MEET MEGAN ERICKSON!
Along with the interview, there's some background about my life. (So, I guess it was a double interview?) Anyways, MEET MEGAN!
1. Not really a question but HEYO! <-- That is my version of saying hello. LOL I get questioned a lot by that. Let’s just say that because I’m Mexican-American and live in Texas I sometimes mix my words. And since double LL in Spanish make a “y” noise: Heyo is made. Speaking of weird words or saying, from reading Make It Count, Kat has some crazy saying (which I adore), which leaves me wondering what crazy sayings have you heard or say yourself?
A: I say “50 million” of everything. For example: “I’ve read that book like 50 million times.” And “There were like 50 million people in line at the post office.”
I have no idea why I like that number so much. LOL.
2. Now that summer is rolling around, I tend to start new TV shows (by new I mean by Netflix) and binge watching all of the seasons with my little sisters (Lord help me this summer). What TV shows are you into, if you have any time to watch with all that editing and drafting you’re doing *wink wink* (haha)?
A: I used to watch much more TV, but lately my free time is spend writing/editing or reading. However, I’m super into Vikings right now. Because, come on. Ragnar. His eyes! *swoon*
3. Living in the south side of Texas, I am surrounded by a lot of Hispanics and other ethnicities other than whites. So when I read the majority of today’s’ books, it seems that every character is white, which to me is sometimes off putting because I can’t related to white people problems (for some reason that
sounded stereotypical and funny at the same time. Anyways). What made you write Kat a different ethnicity than the norm when it comes to books?
A: Kat is Brazilian American and to be honest, that’s how her character hit me. It also worked with the plot for her to move from Brazil at a young age with her family. And well…not everyone is white!
4. I volunteer at my church with the 2-year-olds and elementary kids and I can honestly say that I can see the difference in their high order skills. And though I see it every week, if I were to become an author, I probably wouldn’t have had a character with a learning disadvantage, and most likely would have conformed to the “norm” of books. What made you write Kat (an awesome character BTW<-- Lea would hate me) with flaws?
A: We all have flaws. And when I was in college, sure there were parties and boys and friends. But the main conflict in my life was…well… SCHOOL. Classes and grades and professors and papers and homework. That was real-life New Adult to me. In grade school, I think there a lot of safety nets in place where learning disabilities can sometimes go unnoticed. But in college? Oh man, it’s like that net is GONE and a lot of flaws get exposed – especially when it comes to learning and study skills.
So I wanted to write a character that was real life. And I hope people can relate to Kat.
5. *Not a real question but it could be? Maybe towards Kat? (shoulder shrug IDK<-- once again sorry Lea)* This summer I’ll be taking a Calculus course (Lord help me) and I was wondering if I could borrow Alec for the summer, Lord knows I'll need him.
A: Haha! Let me ask him. *whispers over shoulder* OK, Kat said you can borrow him but she’ll be implementing random hand checks so keep ‘em in sight at all times.
6. Okay I fell in love with Marcelo. Though in the beginning I was thinking “WHAT DOESN’T THIS DUDE ACCOMPLISH”’ it was when I saw the brotherly love that I fell (nothing beats a good brother. THAT is a characteristic
in real life that should be sought for!)… Will he be making appearances in the other books?
A: First, I love writing brother/sister relationships. I have an older brother, and he is one of my best friends. I love Marcelo very much and he definitely has a small fan base already. I…uh…might have to do something to appease those fans.
7. I love sports (with a passion). Top three sports are football (I mean come on I wouldn’t be loyal to Texas if it wasn’t my favorite), basketball, and baseball (good looking butts galore. *fans self*). What are your top sports (and why)? If not into sports, what are your top three favorite animals?
A: I love sports! I think soccer is my all-time favorite. It’s why I’m a leg woman. Ahem. Okay, moving on. I also like football and then baseball.
And I’m answering the animal question because I do what I want – Cats are my favorite. I’m a crazy cat lady. Then pandas. And then leopard geckos.
8. Since third grade, I was in martial arts. I became a black belt in sixth grade and in that same year I broke my tailbone and had an appendectomy. So yeah, you can figure that in the year it took me to recover, I found other things that interested me, such as crochet! I started crocheting in six grade (it was a life saver when everything was tumbling down) and have been off and on it ever since. Do you have any hobbies (other than writing)?
A: Ooooh, you’re going to love Lea, the heroine in the second book in the series – MAKE IT RIGHT. *wink* As far as my hobbies? I like to cook, knit, and read (duh). That makes me sound super boring.
9. Since fifth grade, I have always know what I wanted to become when I was older. Though the path getting there has gone on very different paths that my fifth grade self would have never thought of going on, the endgame still holds true. Have you always wanted to be a writer or was there another endgame
in mind for yourself?
A: I’ve always wanted to write. When I was little, I dictated stories about my pet cat to my mom and we’d make books. I wrote poems and stories for fun all through school and then went to college for journalism. I worked as a journalist until I decided I liked writing my own endings better and switched to fiction.
10. I am in love with the smell of pizza. And the taste of hot pizza and cold pizza is divine. I am a huge junk food addict (which is probably why I had my appendix removed at an early age. Darn me and my taste). What are your favorite foods or snacks? Any guilty pleasures concerning foods?
A: Right now, I’m obsessed with Panera mac and cheese and their cherry danishes. It’s a real problem. I’m basically turning into a big container of mac and cheese with a cherry on top. That sounds really gross.
11. One thing I absolutely love about MiC is the relationship of all the characters, especially Kat’s and Alec’s. (I’m was so giddy when there wasn’t any cheating involved. You don’t understand… cheating sickens me down to my soul. I’m still a little bitter about Max). Was there anything from the characters’ relationships that were based off of something from real life?
A: To me, humor is so important in a relationship. I’ve been with my now-husband since 2001, and he can still make me laugh to the point of tears. So the banter between Kat and Alec, that they make each other laugh, is very important to me.
All right guys, that's it! I hope y'all enjoyed this interview and hopefully you're interested in Make It Count! WHICH IS ALREADY OUT
*whispers* You should probably go buy it.
Waiting for y'all's reaction to Make it Count
-Vangie
