Q&A with Authors from Wattpad Books

Get to know Rebecca Phelps

In celebration of publishing we interviewed the author Rebecca Phelps! You can buy your copy today wherever books are sold.

Rebecca Phelps is an actress, screenwriter, novelist, and mom based in Los Angeles. As an actress, she studied at Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, Boston University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison before appearing in a string of independent films and theater in LA. Her screenplays include The Doll in the Garden, an adaptation of the award-winning children's book by Mary Downing Hahn. On her hit blog www.novel2screen.net, Rebecca and her friend Chris dish on all kinds of adaptations, from Outlander to Handmaid's Tale. Rebecca's debut YA book Down World is the recipient of a Watty Award for Best Young Adult Novel, 2019. When not writing, she can be found at home, cooking with her kids, drinking wine with her husband, uploading to Instagram (@geminirosey), and trying valiantly to stay off Twitter.

What is your favourite book?

That would be "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by the one and only Gabriel García Márquez.

What TV show are you currently obsessed with right now?

Just binged "The Queen's Gambit" and "The Crown." I am now an expert on chess and dysfunctional family dynamics.

What is one app you would not be able to go without using even for just one day?

Wattpad, naturally.

Who is your biggest hero?

Honestly, it's anyone who doesn't give up on their dreams in this crazy world, because this life is hard. Also, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

What was the first story you ever wrote?

I actually remember this for some reason. It was called "The Bridge," and it was about a magical bridge that expanded out over a river, but stopped halfway. You could start walking down it, but you'd never get anywhere. I was seven.

Where is your happy place?

Snuggling in my kids' beds at night for story time and kissing their little heads.

Who is your OTP?

Aw, man, I STILL ship Katniss and Gale. I might never forgive Suzanne Collins for that one.

Can you describe your perfect writing area?

LOL. It's quarantine. My whole family is home 24/7. I'm lucky if there's only a couple other people on the bed with me while I furiously type. But now that you mention it, I hear Bali is nice.

What motivates you to work hard?

The inner voice in my head screaming, "Work harder, you lazy cow! Nobody's gonna write this book for you!"

What makes you laugh the most?

My daughter's old-lady impression, which I'm starting to suspect is just her impression of me. "Back in my day...!"

What is your favourite animal?

Deer. No, horse. Sea urchin? Sorry, I really don't have an answer for this one.

What are your hobbies?

Oh, right, I used to have those. Wait, let me think. I remember playing tennis at one point. Downhill skiing. Horseback riding. Hiking was a thing for a while there. Yoga. Now I seem to always be typing. I loved them all, though.

What is your favorite quote from a book/movie/play?

Well, if you've never read Michael Ondaatje's "The English Patient," you should really just do that now. There's a line in it where the main character is reflecting on his life and he says, "All I ever wanted was a world without maps." He's a cartographer, so go figure that one out. I think about that line all the time. Came up a lot while writing "Down World."

How would your friends describe you?

"There she goes again," I assume.

Who would you want to attend your dream dinner party? (dead or alive)

You know those literary salons Gertrude Stein used to have in Paris with Hemingway and Picasso and everybody in the '30s? That would be fun.

Is your glass half full or half empty?

It's completely empty, but don't worry, I've got another bottle.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Yes.

What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

My husband grew up Catholic and I grew up Jewish, so now we just have a menorah in one room, a Christmas tree in the other, my grandmother's kugel, some Swedish meatballs, and hot cocoa. The poor kids are so confused.

What are your pet peeves?

Too many words.

What is your ideal way to spend a weekend?

My husband and I spent our honeymoon weekend in New Orleans. We ate beignets, went on a haunted walking tour, and slept till noon. That was a good weekend.

Can you tell us what you're currently writing?

The third book in the "Down World" series, of course! "Everworld" is the end of Marina's journey, and it's unrolling as we speak on Wattpad.