Author Interview // Courtney Psak

Did you always want to become a writer or did writing find you?

I think writing found me. The same way a little kid starts to draw or sing, I started writing and I loved it.

What inspires you to write?

Inspiration really comes from everywhere. It can come from a book I read, a conversation I have with a friend or just people watching.

Did you choose the genre you write in, or did you want to write in a different genre, but realized (i.e. romance, fiction) fit you?

Although I have eclectic taste when it comes to reading, I find I enjoy women’s fiction the best. They are the easiest to relate to. Since I enjoy that genre the most, I find it more interesting to write in that genre.

When you started writing Thirty Days to Thirty, did you experience the book taking on a theme/life of it’s own, or did it stay along the path you had planned out?

It was a bit of both. I had an idea that I wanted to go with, but as the characters developed more and became their own person, I started to look at how a character like that might react in real life to the same situation.

How do you feel about your character Jill Stevens? If you were friends, what advice would you give her after sharing this writing journey?

I like Jill. She is a little whiny at first because all she can think about is herself, but once she gets out of that and starts to do her list she becomes a person I could be friends with. After writing this book, the advice I would give Jill is to make sure to continue to live her life by doing what makes her happy.

Do you have a favorite genre you like to read?

I don’t really have a favorite genre. It depends on my mood. With a kindle, I read multiple books at once. Usually I like women’s fiction, mysteries/thrillers, historical fiction and sometimes the occasional horror story.

Can you give two or three of your favorite authors and a snippet of why?

This goes back to my eclectic taste. I like Agatha Christie, because her endings are amazing. Every time I think I know who the killer is, it winds up being something completely different and it blows my mind. James Patterson, because I love his fast pace style of writing. Anytime I pick up a book of his I finish it in a week because the story never slows down. Elizabeth Gilbert, because I love following someone through an emotional journey. It helps put your own life into perspective. Emily Giffin because she always has this amazing conflict right at the very beginning, but she still is able to humanize the characters in a way that makes you feel for them.

If you could only recommend one book (from one of your three favorite authors), which one would it be and why?

That is really a tough one. I would recommend And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie. I feel that is a book you continue to re-read over and over again and you still won’t see the ending coming.

Of course we have to know, what is in-store next – books, events, etc.?

I’m currently on a book tour right now for Thirty Days to Thirty. Event details are on my website courtneypsak.com. I also turn 30 myself December 17th, so I’m writing about my own bucket list on my blog (also can be accessed through courtneypsak.com) I’m also in the process of editing my next book that will be a little more scandalous. It’s about a Hollywood socialite who winds up on a reality show as the maid of honor to her best friend who happens to be marrying her ex boyfriend.

About Courtney Psak

Courtney Psak was born in 1985 in a suburban area right outside of New York City. Since she was a little girl she had a constant thirst for reading. When she was in Kindergarten she made the local newspaper for reading 100 books in a summer from the library.

She wrote her first book when she was seven. It was about a royal family of mice that were captured by a hawk. The prince mouse had to go on a journey to save them, meeting a lot of colorful characters along the way. This was laminated and currently resides somewhere in her parent’s attic.

Fast forward to college where Courtney always had a desire to travel. Knowing that an author must always be inspired, she studied abroad in London. She went on many adventures from skiing the highest mountain in Europe, Mont Blanc, to tasting the finest wines of Tuscany.

After college, she decided to take on the Big Apple and went for her master’s degree in publishing. She has been writing ever since.

She currently  works in New York City and has recently moved back to the other side of the Hudson with her husband, her high school sweetheart.