cathyhopkins

1. When you began writing manuscripts, did you originally want to write for young adults?

Cathy: No. I started writing in 1987 and wrote 16 non-fiction books before I wrote teen fiction. It was my agent who suggested that I might be happy writing for the young adult market in 2000 and she was absolutely right. I haven't look back since then and have never been happier.

2. Are the characters in the story fictional or real?

Cathy: Fictional.

3. Tell us something about each of the girls?

Cathy: Lucy is small, blonde, sweet natured, wants to be a fashion designer. Has two brothers. Dad runs a health shop. Mum is a counsler. Two dogs, Ben and Jerry.
Nesta is tall, half Jamaican, half Italian. Very confident and streetwise. One elder brother. Dad is a film director. Mum a news reader on cable.
Izzie is tall with chesnut hair and green eyes. She is endlessly curious and into new age things. Mum is an accountant. Her mum and dad are separated. Dad lectures in English, has remarried and has a young son, Tom. Mum also remarried Angus, another accountant with 2 daughters.
TJ is tall with long brown hair. She is the most academic out of the four. Has an elder sister who is a doctor. An older brother who is travelling. Both her parents are doctors. Has a dog called Mojo.

4. How did the girls meet?

Cathy: At school.

5. Did they became close when they first met?

Cathy: Lucy and Izzie go back to junior high. Nesta became friends with them in year 9 when she came to their school and TJ became friends with them when her best friend Hannah left to live in South Africa.

6. Do you feel the lives of British teens are extremely different or similar?

Cathy: Both. Varied externally to a degree by social background and education, but the same in that emotional/ internal issues are universal-wanting to fit in, be happy, have friends etc.

7. Are the issues you cover a way of touching upon teen issues?

Cathy: Yes.

8. Was this a one-time book or did the publisher want to make it a series?

Cathy: At first the Mates Dates series was to be three books then they sold so well the publisher asked for the 4th and then the fifth... and the trilogy became twelve!

9. Do you work full time or do you have a 9 to 5 job?

Cathy: I work full time as a writer.

10. What do your readers say about the series?

Cathy: Best to hear them from, If you go to my web site www.cathyhopkins.com and go to the quest book, you can see for yourself.

Thank you so much, Cathy. We love your books!!

--Lauren Fleischer
Oct. 2, 2005