops on mystery and suspense writing, and it was amazing how everything seemed to fall into place. It was one of the best parts of my journey to becoming published. At night, in the hotel, I plotted the entire book. I started writing it the minute I got home, and two months later the story was strong enough that my agent signed me.
There were definitely frustrating moments, and times when I wanted to give up, but in the end, I clung to the rewarding moments and told myself it would all work out in the end.
Thanks for the question!
Becca
What a great history on the birth of Hush, Hush - and a great lesson for us aspiring novelists. Thanks for your dedication to bring this book to fruition and for the inspiration!
elencale wrote:
True, it seems like everyone wants what they don't/can't have. I felt the same way with my older sister! I'm pretty sure she has naturally straight hair, but it doesn't take much to make it curl. I was always jealous of her for that. I bet your sister secretly wished she had your hair!
Oh no! I strongly disagree with those people. I've read many books with characters who seemed off, but I've never read a book that I completely disliked. I think it's best to focus on the positive rather than the negative, especially in reviews. I've read some horrible ones that attack the author or editors and those always make me upset since the people who worked so hard on the book might read it someday and other people might choose not to read it because of that one bad review. I can't understand how anything about your wonderful book could disappoint any reader, but you're right. Even the best books and authors have people who don't like them. Sometimes I feel like people say they dislike something just because so many other people say they loved it.
Thank you! Usually dialogue. I worry that they might sound childish. They don't seem to, but I feel like since I'm not an adult yet myself I can't be sure if I'm portraying them correctly. Especially in a story where certain characters are over a hundred years old. For research I plan to eventually read more books and watch movies set in those times. I also have the same issue with characters who have accents. Two of my favorite types are English and Russian. Both can be very pretty and, well, sort of seductive. It's easy for me to hear them in my head, but it's the actual words/dialects that can be confusing.
Your name's very pretty! No ficticious name could match it.
Now, I am off to think of more questions!
P.S. I hope you do! I plan on watching it again next weekend with some friends!
Hi, Elencale!
Thanks for the kind words - it means a lot
I'm so with you on dialogue. I'm thirty, but I don't know that I feel like an official adult yet, and I think it shows a little in my characters. I find adults are the hardest to write. I'm just going to pretend this means I'm young at heart, lol.
Becca
mjcwriter wrote:
I felt that Nora's mom knew what was up with Patch (being a fallen angel) esp. when she asked him if it was "cold" swimming outdoors, so I think Nora's mom will play a bigger role into uncovering some family secrets - which I would love!
(I've already lended the book out to a friend, so forgive my omission of character names, as I finished the book last month. Although that shows my appreciation for the book itself - to recommend it and let others borrow my copy!)
I was, however, disappointed in the ending with a few things (but hope it is either explained more clearly or elaborated in the sequel
- Where was Patch except talking to Nora's mind in the gym; why wasn't he fighting Jules to protect her?
- The fight scene in Nora's house was quite fast and not really wrapped up in the end - so I'm curious to read the final ending that will be in the published version (such as the mom coming home to a half-burned down house, Nora seeming to be resting from a long sleep, the disappearance of the "counselor" and the interactions with the cops who area creepy and suspicious in their own way.)
- Why was Patch already watching Nora when Nora looks into his past?
- Why was the prep school girl killed - motive? And it's hard to believe that Elliot would commit such a crime to be in Jules' good graces and be part of the rich kids club.
- How does Patch becoming a guardian angel solve the problem of their relationship (Nora/human who will grow old and die and their inability to feel each other.)
Overall, though, I'm still thinking about this book and am quite impressed with this debut novel, Becca! I'd love to interview you on my blog: writerinspired.wordpress.com
<!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->
Hi, MJ!
Blythe (Nora's mom) might know things about Patch...I don't want to give away any spoilers! You'll just have to wait and find out
I can tell you, however, that your concerns with the ending won't be addressed in the new ending. The new ending changed the text only on the last page. I'll try to answer your questions.
-
Where was Patch except talking to Nora's mind in the gym; why wasn't he fighting Jules to protect her? This is a good example of how certain parts of a story can get edited out during the editing process. I didn't realize this before I sold the book, but there are several people involved in the editing process and I think most authors try to take into consideration everyone's advice/suggestions. In the early drafts, this scene read like this:
Unable to command myself to close my eyes, I was forced to watch as the vessels in Chauncey's neck jumped out. His head drooped to one side.
No! I shouted in my mind. Stop!
At the words, Patch vanished from inside me. He was gone so quickly I was left dizzy.
My hands dropped from Chauncey's neck. They were in my control again. I searched the room for Patch. He was on the floor a few feet away, unmoving. I felt a stab of panic. What had I done?
