The Space Between Trees
Author: Katie Williams
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Hello Everyone!
Today I have the honor of having Author, Katie Williams here at Park Avenue Princess as part of the official blog tour for her debut book, "The Space Between Trees"! You can find my review here. I don't want to take too much time with the introduction (we all know how I love to talk), so I'm going to lend my throne, tiara, and whatever else Katie needs here in the castle to make her feel at home. I'm now going to let Katie speak to you about her phenomenal new book. Please make her feel welcome!
A Very Bad Princess
Once upon a time there was a plain peasant girl—scuffs on her shoes, dirt under her fingernails—who was invited to sit on the princess’s throne for an entire day. That’s me, Katie Williams, scepter in hand, feeling atypically regal since our highness has invited me here to tell you about my debut novel, The Space Between Trees.
The Space Between Trees doesn’t have any princesses in it, no castles or charging steeds, nary a fairy godmother to be seen. But, like many good fairytales, it features a girl who has been overlooked.
Sixteen-year-old Evie somehow missed out on making friends, real friends anyway. She doesn’t have a boyfriend either, although she’s convinced the girls at school that she’s involved in a flourishing romance with college dropout Jonah Luks. Still, try as she might, she remains lonely, quirky, and anonymous. But all that changes when Evie spies the police pulling a murdered schoolmate’s body from the woods behind her paper route, and suddenly she’s at the center of the story everyone wants to hear. Eager for attention, Evie exaggerates her connection the dead girl, thereby drawing herself into a wrongheaded murder “investigation” that questions truth and fiction, innocence and guilt.
Perched here on my borrowed throne, I can’t help but think about princesses, and how being a princess is not about the sparkling tiaras and drool-worthy gowns (well, maybe it’s a little bit about the gowns), but is really about being kind and virtuous. After all, Cinderella was a princess on the inside way before she got the fairy-godmother makeover. By such standards, my protagonist Evie is very unprincesslike. She lies; she manipulates; she connives. And her machinations lead to serious trouble and permanent loss.
Does Evie sound like a horrible person to you? She makes some huge mistakes; it’s true. So how could I write a character who behaves so very badly? Well, I liked Evie because, despite her flaws, she was interested in the world around her and, also, she was daring. She’d do things I never would, even if some of those things were the wrong things. Furthermore, I understood Evie. Her bad behavior came from the same desires that make the princess character such an appealing fantasy: She wanted to feel special, pretty, and most of all, loved. And once I understood Evie better, I felt I could write more of her story to see where her lies led, to discover if she would eventually accept her rags and discover the secret that all true princesses know: She is special because she is herself.
You can read more about The Space Between Trees, including the first chapter, on my website, http://www.katiewilliamsbooks.com/.
Thank you SO much Katie for being here at the castle today! As a special surprise, Katie is offering one of my *Very Lucky* Loyal & Royal Readers a chance to WIN their very own AUTOGRAPHED Hardcover Copy of "The Space Between Trees"!
THE SPACE BETWEEN TREES GIVEAWAY!!
This book is going to be signed and sent from Chronicle Books
So, I ask that you have a US or Canadian Address that the
book can be sent to! It's open to anyone that FOLLOWS
with either a US or Canadian Address in which to receive the book.
Most important you must follow through Google Friend Connect!
Don't know how? Go here to get instructions!
First I'd like you to head on over to Katie Williams' web site and tell me one thing you've learned about Katie or her book or you may think of a question you'd like to ask Katie! You MUST do this step to QUALIFY! If you choose the question option, you get +25 per question you ask with a limit of TWO QUESTIONS per person. leaving you with a total of +50 for asking Katie TWO QUESTIONS that have to do with today's post, her writing, her debut novel, something VALID please!
Also to qualify, I ask that you please leave your name/nickname
in each post you leave. Something that separates you from everyone else
so that it will be clear if you are chosen as the winner. You must also leave
me with your emailing address so that you can be contacted (even if it is in your profile).
This contest is open to ANYONE that Follows with GFC - Anywhere In the WORLD!
*But, you MUST have either a U.S. or CANADIAN ADDRESS to
accept the book for you. Overseas shipping is not available for this contest!
*This Contest ends 8/13/10*
Entries
+5 If you Subscribe by Mail
+5 If you Subscribe via Google Reader
Also to qualify, I ask that you please leave your name/nickname
in each post you leave. Something that separates you from everyone else
so that it will be clear if you are chosen as the winner. You must also leave
me with your emailing address so that you can be contacted (even if it is in your profile).
This contest is open to ANYONE that Follows with GFC - Anywhere In the WORLD!
*But, you MUST have either a U.S. or CANADIAN ADDRESS to
accept the book for you. Overseas shipping is not available for this contest!
