Featured Author - April // C.G. DREWS

   I told you that I had some epic author interviews coming up, didn't I?

   Guys, please welcome the stellar C.G. DREWS to the blog!

A few epic Cait-things you should check out:

her awesome (and hilarious) blog, paperfury.com

 

her gorgeous Instagram account, @paperfury

and her epic Twitter account, @PaperFury

C.G. Drews' debut novel, A Thousand Perfect Notes, which RELEASES IN JUNE

 

 
Savannah Grace: Heya, Cait! Thanks for being here today - I'm super excited to have you on Inspiring Writes, this is going to be so fun! What are a few quirks about yourself that people might be surprised to know? 

 
C.G. Drews (Cait): Oh this is a fun one! Let’s see, I…

1) I’m very double jointed and it creeps people out haha.

2) When I was little, my sister and I used to communicate in 90% Disney quotes.

3) I sit on the floor to write more often than at a desk (whoops!)

4) I collect pretty boxes!

Savannah: Ha, my sisters and I used to LIVE off of The Chronicles Of Narnia, so I definitely get speaking 90% in quotes xD. I think that's half the reason I started writing in the speculative fiction genre - I was immersed in it everyday! Speaking of genres, do you have a “pet genre”?

C.G. Drews: I love writing in multiple genres, but when I was 15, I started my writing life with fantasy, so I think it’s always my comfort zone. The possibilities are endless and the stakes can get so high. Plus you can have magic and pirates. Lately I’ve been obsessed with contemporary, though, I have to say I’m IN LOVE.

Savannah: "Plus you can have magic and pirates." <---- TRUTH But contemporary is pretty epic, too! I love it when fantasy writers switch to contemporary, it just gives it a different feel when one who looks for magic writes about the real world. And your debut novel (it comes out in June, y'all - you should check it out!) is a contemporary, and the cover is stunning! What was your reaction when you first saw it?

C.G. Drews: I was both so in love! I decided not to have any expectations on what the cover might be, and luckily I was freakishly happy seeing the early drafts of the cover. The butterfly has a lot of meaning in the book and the red gives a hint that the story is a bit dark and bloody. So it works perfectly.

Savannah: Well the cover is UBER-GORGEOUS, so I'd be surprised if you weren't freakishly happy! And it's epic that the cover pertains to the story in so many ways, I love that <3. Are any of the characters in A Thousand Perfect notes novel based on yourself or people you’ve known?

C.G. Drews: My characters tend to have smidges of me in them. For instance, Beck (the protagonist of A Thousand Perfect Notes) is very socially awkward and I am too! I also play piano like he does, but I enjoy it a lot more than the agony he goes through. (Evil author moment, sorrrry Beck.)

Savannah: Oh gracious, social awkwardness is absolutely something I can relate to - it may or may not be half the reason why I'm an introvert! The sidelines are just fine for me ;D. And what with your characters seeming so deep, I'm really curious as to what message is underlying A Thousand Perfect notes. What is the theme of ATPN, and why is that theme so important to you?

C.G. Drews: One of the themes is self-worth. I think it’s so so easy to tie your worth to your accomplishments or what other people think of you, and this can ruin you so deeply. In ATPN, Beck has very low self-esteem due to his abusive mother always telling him he fails as a pianist. It’s an important theme to me because I think a lot of people don’t value themselves and if I can whisper “you are absolutely worth it” through a book, I really hope it’ll encourage someone somewhere.

Savannah: ... you're just an amazing human being Cait, you know that? I love that "you are worth it" is the message your book sends <3. And now you're got me curious: according to you – as a reader – what’s the most important aspect of an epic story: prose, theme, characters, or plot?

 
C.G. Drews: When I’m reading (and writing actually!), it’s always characters. Plots can be excellent, but without characters I can root for, it all falls a bit flat, right?! I love reading about complex, emotional characters who make messy mistakes but always keep fighting.

Savannah: CHARACTERS, YES *highfives*. I mean, if the cast from The Scorpio Races just sat around and ate pie, I would read about it, because sometimes characters alone are just that good <3. Okay, topic hopping - Anyone who knows you knows that you are an Instagram guru. When and why did you start up on there? (and what’s one of your favorite pictures you’ve ever posted on your Instagram?)

C.G. Drews: I started back in 2015! It took me a little while to find my style…which is now basically “fit as much as you can into the frame!” and full of rainbows and intensity! I am all heart-eyes over book covers so this is such a fun way to be creative with them.

 
Savannah: Your Instagram images are always stunningly gorgeous, so you are doing an EPIC job being creative with book covers! Also, I might get a smol thrill every time I see one of your Instagram pictures with YOUR BOOK in them. Your book is coming out! You're a writing superstar! And now I have to know: when was a time that you literally felt starstruck?

C.G. Drews: I once got to interview Cornelia Funke for a blog post and I was SO awed!

Savannah: That's so cool, Cornelia Funke is an amazing author (I'm still obsessed with The Thief Lord <3). Alright, one last question and then we'll let you get back to all of your epic writing things: can you share a snippet from any of your recent work?

C.G. Drews: My current project is a secret (hopefully I’ll be sharing news on it soon though, ahh!) but I can share the first line of A Thousand Perfect Notes, which is: What he wants most in the world is to cut off his own hands.

Savannah: Okay and now I'm flailing because SECRET PROJECT and then THAT LINE. Such an intriguing first sentence! Thank you so much for chatting with us today, Cait - you are an epic and inspiring human being <3. It was awesome getting to talk with you! I can't wait to buy your book. Keep being awesome! <3

 


C.G. Drews lives in Australia with her piano and the goal of reading every book in existence. Consequently, her brain has overflowed with words and she spends her days writing novels to make you laugh or cry (or both). She never sleeps and believes in cake for breakfast.

She blogs at paperfury.com.

   Isn't Cait an amazing human bean? (hint: the answer is yes) I had so much fun getting to interview her, she's such a sweet person. Who else is beyond excited to read A Thousand Perfect Notes? June can't come fast enough!

   I hope y'all enjoyed this interview - keep being epic, you guys <3.

~ Savannah Grace 

what's the first line of your book/WIP?

feel free to chat with Cait in the comments!