Interviewing BREATHLESS Author Cole Gibsen

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Cole Gibsen is the author of KATANA and BREATHLESS.  She's currently working on SENSHI, a sequel to KATANA due out in 2013.

When Cole Gibsen isn't writing books for young adults, she can be found rocking out with her band, sewing crazy costumes for the fun of it, picking off her nail polish, or drinking milk straight from the jug -- provided no one is looking.

She can be found on her website, Facebook, and Twitter!

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Don't forget to check out today's review of BREATHLESS!

BREATHLESS is Cole Gibsen's second published novel and her first about mermaids. 

An interview with 
Cole Gibsen

What was the inspiration behind BREATHLESS?

I was only eight years old when THE LITTLE MERMAID released in theatres. I was immediately captivated and it became my favorite movie. But as I grew older, I couldn’t help but wonder if a creature that was half animal might be more violent/dangerous than the mermaids portrayed in the Disney film. And wouldn’t their human half be pretty pissed at the filth and pollution humans have dumped into their homes? These where the thoughts stirring around inside my head that eventually led to the plot bunny that is now BREATHLESS.

Sir is a real piece of work. How did you go about building his character?

Let’s just say that while Sir is a fictional character, some of his mannerisms and behaviors where very much inspired by someone I knew in real life. In fact, writing Sir became very therapeutic for me. I always felt better after writing a scene with him in it as I felt I got to purge a little of the poison left behind by the negative influence in my own life.

Are you planning any sequels or companion novels to BREATHLESS?

I’ve discovered that publishing is very much a “Hurry up and wait!” business where nothing is ever set in stone. While I hadn’t originally planned on a sequel, there’s been such a great response to the book that I can only say there may be some surprises in the future. ;)

What research went into creating your mer and the habitat in which they live?

I actually did quite a bit of chemistry research—a subject I loathed in high school and college. **shudders** I really wanted to obtain “Jurassic Park logic” in that my science made sense “in theory” even if it wouldn’t really work in real life.

Ariel gave up her voice to become a human. What would you give up if offered the opportunity to be a mermaid?

My shoe collection—and that’s really sayin’ something.

If you could be a mermaid for a day, what would you do?

Ooh, another great question! Something really cool…I’d either try to find the lost city of Atlantis, or I’d explore the ruins of the Titanic.

Thank you so much, Cole!  I'm excited to hear that you may one day return to your underwater world.  I can't wait to see what you come out with next!

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O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title: BREATHLESS

Author: Cole Gibsen

Release Date: Out March 21, 2012
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

 

SUMMARY:

Obituary-reading emo girl Edith Small is broken - the end result of forcing herself inside a mold that doesn't fit. All she wants is to conform to her strict sergeant stepfather's rules long enough to make it to graduation day. But a boat accident threatens to unravel the life Edith has worked so hard to keep. 


After waking up in a hospital with a lacerated shoulder, Edith fakes amnesia. Because admitting she received her injuries from a blue-haired girl who breathes underwater is all the reason Sir needs to send Edith on the first bus to military school. Safe at home, Edith struggles to put the nightmare behind her. But the mysterious creatures that live in the ocean aren't about to let her forget. 


After meeting Bastin - a strange boy with silver hair and black eyes - on a secluded dock, Edith learns about the war raging undersea to end human existence. A war that Edith, unwittingly, has become the key to winning. In a world where death is an ever-present shadow and motives are as dark as the bottom of the ocean, Edith must decide if her life is worth risking for a love that can't survive past the shore.