What I Want You To See, written by Catherine Linka, is a delightful young adult contemporary published by Disney-Hyperion. The novel will be out in the world on February 4, 2020.
Thank you, Disney and FFBC Tours, for having me on this tour.
GUEST BLOG by Catherine Linka, Author of What I Want You To See
Inspiration, Challenges, Research, Accomplishments
I tell anyone who wants to be a writer to clue in what excites them and what angers them because those emotions will propel their writing. I’m absolutely fascinated with art and art crime so that fueled WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE. Thinking about and visualizing the art that Sabine and the other characters at the art institute create and are passionate about, helped me imagine how they would think and behave and how the plot would unfold.
WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE has gotten great reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, but what thrills me is hearing someone say, “Oh my God, I didn’t see that coming!” Or “I couldn’t put it down!” Reader response is the best!
Typical Writing Day
My typical writing day starts with me lying in bed half-awake and letting random thoughts about the story go through my head. I have to be careful not to move or the dog will realize I’m awake and make me get up.
I like to write in my nook where I can look out over the trees, and maybe spy a hawk or hummingbird. But if I’m struggling with a scene, I go to the library and grab the table under the skylight. No snacks, no beverages, no internet to distract me and I stay until the middle schoolers flood in after school and lay waste to the calm. (I used to sneak in green tea, but the librarians caught me.)
From writing to publishing
I’ve learned I have to express myself by writing. I have no choice, because if I don’t write, I’m so miserable my family tells me to go away and get back to work. I’ve sold three manuscripts, so I’ve enjoyed the surreal feeling of holding my book in my hands for the first time and the rush of being surrounded by friends who came out to celebrate at my book launch.
But I’ll be honest—writing and publishing are hard. You have to accept criticism and let it drive your writing to a new level. You need to have the self-discipline to not read reviews or have enough self-confidence to shake off negative comments so they don’t mess with your head. And you need the maturity to ignore idiots on social media, and instead go drinking with your writer friends so you can bitch together.
WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE – SYNOPSIS
Winning a scholarship to California’s most prestigious art school seems like a fairy tale ending to Sabine Reye’s awful senior year. After losing both her mother and her home, Sabine longs for a place where she belongs.
But the cutthroat world of visual arts is nothing like what Sabine had imagined. Colin Krell, the renowned faculty member whom she had hoped would mentor her, seems to take merciless delight in tearing down her best work—and warns her that she’ll lose the merit-based award if she doesn’t improve.
Desperate and humiliated, Sabine doesn’t know where to turn. Then she meets Adam, a grad student who understands better than anyone the pressures of art school. He even helps Sabine get insight on Krell by showing her the modern master’s work in progress, a portrait that’s sold for a million dollars sight unseen.
Sabine is enthralled by the portrait; within those swirling, colorful layers of paint is the key to winning her inscrutable teacher’s approval. Krell did advise her to improve her craft by copying a painting she connects with . . . but what would he think of Sabine secretly painting her own version of his masterpiece? And what should she do when she accidentally becomes party to a crime so well-plotted that no one knows about it but her?
Complex and utterly original, What I Want You to See is a gripping tale of deception, attraction, and moral ambiguity.
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About The Author: Catherine Linda
Catherine Linka is the author of the young adult novel WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE as well as the dystopian series A GIRL CALLED FEARLESS and A GIRL UNDONE. A GIRL CALLED FEARLESS was an ABA Indie Next Pick and won the Young Adult Novel Award 2014 from the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association. A frequent speaker at writing and teen conferences, Catherine received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and worked as a young adult book buyer for an independent bookstore for seven years.
Prior to pursuing a career in publishing, she studied international politics at Georgetown University followed by a master’s degree in business at the University of North Carolina. Catherine is married and lives with her husband in the San Gabriel foothills. Visit her at www.catherlinelinka.com.
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GIVEAWAY
Prize: Win a copy of WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE by Catherine Linka (US Only)
Starts: January 29, 2020 – Ends: February 12, 2020
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