Welcome to WOLF NOTES, where interview questions stray from the rest of the pack. It’s nice to know the usual stuff like where an author gets their inspiration and why they write, but sometimes we need a little fun in our lives.
Heather Cumiskey is a freelance writer and editor. She studied English at the State University of New York at Albany. I Like You Like This is her debut novel and the first book in a young adult duology about addiction, sexuality, peer pressure, and first love. It is a bronze recipient of the 2017 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards and a USA Best Book Awards Finalist. Heather resides in Maryland with her husband and three sons. You can visit her at http://www.HeatherCumiskey.com.
Wolf: If you had to pick a weapon, what would it be and why?
Heather: I wish I was trained in the martial arts or Krav Maga and my body was a lethal weapon. That would be totally badass. Like Black Widow or Wonder Woman, I’d fight to protect the ones I love and the innocent.
Wolf: Those are two of my favorite super heroes. What is the nicest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?
Heather: Show their inner character. In the scene where Hannah in I Like You Like This sees a girl being bullied by a pair of classmates, her response reveals her empathy of having been in that position herself. Sometimes it takes one random act of kindness to change everything and inspire hope.
Wolf: True. What is the meanest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?
Heather: Set up a character to do something utterly and horribly unforgiveable as I did in the sequel to I Like You Like This. I don’t want to spoil it, but the scene still takes my breath away.
Wolf: You’ve just been turned into a plant. Describe yourself.
Heather: Well naturally I would be heather. It would be cool to be a flowering plant that feeds others and blooms year-round. Definitely evergreen, hearty, and happy-looking, maybe with eggplant or spearmint colored leaves.
Wolf: That sounds wonderful. Do you consider yourself a cat person, or a dog person?
Heather: Dog, all the way. I love to see them smile and their soulful eyes. Dogs are so intuitive and know just what you need. One time a friend’s cat attacked my ponytail. Never. Again.
Wolf: While walking in the woods you come across…
Heather: A beautiful wrought iron gate to possibility. I hope I run through it.
Wolf: Make sure you open it first. If you could have a super power, what would it be?
Heather: Snap my fingers and my legs and armpits would already be shaven. That would be amazing.
Wolf: That would be nice. Which of your characters is your favorite?
Heather: Hannah and Deacon, equally. Their stories break my heart and I just want them to come out the other side and be ok.
Wolf: What story are you working on now?
Heather: The second book in the duology of I Like You Like This. I’m so excited about it.
Wolf: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Heather: I train with special needs athletes and help them compete in mainstream races through a Maryland organization called Athletes Serving Athletes. It’s been a life changer.
Wolf: That’s wonderful. What can you do for free and its effect on people and the world could forever be changed for the better?
Heather: Strive for love and understanding of others
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ILikeYouLikeThisNovel
Twitter: @HeatherCumiskey
Instagram: @HeatherCumiskey
Pinterest: @HeatherCumiskey
STAR TOUCHED
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population. Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble. Will Tatiana flee or stay and fight for the new life she has built? Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
“A unique and finely crafted debut novel, the characters touched my heart as I was drawn into their plight and compelled to finish!”
— New York Times bestselling Author Maria V. Snyder
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