Double Blind
Author: Tiffany Pitts
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
Pages: 280
Genre: Action/Adventure/Humor/Sci-fi
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Book Summary:
Delilah
Pelham’s brother, Paul, is missing. She should probably be worried about that
but honestly, he’s been in trouble since the day he learned the words “trust
me." In fact, if it weren’t for his roommate, Carl, she would gladly leave
him to his fate.
Carl is a good guy, even if he’s a bit of a dork. Okay, a large slice of a
dork. Possibly the entire cake.
But he wants to help, as do his gamer friends, which is how Deli finds herself
in the middle of Hong Kong with the King of the Dorks, running from creepy guys
with slicked-back hair and shiny black guns.
Back
at home, Carl’s friends aren’t faring nearly as well. All they had to do was
monitor the situation and feed Deli’s cat while she was gone. How could that
possibly end in bloodshed?
There
is an answer, of course, but no one ever thinks to ask the cat.
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Author Interview
1. What
inspired you to want to become a writer?
I’m a pattern seeker. I notice
things. And when things in my environment change (as everything does) I make up
weird stories about why. The neighbor’s tree died? Someone probably angered the
tree gnomes. The mailman is a different person today? The original mailman must
be on a spy mission in Guatemala. I don’t know why I do this, but I’ve done it
all my life. Unfortunately, angry Guatemalan tree gnomes aren’t really a
suitable topic for cocktail parties unless you want to be known as a crazy
person.
The day I realized I could write
all this down and just leave it out there for people to read—that was miracle
day. Now I have an outlet for all these weird ideas. And if I can making it
entertaining enough, maybe people will want to know more about La Gran Rebelion de arbol Gnomos. And
then we can all laugh heartily and agree that I’m not crazy, I’m just a writer.
2. Tell
us your most rewarding experience since being published.
Last spring my sister invited
us over for a dinner party. There was another couple there that my husband and
I have known for a long time but we don’t see them very often because they live
pretty far away and everyone has kids and making those things happen is
difficult. Anyway, over appetizers we got to talking about Double Blind and the
husband of this other couple lit up. He started smiling and gushing in this
charming happy way. He loved the book! He wanted to read the next one right
now! How come there isn’t a next one yet? The honesty behind his words was
flattering for sure, but it was also a sincere call to action. No longer was I writing
for my own entertainment. Now there were people out there actually listening to
me. It was humbling and gratifying moment and more than a little bit scary.
3. If
you could have a signed copy of any novel what would it be and why?
Is
this a trick question? Doesn’t everyone want a signed first edition of the
Hobbit? I’s like the Guttenberg bible but for awesome nerds. I think the better
question here is, what would I do with
it? Because you can’t go trusting that caliber of historical artifact to
just anyone, especially not the hawn-yocks who live in this house. Weird things
go missing around here all the time. Four years ago, we lost the door handle to
the storage closet. How do you even do that? I definitely couldn’t keep it
here.
No,
if I had a signed first edition of the Hobbit I think I would write a letter to
Stephen Colbert asking him to help me fund raise in order to build a
bullet-proof display vault. Then together we could petition Paul Allen to
display it in one of his libraries. Colbert is possibly the biggest Tolkien fan
in Hollywood so I’m guessing he would be on board with the fund raising. And
Paul Allen has like, twelve libraries doesn’t he? It can’t be too hard to find
an empty corner somewhere. I think they’d probably do it. I’ve heard they’re
both decent fellows.
4. If
you could have any superpower what would you choose?
Aha! I know the answer to this
one! We have this discussion over dinner at least three times a week in my
house. I choose the ability to stop time. Not only would be indispensable to theoretical
physics research but I could take a nap whenever I wanted. That sounds like the
best super power in the world.
5. Please
tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
Double Blind is one of those books
you can’t stop reading until you’ve finished it.
6. Any
other books in the works? Goals for future projects?
I’m in the middle of writing Wizzy
Wig, the second book in the Thanatos Rising series. Jake Denny is still
hopelessly in love with Pizza Girl. Even though they are officially friends now
he still doesn’t know how to talk to her. His chit-chat always seems to end up
focused on what he knows best: video games, Kung-Fu movies and theoretical
physics. When Pizza Girl remembers one
of his experiments and decides to help him out, the resulting twist in reality
puts everyone in danger (or as in the case of some really tall people, goofy
80’s movies). Toesy knows what is going on but he’s busy trying to save a
fatalistic marsupial from a crazed accountant.
It should be finished this fall. I cannot wait to see how it turns out.
7. Do
you write as you go or do you have the book planned before you start the
first draft?
I am definitely a pantser. I
know the plot in my head when I start out but then when I write it all down it
changes drastically. About halfway through the first draft I know where all the
characters should end up but it takes me forever to figure out how get them
there. Often I have to go through and rewrite great swathes of plot in order to
move forward.
8. What
movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?
Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel
universe has put out some great movies in the past and we’re a huge super hero
family. Chris Pratt, in addition to being a local (which I think is awesome) is
one of my favorite actors right now. Plus, my kid will not shut up about this movie.
(He’s not just a raccoon mom. He’s a raccoon with
like, 300 bazookas. There’s a DIFFERENCE.)
9. If
you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
We live north of Seattle and
have strong ties to the Olympic Peninsula. That’s not really something I want
to change because I think this is one of the best places in the world. Plus, I
just put in a patio.
However, if I had unlimited
resources, I would definitely winter in Wellington, New Zealand. It is a
gorgeous city. The people are friendly and inclusive and they have a very
positive outlook on life. I’ve never felt as relaxed in a city as I did in
Wellington. The whole country is absolutely beautiful. And they put ice cream in their iced coffees. Clearly the Kiwi are
superior people.
10. Can
you see yourself in any of your characters?
Yes, but only in very specific
ways. For example, let’s say I have a misogynistic
jackass as a villain. I can’t write about that guy unless I know him better but
we don’t have anything in common. So I give him a trait that I have—a link from
his personality to mine. Maybe we both get irrationally angry when someone
leaves garbage in the kitchen sink. I’ve experienced anger at having to scoop
up someone else’s soggy garbage and I can call that experience back until I am
sufficiently riled up again. Then, in the middle of that self-righteous tantrum
I sort of slide myself over into the character’s head. It’s like a tiny emotional
bridge. And when I’m on the other side of it, I can expand on all the rest of
the things that character thinks and feels.
The connection isn’t
always anger—I usually save that for the bad guys. Most of the time it’s happiness
or joy. Many times it’s confusion. Whatever it may be, I need that common
experience to build the rest of their personality. I don’t invest much of
myself into the characters but what I do invest is essential to me knowing them
better.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
About the Author
Tiffany
Pitts grew up in the Seattle area in a time when the Super Sonics were huge and
Starbucks was just a store at the end of the Market. Tragedy struck early in
her life as her family moved to New Jersey mere months before Bon Jovi’s
“Slippery When Wet” album hit record stores. It took nearly a decade to wean
herself off the hairspray. But Seattle called her back, so she went; eventually
earning a degree in Botany (pronounced “Bar tending”) at the University of
Washington.
She
made one more valiant attempt to leave the PNW after college by travelling
around the country doing not much of value and making very stupid decisions.
She is thankful every day that the internet was not a huge deal in those years.
Then Seattle called again so she picked up and moved home where she spent many
years being a scientist of middling talent in several labs that she absolutely
did not blow up—except for that one time and everyone agreed not to talk about
that any more.
Now
she divides her time between writing fiction and raising two kids who are
wonderful but, for some reason, will not stop licking things.
Her
latest book is the action/adventure/humorous/scifi, Double
Blind.
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