Catherine Wallace Hope grew up in Colorado, the setting for her thriller Once Again. She earned her degree in creative writing at the University of Colorado. She also delved into dance in New York and art and psychology in California. When she returned to Colorado, she became an instructor at the renowned Lighthouse Writers Workshop, offering creativity workshops for writers. Currently, she and her family are living on an island in the Pacific Northwest where they serve at the pleasure of two astonishingly spoiled dogs.
We had the pleasure of chatting to Catherine about her debut novel, book recommendations, her love of writing, and much more!
Hi, Catherine! Tell us a bit about yourself!
I’m happy to be here with you!
About me?:
- I write every day, no matter what (and right now, there is a lot of what).
- I refuse to admit that coffee addiction is a problem.
- I’m a hybrid cat person/dog person.
- I love good, psychologically scary movies.
- I try to walk the line between complete honesty and dangerous oversharing.
- Even now, there are scenes in my novel that make me cry.
- I can’t stop myself from having ideas for new novels.
- I have a new story in the works.
- I miss mingling with people in person.
- I wish this conversation were in real life.
With the current state of the world, what are you doing to cope with the changes we’ve had to make with our day-to-day?
To be honest, I’m not coping all that well. I miss seeing my friends. I haven’t seen some of my beloved family for months. I miss hanging out with other writers. I miss teaching my workshops. I’m angry and devastated at the same time about things I wished for that are now dust. Other people have lost far more than I have, and I feel anguish for them. So I’m kind of a mess, but I’m trying to be hopeful. I remind myself daily that we, as a worldwide community, are capable of better—we can do great things. And the way to start is for all of us to love each other through this storm.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I come from a long line of bookworms, librarians, and writers. My parents, both writers, met at the famous Strand bookstore in NYC back when it was still on “Book Row.” Even as a child I adored reading, and I’ve always revered authors, but it took me a long time to become a writer who loves writing. For years, I dreaded having to write. I found it frustrating, and I wished I had a mirror self who would do the work for me while I went out and had fun. (Is it bad to say I still wish that wish sometimes?) It wasn’t until despair and circumstances nearly ended me as a writer that I realized how much I loved the pursuit and that I couldn’t have a life without it.
Your debut novel, Once Again, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Suspenseful, mind-bending, love-based
Now tell us a little more! What can readers expect?
Readers of Once Again can expect an exhilarating ride through a narrative that is both wide-ranging emotionally and perspective-flipping in terms of intellect. It’s a story with a core of invincible love and courage; and the sci-fi aspect is extrapolated from true-science research—astonishing discoveries that are unfolding right now.
What inspired you to write this novel?
Once, I woke from a dream that was so vivid it seemed absolutely real. It was one of those terrifying nightmares—one where you have to pull yourself out of the darkness and say to yourself, “Thank God that was only a dream.” I wrote it down, and it eventually became a novel.
Did you face any difficulties while writing, such as writing a scene or conducting research?
Writing a novel is difficulties all the way down. Seriously, it is. You start with a premise, and from there on, it’s a struggle. You coax characters to breathe, you balance the weight of their arcs, you make them forge ahead when they want to turn back. You force them into the worst possible risk. You orchestrate as their lives blow up. It’s a nightmare, I’m telling you.
Without spoiling too much, is there a favourite moment that you absolutely loved writing?
There is one moment toward the end of the book that still brings me to tears, though I’ve read and edited it an uncountable number of times. I can’t give anything away, so all I can tell you is that it takes place near the end of the book, the setting is outdoors, and the time is in winter. I would love to know if readers can suss out which scene I’m talking about and if it’s one of their favourites too.
What do you hope readers will take away from your novel?
Each reader creates their own world as they travel through the narrative, so everyone will find something different in it. Still, I hope there are some things that resonate for every reader. I hope they are filled with wonder at how mysterious and awe-inspiring our existence is; I hope they will gather strength from the characters’ courage to persevere in whatever struggles they may face. Geez, I hope that doesn’t sound too lofty. But really, I do hope for that.
Can you tell us about your publishing journey for Once Again?
This little book is such an underdog, but again and again it has had lucky breaks. My longtime agent, Sandra Bond, who has stuck with me over much rough terrain, found this story its perfect editor, Chelsey Emmelhainz, who then shepherded it into a great position within a new imprint, Alcove Press. Early readers and reviewers have given it some wonderful love, and it’s ready for the life it will live now that its fate is out of my hands.
What’s next for you?
I’d like to think it’s a future of accomplishment, prosperity, and longevity. And also, a vacation on a warm beach with a pile of books and tropical drink with little umbrella sticking out of a slice of pineapple.
Lastly, are you currently reading anything and do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I’m currently doing research for the next novel, so I have recently read Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior by Leonard Mlodinow, which was illuminating; and I’m starting You Look Like a Thing and I Love You by Janelle Shane. For you guys to read, especially if the situation has made it hard to get lost in a story, I recommend This Is How You Lose the Time War, a novella co-authored by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar. It’s gorgeous.
Find Catherine at @catwallacehope on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as at her website.
