Now, I first met Kate Evangelista when she was looking for writers for her blog – she had this cool idea of writing first pages based on a picture, a writing prompt, and so I jumped into that and wrote a dark little story about a girl and her drunk-zombie-stepfather. Click here.
Little did I know that my fellow Crescent Moon Press writer, Kate Evangelista, was from the Philippines! And she knew the Book Whale YA Reviewer girls who first reviewed The Never Prayer! They weren’t so hot on my book, but they loved Taste!
Kate and I chatted across Skype and it was so exciting to be talking to someone on the other side of the world! You can read more about Kate here, but suffice to say, she is a former medical school student, accomplished literature student, and now a full-time writer.
Her book, Taste, has just come out from Crescent Moon Press, but she has three other books in the works from two other publishers. She is the real deal. A little about Taste:
At Barinkoff Academy, there’s only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.
Kate and I transcended time and space and hotel internet problems to talk. This is a little of what we talked about.
Aaron: Kate, Taste takes place at a boarding school. My own daughter loved school so much, she used to say she wished she lived there. She either loved school, or hated her home life, I’m not sure which. But things are better now. Back to the question. Would you have liked to live at a boarding school? Why or why not?
Kate: Living in a boarding school sounds like a fantastic idea at first thought, but I believe it has its drawbacks. If you are generally liked by everybody, then boarding school might not be so bad. But can you imagine if you were being bullied? High school is hard enough. At least you have the option of going home. At a boarding school, you essentially live in a box with everyone else, so there’s really no way to escape the people you don’t like. Then again, that’s me. I was bullied extensively, so I have mixed feelings about high school. Also, there aren’t that many boarding schools here in the tropics. We’re mostly private and public schools.
Aaron: So, in the Philippines there is a vibrant writing community. People are writing, meeting in critique groups, talking about writing. But you said much of the writing is targeted to a specific audience. Tell us a little bit more of the “agenda” a lot of writers have in the Philippines.
Kate: Not all writers have an agenda when they write. I think it’s more political here: you need to “say” something when you write. But I also believe there are many writing circles who write to be creative and free, without the constraints of politics. I live in the mountains, far away from any writing circles, so even if I wanted to join any, I don’t really have that kind of access, short of driving an hour each way and paying exorbitant toll fees and gas prices.
Aaron: You were surprised that people are finding that Taste does have an agenda, a secret, magic, hidden agenda. What are people saying and did you at all have such things in mind as you were working on the book?
Kate: *thinks* Well, when I write, the process is more like my characters telling me their stories and I type them. Yes, glorified typist. So, agendas aren’t in the picture for me. Maybe my characters have agendas and I just don’t know it yet. But readers have come forward saying Taste looks at the consequences of putting chemicals into our bodies. During the writing, it didn’t even occur to me, but now that readers are pointing it out, I’m surprised.
Aaron: To get where you are now, you went to medical school, but wound up studying literature and creative writing. How did your parents handle the whole “our daughter wants to starve on the streets of Manila” situation?
Kate: Like any parent, they worried. *laughs* I think they still do. Once one becomes a parent, I believe the worry quotient multiplies exponentially. When I said I was shifting from medical school to literature, my parents were right to worry. At the time, I was leaving what could have been a potentially lucrative career to study how to read books, which is what learning literature really is. I started off as a teacher, which earned a reasonable salary, but at the end of the day, checking papers day in and day out wasn’t for me. It took me three jobs and the better part of five years to finally realize I wanted to be a writer. This added several white hairs to my parents’ head, let me tell you. But they supported me. Today, they couldn’t be prouder of what I’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time. In short, I love them!
Aaron: You said something interesting about what stops people from writing. You said in the publishing game you have to be patient—you have to learn to wait. Out of your three main characters, Phoenix McKay, Demitri, and Luka, who is the most patient? Who is the least patient? Who are you most like?
Kate: I love that question! And yes, lots of waiting to be done while walking the road not taken. As for the most patient, I think that would be Luka. Demitri is too controlling to be patient. Well, unless everything goes his way. Can you just imagine if it doesn’t? As for the least patient, that would be Phoenix. She’s curious to the point of recklessness. She wants answers and she wants them yesterday. When I was younger, I would have to say I was more like Phoenix. I was impulsive and wanted to see results right away. In some cases, I’m still like that. I have the tendency to get restless. But, in more ways, I’ve learned to sit and wait, maybe read a book or write a book while I’m at it. 🙂
Aaron: The Book Whale YA Reviewers only gave me two whales. Only two. Dang. But this interview isn’t about me. Well, it is, but let’s focus on you for a little longer before I have to go look in the mirror. I need my mirror time. How are you handling the whole review/reviewer drama with your debut novel?
Kate: *laughs* then *shakes head* Won’t dream of getting in the way of you and your mirror. *smiles* As for the reviews, I’m learning something new every day. Reviews are important in letting people know your book is out there, willing and waiting to be read. So far, I haven’t encountered any vitriol for Taste. But as good as that sounds, it shows me that my marketing isn’t effective enough. *aura burning* Must work harder in getting Taste out there.
Aaron: You are trilingual. Tell us about your languages, your writing, and what it’s like with all those words and languages floating around your brain. For example, do you think in Tagalog and then write in English?
Kate: I think I have the opposite affliction. I think in English and write in English. I can speak Filipino, as we refer to it here to be PC, but good luck in getting me to read or write properly in it. As for Kapangpangan, which is a local dialect that my parents speak fluently, I understand it fluently and can speak some words. But, at the end of the day, it’s all about having very little practice in Kapangpangan that hinders me from being fluent at it. So, it’s mostly thinking and writing in English for me.
Aaron: Last question. If they were to take your novel, Taste, and turn it into a religion, what would the underpinnings of that religion be? This is kind of like the agenda question, only turned on its head and slapped around a little. Or do you think basing a religion on Taste would be completely impossible?
Kate: Last question already? And it’s a big one too! *crosses arms and thinks* Hmmm, if Taste were to be a religion…I’m never one to believe in the impossible, so if someone had enough time and wherewithal to make Taste into a religion, I think he or she can. And then my brain would proceed to explode because Taste has become big enough to have spawned a religion.
I want to take this time to thank Aaron for letting me crash on his virtual blogging couch for this interview. I had fun. And that Skype conversation needs to happen again. Too much hilarity, even early in the morning. Thank goodness my camera wasn’t working. Would have given you a fright. Also, thank you to the readers who’ve taken the time to read this interview. You rock!
Thanks you, Kate! Had a great time. And for the readers and rockers out there, below is veritable cornucopia of links for more Kate Evangelista!
Buy Taste on Amazon
Kate’s Facebook page
Kate on Goodreads
Book trailer and preview on Jess Resides Here
Kate on Twitter
Read an excerpt from Impulse