Find Out Friday: Robin Brande

What gave you the idea to write Fat Cat?

I had a HUGE struggle with weight when I was a teenager—and off and on while I’ve been an adult. I saw a picture in National Geographic like the one Cat picks for her project, and I had her same reaction to it: How can I look like that cave woman? From there the whole idea for the novel took off.

When you first began writing, what did you imagine the cover would look like?

I have zero artistic ability, so I hardly ever have an idea what my covers should look like. I’m always so excited when I see what someone who does have artistic ability comes up with for my books! It’s one of the many fun aspects of my job—working with creative people in different fields, each of us contributing to the final product. Love that!

Did you get any of your ideas for Fat Cat from your last novel, Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature?

Sort of. It was while I was doing research for Evolution that I read that particular National Geographic issue I was talking about above. There was an article in there about the missing link that scientists were calling “the Hobbit” (something you may remember Ms. Shepherd referring to on her blog in Evolution). I flipped through the magazine searching for that article, and found the cave people picture along the way!

What message were you trying to spread by writing Fat Cat?

It’s pretty simple: Treat yourself well. Treat yourself like you deserve the best treatment. One of the things I love in the book is Cat’s relationship with her best friend Amanda. What I want for all of us is to treat ourselves with as much kindness and acceptance and love as those two friends give each other. There are a lot of other things going on in the book, but I think if there is a message of any sort, that’s it.

Are you working on anything else?

Yes! And it’s due in about four months! Aack! It’s a romantic comedy, because I love those, and this time it involves the hardest science I’ve ever included in a novel: quantum physics and string theory. Gulp. So as you can imagine, I have a LOT of research to do. But it’s something I’m really interested in, so the research is awfully fun. Plus the novel also includes a lot of outdoor adventure sequences, and I’m really into that in my personal life, so that’s been fun to research, too! Can you tell I love my job?

Thanks so much Robin!

Robin is the author of Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature and Fat Cat- both are great books.

Click here to read my review of Fat Cat.