Interview: Susanne Winnacker + Impostor

I'm thrilled today to welcome young adult author Susanne Winnacker to the blog to answer a few questions about her newest release, Impostor. Impostor was a bit of a surprising read for me, one of those books that flew just under my radar prior to picking it up but instantly grabbed from page one and refused to let me put it down. I have my review and a giveaway posting later in the month, but it's safe to say I HIGHLY recommend this one to anyone who likes a little mystery, a little taste of the paranormal, and a little romance in their books. Welcome to Supernatural Snark Susanne!

What’s one thing about you someone such as Tessa (who can take on the appearance of anyone with whom she comes in contact) wouldn’t be able to get quite right, thus tipping off your friends and family it wasn’t the real you?

Well, we have a Komondor, that’s a huge livestock guardian dog who isn’t very fond of strangers, so he could probably sense that it wasn’t me. Apart from that, my husband told me that I always close my left eye when I’m laughing and he doubts that anyone could imitate that...maybe I should be offended?

You have Tessa’s gift and you’re facing Alec in a sparring situation. Who’s the first person you would shift into in order to beat him?

It’s quite mean of me, but I’d shift into either his mother or father. He’d probably be so shocked that I’d have the chance to land a surprise hit.

Given Impostor is written from the first person perspective of Tessa, we’re well aware of how she feels about Alec, but we don’t have the same perfect clarity with regard to how Alec feels about her. What’s the first thing that ran through his head when he came to recruit Tessa for the FEA those couple of years ago?

I have to be careful not to give important things away, but I’d say the first thing Alec felt when he and Major picked up Tessa from her home were protectiveness and sympathy – they had similar childhoods, and that connects them.

If Alec could choose any movie on one of his movie nights with Tessa to help communicate his feelings for her without actually saying anything aloud, what movie might he choose to do his talking for him?

Well, Alec and Tessa both don’t like romance movies. They love horror and action. So I need an action movie. Maybe Iron Man? Because Tony Stark’s and Pepper Pott’s romance reminds me a bit of Tessa and Alec. They’ve known each other for a long time, they work together, there are reasons why they shouldn’t be together. I especially love the hesitant and awkward closeness between Tony and Pepper in the first movie!

Let’s say Tessa turns the tables and is going to write a novel about you as a Variant. What’s the greatest strength she would give you? The biggest weakness?

My biggest weakness would probably be impatience. Not a good character trait for an FEA agent. Greatest strength? Hm. Not sure, but she’d probably give me a Variation that has something to do with animals since I love them so much. Maybe she’d give me the power to talk and listen to animals?

If you could add a character or characters from any other YA novel to your world of Variants, who do you think would fit in best? Who would cause the most trouble for the FEA?

Wow. That’s a difficult question. The most trouble? Maybe Voldemort or Bellatrix Lestrange. Fighting against witches and wizards would certainly be a new challenge for the FEA agents.

Kate is able to read the minds of women but not men. If she were to look into your mind as you were thinking about the events of book two, what three words might she see swirling around in there?

Betrayal. Discoveries. Hunt.

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SUSANNE WINNACKER

Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, a dog that looks like a sheep and three bunnies that have destroyed every piece of furniture she's ever owned in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals. When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes.
She blogs for The League of Extraordinary Writers.

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IMPOSTOR

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI.

When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep.

Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.