Meet The Authors Showcase Edition #2 (2 of 3)

A showcase with @katfeatherly, author of Match Made in Quarantine

1 what inspired the idea of your story?

 Well, I was in quarantine as much of the rest of the world, and feeling sorry for myself, and then I thought... Imagine how people who have roommates they don't get along with feel. And that made me chuckle, since I've had roommates before so I knew what that could be like. Since, I'm a romantic, that naturally progressed into... imagine if your annoying roommate was also a super hot guy? And that's how it started.

 2 what was something you struggled with for your story?

 Hm, well, I didn't want to write about covid-19. I think it's too early for stories that are talking about our current situation, considering the death toll and everything. I just wanted to write a story that people could currently relate to, but that didn't force them to think about their current reality -- since we're surrounded by news about the pandemic wherever you look. So, I guess that was the biggest challenge from the start, managing to not have readers view this as another corona story, but as a totally fictional kind of thing. 

3 what has been the overall response to your story from your readers? 

Very positive actually! I was a bit surprised at how much people seemed to enjoy it. I wrote it because I needed something funny and fluffy in my life, and it seems other people relate to that. One of the biggest compliments for me actually comes from people who say 'I don't normally like rom-coms, so I was skeptical about this but I really enjoyed it!' That makes me sooo happy to know even people who don't normally like this genre can enjoy the story. 

4 what did you enjoy writing most of your story? 

I LOVE the dynamic between my two MCs! Their banter is so fun to write, sometimes it feels like they're real people just arguing in my head and I just have to write down what they say. I'm aware this makes me sound like I'm a bit crazy, but... it's the truth, haha. 

5 is your story a stand alone novel or a piece of a series? 

It's standalone for now! I might make an anthology out of it, but not sure right now... I think it's perfect as a standalone. 

6 what would you like your readers to take away from your story? 

Hm, that there's more to people than what you see on the surface. That just because someone has a smile on their face, doesn't mean they're not broken inside. That we're all doing the best we can, with what we have in life... And that sometimes, all you need to grow closer to someone is a homemade lemon cake. ;) 

7 what's a piece of advice you would provide to another writer, when it comes to focusing on their story? 

Hmm, I'd say just enjoy what you write. I don't think my story would be accepted as well if I'd forced the plot, or didn't genuinely enjoy ever paragraph I wrote. I just have fun with the story and the characters. Also, I'd say... listen to your readers. They tell you want they expect, what they want, what they predict... that can help you craft not only your story, but craft it in the best way you can in a way that will resonate even better with others. 

8 does your main character share any similarities to yourself? 

I'm sure they both do, haha. I studied occupational therapy, so I get Aimee's frustration with anatomy. I also play video games, so I get Maddox's playfulness. I lost my mom to cancer, and both characters experienced a loss in their life... so yeah, definitely! 

9 what's something you believe would draw in new readers? 

Hmmm, I'm not entirely sure. I think probably maintaining regular updates, something I struggled with for the last few weeks due to RL responsibilities Being active on the forum... talking to your readers... I try not to worry about getting new readers, I just appreciate the ones I already have and hope that if someone comes across my story when they're in need of a good laugh, they'll give it a try. 

10 do you have any future projects?

 ohhh, yes, haha. I have one book planned after this one, and another that I'll be querying (so it won't be posted on Wattpad). But I'm focusing on having MMIQ finished as soon as I can.