Becca Fitzpatrick

Anybody watch Law & Order SVU tonight?  I just finished, so I'm heading into this post a little teary . . .  

I'm not doing Nanomo.  But I have a friend who is . . . unofficially.  Laura is the person responsible for taking me to Left Coast Crime earlier this year, which is where I literally had flash upon flash of inspiration as to how HUSH needed to be written.  I can't tell you how many drafts of HUSH Laura read . . . I gave up counting around draft five.  We live ridiculously far away, but all summer long, Laura and I emailed back and forth hashing out plot and character and preventing each other from pitching our stories into a bonfire.  More than once, Laura talked me off the ledge all writers know well.  That ledge called IS THIS REALLY WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING WITH MY LIFE?

Warning: this is where I start to tear up.  Laura just finished what she will probably remember as The Toughest Year of Her Life.  After a hiatus from writing that worried me beyond words, she's back.  Not only back, but back writing a breathtaking YA novel that I know is going far.  I think this will be The One.  She's going to get published.  It's a big, daring, literary book with intrigue, adventure and romance.  And did I mention it's a historical - by someone who really knows history?  It's like reading Jane Austen, and I'm not sure I possess enough patience to wait for the moment when I can tell Laura, I told you so!  (Keep in mind when her story sells, I'm going to shout on my blog I told ALL OF YOU so!)

She posts her progress daily on her blog (lauraadrian.blogspot.com/), and if you get a chance, stop by and cheer her on!  

About FREEZE FRAME:  No matter how many times Kyle rewrites the scene, he can't get it right. He tries it in the style of Hitchcock, Tarantino, Eastwood, all of his favorite directors—but regardless of the style, he can't remember what happened that day in the shed. The day Jason died. And until he can, there is one question that keeps haunting Kyle: Did he kill his best friend on purpose?


BF: In movie speak, what is a freeze frame? 

HA: In cinema, a freeze frame shot is used when one shot is printed in a single frame several times. It makes the film stall -- looking like a still photograph -- in essence freezing the action. Why use freeze frame shots? Directors use freeze frame shots in critical scenes to focus on characters' emotions or expressions.

HA: I'm not a movie director and can't even imagine myself in the shoes of one. Directors, to me, are magicians that take words from a page and bring them to life on screen. Magic! There have been movies that were disappointing to me and certainly there're more than a few bad movies, but I think having me re-direct any of them could only make them worse. In general, I think it's smart to leave the directing to those who know how to direct and the writing to those who know how to write. (Of course there are some insanely talented people who can do both, but I don't think I'm one of them!)

BF: If given the chance to direct the movie FREEZE FRAME, which actor would get the role of Kyle?

HA: My agent and editor took a chance on me -- a "no name." So I think it would be best to do the same for Kyle. Find a young actor who needs a break. But there are a slew of people who think Mr. Cordoba should be played by Edward James Olmos.  And no, there isn't a movie planned ... yet.


BF: If you could "do-over" a moment from your life, what would it be?

HA: GREAT question. I could probably come up with a list about three miles long because it's human nature to say the wrong thing, treat somebody you love badly, basically mess up. I think, though, the big do-over moment from my life would be celebrating my sister's successes more. When she passed three parts of her CPA exam at a go, I wasn't even really aware of how ABSOLUTELY HUGE that was. I'm a baby sister and probably have been more egotistical growing up. And she's amazing, and I feel like I sometimes haven't been as big a cheerleader for her as she has been for me. But we're young (still in our mid/late thirties). So maybe I can make up for all those snotty little sister things I've done! (There are lots! You could ask her, but then, well, let's just take my word for it. Like I said, miles long!)

BF: There's an underlying theme of forgiveness in FREEZE FRAME, particularly self-forgiveness.  Do you think it's true we're our own worst enemy?

HA: I know that I am, but I don't think that's necessarily true for everybody. I have this overwhelming sense of responsibility for the world in a weird way, so I feel guilty and bad when pretty much anything happens from my daughter's belly button accumulating too much lint to somebody in England having mad cow's disease. Again, I'm extreme when it comes to that and I think that's why I totally related to Kyle's process because learning to forgive ourselves for those "do-over" moments is really hard. Some people are better at it than others -- maybe they're further along on the evolutionary scale.

BF: You've lived and traveled in over 25 countries.  Give us a hint where you're headed next.

HA: Alas, I'm afraid we've hung up out backpacks for a while because Amelia, our daughter, is only eight months old. So our big travels will probably include going to the states to visit family and that's about it. Honestly, it's sometimes just a chore to get to the grocery store these days. But when Amelia can eat solid foods and walk, maybe we'll do some light camping in the states (Yellowstone, Yosemite).  We'll have to wait and see.

BF: Final question--what are you working on now?

HA: HarperCollins bought my second novel, SUNDER, and I'm on my first round of revisions. The tentative release date is sometime in 2010 with Balzer and Bray Books. I'm THRILLED to be working with Jill Santopolo again, as she is, hands down, the most amazing editor on the planet. Really. She could get that made into a T-shirt. 'MOST AMAZING EDITOR ON THE PLANET.' Hmmm .. I digress. So SUNDER is a YA novel about two 15-year-old runaway girls and their search for family.


To learn more about Heidi and FREEZE FRAME visit Heidi's website at: heidiayarbe.com BUT DON'T GO THERE YET!  

First, take a stab at winning your very own copy of FREEZE FRAME.  How?  Leave a comment stating your favorite movie.  That's right.  Here's your chance to win not only a FREE BOOK, but an AWESOME FREE BOOK.  A random drawing will be held Sunday.  I ship internationally, so don't let that hold you back.

All right.  Entered the contest?  Good.  Now you're free to go.  

Halloween is kind of like my Christmas.

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