*This Contest ends 8/13/10*
Entries
+5 If you Subscribe by Mail
+5 If you Subscribe via Google Reader
+5 If you TWEET About This Giveaway (Leave Link)
+10 If you Rate Me On Blogged (see link at bottom of blog)
+10 If you add me to your blog roll (and link it back to my blog)
+10 If you Blog about the Contest in your Sidebar (Link back)
+15 If you blog about this Giveaway in it's own post (Link back)
+20 If you Follow @APrkAvePrincess on Twitter (Leave @name)
+25 If you Put My Button On Your Blog and Link Back
So, spread the word about Park-Avenue Princess!
It's only a *Click* to Follow and We're NOT that far away!!
I've got a NOOK here with someone's name on it and
it could be yours! All I need to start the giveaway
is 1,000 GFC Followers. I also have some
Amazing Prizes coming up that
you don't want to miss!
+50 for each and every NEW follower you bring me
(They just have to mention it in their post! You will BOTH Get the Points!)
YES EVERY PERSON YOU SEND!
(All of these will be verified before they count towards your entries!!)
Separate your entries one per post! (either each or just +5 for example)
Or you will only have One Entry Regardless of What You Do!
AS ALWAYS, GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN!!
KISSES and TOODLES!!
My question for Katie (oh, and I follow!) is what would Evie's theme song be?
ReplyDelete-Lauren
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com
+25 If you Put My Button On Your Blog and Link Back
ReplyDeletewww.bridgethegapx.blogspot.com
should be on my blog there if that counts,
Lauren
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com
+20 If you Follow @APrkAvePrincess on Twitter (Leave @name)
ReplyDelete@shootingstarmag
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com
My other question for Katie would be: what type of book would you LOVE to write in the future, if not what you're writing next?
ReplyDelete-Lauren
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com
No need to enter me! I just posted this at win a book for you.
ReplyDeletehttp://winabook.westofmars.com/2010/07/23/the-space-between-the-trees-by-katie-williams/
How did you select the name for this book!
ReplyDeleterally_thade17@hotmail.com
She currently teaches writing at Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
+5 GFC follower
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
She and her husband, Ulysses, live in San Francisco, CA
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
+5 Email subscriber
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
+5 GFC follower
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
+25 I wanted to ask Katie, what authors does she like to read?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
bangersis(at)msn(dot)com
+25 I also wanted to ask Katie if she enjoyed growing up in a small town?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
bangersis(at)msn(dot)com
+5 I subscribe by email
ReplyDeletebangersis(at)msn(dot)com
+5 I tweeted http://twitter.com/bangersis/status/19455894554
ReplyDeletebangersis(at)msn(dot)com
+20 I follow on twitter @bangersis
ReplyDeletebangersis(at)msn(dot)com
This book sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI am a new GFC follower.
steven(dot)capell(at)gmail(dot)com
katie, what are you currently writing?
ReplyDeletekarenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com
email subscriber :)
ReplyDeletekarenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com
Kate attended the University of Michigan
ReplyDeletebjhopper(at)me(dot)com
Katie,
ReplyDeleteIf you only had one hour to live, what would you do?
bjhopper(at)me(dot)com
Katie,
ReplyDeleteIf you were on death row what you want as your last meal?
bjhopper(at)me(dot)com
Email subscriber
ReplyDeletebjhopper(at)me(dot)com
Tweet
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/bridget3420/status/19529714810
bjhopper(at)me(dot)com
+10 for having you on my blogroll
ReplyDeletehttp://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
+20 Twitter follower - bridget3420
ReplyDelete+25 Button is on my sidebar
ReplyDeletehttp://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Hello, all!
ReplyDeleteKatie here. (Again.) (Finally!) Thank you for the interesting questions about writing, reading, and life! Oh, and a couple queries about death, too. Now, for answers.
@Lauren asked what Evie's theme song would be.
What a great question! Evie's theme song would be "Is It Wicked Not to Care?" by Belle and Sebastian. You can listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnvp8ce-Ouw&feature=related
@Lauren also asked what I would love to write.
I've always had the secret desire to write a fantasy novel set in a world/reality with intricate magical rules. That's not the novel I'm working on now (I'll answer that question in a minute), but maybe it'll be the next one!
l,
kw
@Walkabout asked how I chose the title for the novel.
ReplyDeleteThis may be disappointing, but I didn't pick out the title...one of the editors at my publishing house did! The original title was *Wildlife Control*, but that title seemed to fit better for an adult novel than a YA one.
I love the new title, *The Space Between Trees*, because it speaks to the idea that what's not there--what's gone, what's unspoken, what's imagined--can have more weight than what is literally present.
Here's the full passage from the novel:
"But somehow my name was never whispered, as if I were a ghost, an escapee, the space between trees, the page on which the story is written."
l,
kw
@Angie asked what authors I like to read.
ReplyDeleteI could answer this question all day!