In this earlier version, Nora cast Patch out by thinking the word “no.” I received the suggestion during the editorial process that this might be a good time to tie the Cheshvan thread back into the story. I decided to take that suggestion and incorporate it. So the above scene became this:
I won't be able to stay inside you much longer, Patch spoke to my thoughts. It's not Cheshvan and I'm not allowed. As soon as I'm cast out, run. Do you understand? Run as fast as you can. Chauncey will be too weak and stunned to get inside your head. Run and don't stop.
What was lost in the rewrite was Nora realizing that by casting Patch out, she'd done something to him. I'm not sure if this is going to make sense, but authors and editors read manuscripts many, many times and it gets to the point where we almost know the story by heart. Some times, during edits, information that I know without a doubt might get deleted from the manuscript and because I know the information, and I've read it in the story hundreds of times, it's hard to recognize when it's missing. It's happened to me more times than I can count! Anyway, I apologize if it's unclear, but the real answer is that a fallen angel's body becomes weak after possession, and takes a while to regain it's strength. I'll make a note to myself to make this more clear in the following editions of the book. Thank you
Also, I'll be back to answer the rest of your questions tomorrow – right now, it's time for me to make dinner! My kids are at the door to my study, begging for Mac N Cheese. Hooray for easy meals!
Becca
mjcwriter wrote:
I felt that Nora's mom knew what was up with Patch (being a fallen angel) esp. when she asked him if it was "cold" swimming outdoors, so I think Nora's mom will play a bigger role into uncovering some family secrets - which I would love!
(I've already lended the book out to a friend, so forgive my omission of character names, as I finished the book last month. Although that shows my appreciation for the book itself - to recommend it and let others borrow my copy!)
I was, however, disappointed in the ending with a few things (but hope it is either explained more clearly or elaborated in the sequel
- Where was Patch except talking to Nora's mind in the gym; why wasn't he fighting Jules to protect her?
- The fight scene in Nora's house was quite fast and not really wrapped up in the end - so I'm curious to read the final ending that will be in the published version (such as the mom coming home to a half-burned down house, Nora seeming to be resting from a long sleep, the disappearance of the "counselor" and the interactions with the cops who area creepy and suspicious in their own way.)
- Why was Patch already watching Nora when Nora looks into his past?
- Why was the prep school girl killed - motive? And it's hard to believe that Elliot would commit such a crime to be in Jules' good graces and be part of the rich kids club.
- How does Patch becoming a guardian angel solve the problem of their relationship (Nora/human who will grow old and die and their inability to feel each other.)
Overall, though, I'm still thinking about this book and am quite impressed with this debut novel, Becca! I'd love to interview you on my blog: writerinspired.wordpress.com
<!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->Hello again, Mary Jo!
The fight scene probably feels incredibly fast because the book was fast-tracked to publication and I had three weeks to do some fairly major edits, including rewrite the climax, lol! In a perfect world, writers would have all the time they wanted to work on their stories. Unfortunately, that's usually not the case. Sorry it felt rushed to you! Truth be told, everything I did during edits felt a little rushed to me. But, hey, I finished on time and that's something to be proud of
Patch is watching Nora because he plans to kill her. When Dabria informs Patch that someone wants to kill Nora, he's worried that someone else might get to her first, which is why he's so adamant that Dabria tell him who the killer is – so Patch can stop them before they kill Nora, and therefore use her as a sacrifice.
Kjirsten was killed because Jules needed to make sure Elliot would be loyal to him. Jules is a pretty twisted individual, and he knew he could count on Elliot if he took away the one thing that was seemingly most important to him – Kjirsten – and still retain Elliot's faith and loyalty. I'm sorry you find the motive hard to believe. In my life, I've found money can be highly motivating. Remember when we used to read stories about kids killing each other for a pair of sneakers? Anyway, I apologize that it didn't work for you.
As for your last question, I'm not sure I understand. Are you asking why I didn't allow Patch to become human, because that would have made things easier for them? I'll try to answer as best I can. Patch becoming Nora's guardian angel doesn't solve their relationship problems – in fact, in some ways, it makes them just as complicated. Crescendo (the sequel) will deal with this. After all, Patch fell from heaven for lusting after a girl, and here he is again, fighting the same battle. Hopefully this clears up your question.
Becca
Hi, Becca!
You're welcome
Thirty is still pretty young. Young writers shall rule the world! Worlds, I mean. Fictional worlds! Lol. And I thought your adult characters were awesome.
Well, looks like those were all my questions - sorry if I repeated any, and thanks so much for taking the time to answer them!
-elencale
