Author Interview: Brian Rowe





Today we have author Brian Rowe at Midnight Reads to answer questions about his novel Happy Birthday to Me. We enjoyed his story and after this interview we are looking forward to reading the next TWO books!!

Read our review for Happy Birthday to Me here.

Could you please sum-up Happy Birthday to me in one sentence?

My novel asks the question: what would you do if you started aging a whole year of your life with each passing day?

How did you come up with the idea for Happy Birthday to Me?

I really like high-concept, "what if" ideas in novels and films. One of my favorite movies growing up was Groundhog Day, with Bill Murray. That film posed such an interesting dilemma: what if you started re-living the same day over and over, with no end in sight? At the very least in Happy Birthday to Me, Cameron can see an end in sight. Bill Murray in that film tried to kill himself, multiple times, and still couldn't get his life to keep repeating. I love concepts that put the reader or filmgoer in the shoes of the main character. That's what I tried to do with Happy Birthday to Me.

I really like Mrs Gordon, was she based on somebody you know?

Mrs. Gordon was not based on anyone I know and was completely a figment of my imagination. I never met my high school librarian, but I sort of hoped she was old and crotchety like Mrs. Gordon is. Of course high school librarians all around the country are the sweetest people alive, I'm sure. But not in my book!

Who is your favourite character from Happy Birthday to Me and why?

Cameron is definitely one of my favorite characters, mainly because he has to be—I am writing in his first person at all times, after all. I've just started writing the sequel to Happy Birthday to Me, and the character  I'm really interested in exploring more is Kimber, who isn't developed a whole lot in the first book. I've decided Kimber is going to play a big role in the sequel, and an even bigger role in the conclusion of the trilogy.

I loved Liesel, but she wasn’t around much, will we see more of her in book 2?

Yeah it just made sense narratively to keep Liesel out of most of Book 1, but don't worry, she's the most pivotal character next to Cameron in all of Books 2 and 3. There's very little known of Liesel's backstory in Book 1, and I'm going into all of that in these next two installments. She's the one character of the first book, after all, who is capable of magic, so it should be interesting to see what problems she gets Cameron into in the next two books!

Can you tell us anything about book 2?

I just started writing the first draft of Book 2, and it's going to be an even bigger epic emotional roller-coaster ride than the first one. A lot of readers have been puzzled as to where I can take the story after the end of Happy Birthday to Me. But trust me, Book 2 and especially Book 3 are going to take fans of this series into a real spin of twists, turns, and high emotions. Let's just say not every character in this series is safe, and that the big finale is going to be huge tearjerker! In terms of what Book 2 is about, all I'm saying right now is that it takes place six months after the events of the first book, and we follow Cameron in the first person again as he again faces a devastating curse to his body. But it's not what you think! Stay tuned, I'm hoping to release the book as early as September on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 　

What is your all time favourite book and why?

My favorite book is Robert McCammon's Boy's Life, a must-read for anyone who loves books about murder mysteries, fantasy, coming-of-age, and childhood romance. It's a splendid novel I read sophomore year of high school, and it has been a great inspiration in these last eleven years of writing fiction. I advise everyone out there to check it out.

You may not believe it but…………..

After college I worked a year as a Production Assistant for the E! Entertainment reality show Dr. 90210, with Robert Rey! I worked throughout most of Season 5, and all of Season 6. I got to actually be in the room for the gruesome surgeries, which included tummy tucks, rhinoplasties, and butt enlargements. Do you think it's a coincidence I made Cameron's dad a plastic surgeon?

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you for featuring me on your awesome blog, and I hope your readers take a chance on my YA debut, Happy Birthday to Me.

Thank you for stopping by the blog Brian! We sure do encourage people to read Happy Birthday to Me!


To find out more about Brian and his books check out the links below

Goodreads

twitter

Brian's Blog