My favorite YA authors are Kristin Cashore (*Graceling*) and Ursula K. Le Guin (*Tehanu*), though all of you should really get your hands on *Dreamhunter* and *Dreamquake* by Elizabeth Knox. This is a fabulous duet that hasn't gotten nearly the attention it deserves.
My favorite adult authors are Marilynne Robinson (*Housekeeping*) and Alice Munro (*Runaway*), but these writers are a little slow-paced. It took me a while to get into their rhythms.
If you want to read something along the lines of *The Space Between Trees*, check out *Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?* by Lorrie Moore or *When Will There Be Good News?* by Kate Atkinson or *Special Topics in Calamity Physics* by Marisha Pessl.
Okay, that was probably more answer than you bargained for, Walkabout. Like I said, I could go on all day!
l,kw
Oops! You know what? That last answer was meant for Angie, not Walkabout. Sorry, Angie!
ReplyDeleteHere's the answer to your second question, darlin': How did I like growing up in a small town?
Well...when I was a teenager I kind of hated it because it felt like nothing was happening. My friends and I used to do stupid things to pass the time, like turning off the automatic doors at our local grocery store and watching people stop at the doors and stand there puzzled as to why they weren't opening. Like I said, not a lot going on.
Now, after living in a couple bigger cities, I can see the merits of small-town life. It's a close community, so you feel known and seen by the people around you. It's quiet and clean and safe enough for kids to be out on their own at night. There are lots of trees!
You can see that my attitude has changed, not that I'm about to move back to Okemos. City living has its charms, too!
l,kw
Karen K. wanted to know what I'm working on now, and I'm happy to share!
ReplyDeleteI'm working on a new YA novel about a group of dead kids trapped in the high school that they attended when they were alive.
Just like *The Space Between Trees* isn't a typical mystery, my plan is that this new novel won't be a typical ghost story. For one thing, it's told from the point of view of the haunters, not the haunted!
l,
kw
And while we're talking about death, Bridget3420 had a couple mortality-related questions:
ReplyDeleteWhat would I do if I had one hour to live?
I'd gather what friends and family I had nearby, and I'd eat, drink, dance, and share our best memories! I like the idea of celebrating life instead of mourning its end, though I suspect this is easy to say and difficult to do.
If I were on death row, what would my last meal be?
I'm a good Irish girl, which means that the potato is one of my favorite foods. I'd have the prison chef prepare potatoes in as many ways as she could manage--au gratin, fried, baked, definitely mashed. I'd go out in carbohydrate rapture!
l,kw
Hi Kate! I would like to know if you had any say on the cover art? Also, I am visiting San Fran in August and I wanted to know if there is anything you recommend seeing %^)
ReplyDeletefindjessyhere at gmail dot com
+5-Subscribe by mail
ReplyDeletefindjessyhere at gmail dot com
+5-Google follower
ReplyDeletefindjessyhere at gmail dot com
+5-Tweeted: http://twitter.com/Emma015/statuses/19682690447
ReplyDeletefindjessyhere at gmail dot com
+20-Following on Twitter (@emma015)
ReplyDeletefindjessyhere at gmail dot com
Thanks for the questions, Jessy!
ReplyDeleteJessy asked if I had any say over the cover art.
Lucky for me, I did! A lot of my author friends have their cover art chosen for them, but my publisher, Chronicle Books, brought me in on the process from the beginning. They even mocked up one of my cover ideas--the negative space from the branches making an outline of a girl's face. I've been so grateful for Chronicle's creativity and inclusiveness!
Jessy also asked what to see when she visits San Francisco.
There's an area in Golden Gate Park that you have to visit; the De Young Museum, the SF Academy of Sciences, and the Japanese Tea Garden are all lined up there. I love having afternoon tea in the garden. And even if you don't want to look at the De Young Museum art exhibits, you can go up in their free viewing tower and see the entire city.
If you like shopping and good food, check out Valencia Street in the Mission District. Most visitors don't know about it, but all the locals hang out there.
And as a reader, you really should visit City Lights Bookstore in North Beach. This bookstore stood up for our right to publish and read what we want, a landmark lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court! You can read more about it on City Lights website. They also have a beautiful poetry reading room upstairs.
l,
kw
My question for Katie is, how did you select an editor, and what is the relationship like between the two of you?
ReplyDeletebgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
My other question for Katie is, have you ever just left a book in an almost unfinished state and never gone back to complete it?
ReplyDeletebgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
+5 I'm an email subscriber, and yes, I do follow by GFC.
ReplyDeletebgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
I learned that Katie loves Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, cinnamon ice cream, orange cats, and her husband, Ulysses Loken.
ReplyDeleteGFC public follower~
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
+5 E-mail subscriber
ReplyDeletemegalon22 at yahoo dot com
+5 Subscribe via Google Reader
ReplyDeletemegalon22 at yahoo dot com