New from the amazing Katie Alender, THE COMPANION (on sale August, 25, 2020) is a commercial, action-packed story complete with just a hint of the supernatural. Alender has created a world where nothing is as it seems, no one can be trusted, and fighting for your life anything but simple.
We’re here to bring you the official trailer for The Companion as well as Katie was kind enough to answer a few questions!
Hi, Katie! Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hi! I’m the author of seven books, a wife, mother, and devoted servant of two high-needs dogs. I grew up in Florida but live in LA (I went to film school). I spend 90% of my creative energy fighting my natural tendencies toward messiness and procrastination and the rest of it on my books.
Where did your love of writing come from?
As far as I can recall, it emerged in third grade, when we had time during the day to write and share our work with the class. I wrote a lot (a lot lot) about ponies. But what I really remember is that feeling of power when I realized that I got to make up all the street names in my stories. That was probably when it dawned on me that writers get to control entire worlds.
The Companion releases on August 25th! If it could only be described in five words, what would they be?
Sad girl in creepy house!
What inspired The Companion?
I’m always intrigued by the idea of an ordinary person facing an extraordinary challenge. The idea of a person being totally isolated and basically trapped in a strange, scary, and sometimes hostile environment really caught my imagination. I love to write characters who find out something important about themselves because they’re driven to fight for survival.
Were there any challenges you faced while writing?
Well, life always gets in the way – we were renovating a house, updating and selling our old house, and dealing with all the fun and complexities of life with two kids and two health-challenged dogs. And that was just the first draft. During revisions, the pandemic hit and then it was me alone with a second-grader and a toddler, trying to hit deadlines. But honestly, sometimes the craziness makes it easier to focus. It makes me value my work time more. When my schedule is wide open I just stare at the screen, helpless.
Do you have a favourite scene or character that you really enjoyed bringing to life?
Writing Laura Sutton (the mother of the family that takes in the main character) was fun and interesting, because she’s such a perfectionist and a smart person. I also liked the scenes with Barrett, because I like writing conflict between characters who are both good people.
Lastly, what are you currently reading and do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I’m reading about a billion things! I try to read widely among fiction and non-fiction. I’ve just started Emily Henry’s Beach Read and just finished Riley Sager’s Home Before Dark. In terms of recommendations, I think Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death is something everyone could use right now. And if all hope is gone, there’s always Wodehouse.
