My friend, Beth Cato, just released her first novel so I invited her to answer some interview questions for my blog. Beth’s novel, The Clockwork Dagger, was actually released last week, but she was all over the internet then, so I decided to save my interview until now. I hope you enjoy it… and her book. You do have a copy, don’t you? 🙂

I’ve been lucky enough to read an advance copy of The Clockwork Dagger but for everyone who wasn’t so lucky, can you tell them a little bit about it?

Sure! It’s fantasy steampunk about a gifted healer who is caught in a violent tug-of-war between her government and terrorists. There’s murder, espionage, and a dash of romance.

Because we’re friends, I know you feel a strong connection to healer characters and healing as a theme in your books, would you mind talking a little bit about that for those people who don’t know you as well?

I’ve been obsessed with healers since I was about 12, soon after my grandpa died of terminal illness. To me, there’s nothing more profound than the power to cure. It has always frustrated me that healer characters in video games or books are always the supporting character, never the full hero. I wrote the kind of book I always wanted to find.

I really like Octavia and Alonzo, of course, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that one of my favourite characters, and the one who stole my heart, was Leaf. C’mon! How awesome is he?

It amazes me how much everyone loves Leaf. He wasn’t even in my original outline! He just kind of showed up, and draft by draft his role grew. I’ll make a selfish confession: I really hope people do fan art of Leaf.

He’s your favourite too, isn’t he? You can admit it, I won’t tell anyone…

I’m pretty fond of the little gremlin. He’s inspired by my cat Palom who has since passed on, so yeah. He’s like my chaotic furball, with wings!

Which one of the characters from The Clockwork Dagger is most like you?

I think anyone who reads this is going to say Octavia resembles me in a lot of ways. I’m not devout like she is, but I’m an all-out goody-two-shoes like her. I’m a rotten liar. I wear my heart on my sleeve.

Which do you wish you resembled the most/were more like?

I admire Mrs. Stout. She’s quite tactless a lot of times, but she’s an older woman who has endured a lot, and in a major way she doesn’t care what people think of her anymore. She dyes her hair in bold colours and she’s rather brash, but I love her.

I’ve noticed a lot of advance reviews*, already. Are you reading them?

Selectively. My husband is screening my Amazon reviews and shows me the really good ones. I glance at the star rating on Goodreads but try not to scroll down. Sometimes it’s hard to dodge the bad news, though, because people use my name on Twitter or it dings the Mention app. I can’t expect everyone to like the book, but I really need to stay positive or I’ll go bonkers!

You and I are both on Twitter, so tell us, in 140 characters or less — why should we buy this book?

“Leaf the gremlin.” I think you’ll agree with that, Rhonda!

I totally agree. Leaf rocks 🙂