Live for This came in second place in the fiction category of the 2018 IndieReader Discovery Awards, where undiscovered talent meets people with the power to make a difference.
Following find an interview with author Kathryn R. Biel.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Live for This and it was published March 2016.
What’s the book’s first line?
You would think waking up in a pool of your own vomit would mean you’ve hit rock bottom. For me, it’s just Saturday. At least, I think it’s Saturday.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
A hard-living party girl hits rock bottom only to find her way out with the help of a man with his own cross to bear.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
I had a dream one night about a woman at the side of the road. She was afraid to be touched and to touch others but accepted help from a man in a wheelchair. It was hard because she thought she had to help him, and didn’t know how to touch. This thought was churning around when I heard the song “Chandelier” by Sia. The idea of a girl staying drunk to avoid reality haunted me.
Additionally, when I was in high school, my next door neighbor was paralyzed in a car accident. It’s what inspired me to become a physical therapist. He always said that accident saved his life. This book, like the rest of my career, is dedicated to him.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
My female main character, Samirah, is immediately unlikable. She’s not a nice person. However, she doesn’t deserve what happens to her, as no one does. This story is really about growth. And I have the biggest crush on Michael. He’s a great guy, and the least important detail about him is the fact that he’s in a wheelchair.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
A true story of growth and redemption and finding a way to heal.