Hi Andrea. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about The Catalyst and what inspired it?

The idea began over twenty years ago when I taught clients Pilates in their homes. I drove all over Los Angeles every day, listening to the radio. One day, I heard a story about advances in DNA testing, and I was struck by both the good and potentially bad ways the advances could be used. I pivoted to how eventually they’d be testing anything organic and fining people for all kinds of silly infractions. I wrote a piece about a detective who had to use her DNA device to locate the owner of a dog who’d defecated on a neighbour’s lawn. My writing group loved the piece and the detective (who is no longer a detective). They encouraged me to write more, and I spent over a year writing, and then reading the first draft at that table.

What were the challenges when writing a novel like this?

I needed to do enough research that I could use some scientific terminology when I needed it. Since this novel was written, subbed, rejected, put away for ten years, rewritten, put away again, and rewritten again for this final draft, I forgot all the research in the interim and needed to dig back into it again. I also struggled with finding the right voice for Kat, ultimately discovering it when I switched her POV chapters from third to first person. That immediacy made her come alive.

What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?

I don’t have rituals. I start my day with coffee, but that’s true whether I write or I don’t. I either just sit my butt in my chair and write, or I procrastinate and deal with the rest of life’s demands. There are always dogs to walk.

What’s your favourite word and why?

Hmm, I don’t have a favourite word, but ruminating while I sit here, I’ll say “yes.”

Yes, because it has so much potential. When I performed improvisational theatre in my twenties, “Yes, and…” was the golden rule.

Which fictional world would you like to visit, and which fictional character would you like to meet?

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