-What inspired the idea for your book?
A. I absolutely love vintage anything. I think the 1960s were a pretty cool era from the bright and bold fashion to the awesome and catchy music, so I’ve always wondered what living in this era would be like. What better way to try and imagine than writing a story about it?
-If you could be mentored by a famous author, who would it be?
A. Luckily, I did get to be mentored by a famous author. Jonathan Maberry, who is an insanely talented and decorated author, is also from Philadelphia. He’s been guiding and teaching me for years now. I’m very grateful for him and all the wisdom and support he has given to me and my writing.
-How did you come up with the title for your book?
A. The central theme for the book is butterflies. The title is taken directly from a line the main character Emmy says in chapter 15.
-How do you come up with character names for your stories?
A. As goofy as this sounds, I do my research on names and then, I honestly just pick the ones that feel right to me. It feels like this character is meant to be named this.
-If you were to write a spin-off about a side character, which would you pick?
A. Probably Maude because I gave her such a mysterious and fascinating back story.
– What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?
A. To believe in yourself. It’s easy to get yourself down and pick apart yourself and your work, but that does little good. Write, write, write! Writing and reading is subjective, there’s a story out there for everyone.
– What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why?
A. The characters. They pop up in my mind first long before anything else and then I just create the plot and everything else around them. Diverse characters, who can stand out and speak for themselves, are what fascinate me the most about a good story, so that’s why they usually come first for my writing process.
-What part of the book was the most fun to write?
A. Probably making all the different character personalities and “designing” what they look like. I think to have multiple different types of characters that everyone can pick one or two out and relate to for an entire story is pretty cool. I think it enhances the reading experience more and it makes it a little more personal for everyone.
-What was your hardest scene to write, and why?
A. Definitely having to kill off a very special character was the hardest. I won’t say who, but the character was very loved in the story and their death is supposed to send a very big and powerful message.
What is the most difficult part of your writing process?
A. All the rounds of tedious editing
Links for me:
-my website: Chrissy Dugas Author HOME PAGE
X account: Author_Chrissy_
Amzaon: Where the Butterflies Land: Dugas, Chrissy: 9798870727431: Amazon.com: Books
Barnes and Noble: Where the Butterflies Land by Chrissy Dugas, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
bookshop. org: Where the Butterflies Land a book by Chrissy Dugas (bookshop.org)
Thriftbooks: Chrissy Dugas Books | List of books by author Chrissy Dugas (thriftbooks.com)