Interview with Alysson Foti Bourque

About the Author

Alysson Foti Bourque is the author of the Rhyme or ReasonTravel series, and the multi-award winning Alycat series. Alysson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a law degree from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge. She believes that there is an Alycat in all of us, encouraging our imaginations to guide us through new opportunities and adventures. ​

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The Interview

1. ​Is there a specific ritualistic thing you do during your writing time? 
I fix a large cup of coffee, sit in my office, and open my window. My cat, Phoebe, usually runs in and sits on the window ledge as I start writing. I get so much inspiration from watching her observe nature— so it’s perfect for the Alycat series.

2. What made you write a book about cats? 
Of course, I love cats. They are tenacious, fearless, and confident. When a problem occurs–which they often do for cats, they are determined to figure out a way to resolve it or move past it. Humans can learn a lot from cats so they are perfect characters for books!

3. In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper? 
Yes! The first book of the Alycat series, Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day, was written one night on loose leaf paper after tucking my kids into bed. I have kept those papers to remind me of the excitement that I had as my imagination spilled over onto the paper. The words were written so fast that it’s pretty much scribble scrabble.

4. If you’re a mom writer, how do you balance your time?
I write when my kids are at school and once they go to bed. I always bring a notebook to their activities so that I can write down ideas or thoughts that cross my mind.

Fun stuff:

1. If you could go back in time, where would you go? 
I would go back to AD 27-29 and hear Jesus preach.

2. Favorite travel spot? Capri, Italy

3. How were you as a kid? 
I was a “march to the beat of my own drum” type of kid. If I found something that excited me, I gave that certain something 200% of my time. When I was about six years old, I was a flower girl in my aunt and uncle’s wedding and wore the most beautiful taffeta and lace dress! I was so smitten with that dress that I wore it for every single picture day at school until it no longer fit me. So my grade school pictures are basically all the same—except that year that I added a crown and wand to the ensemble. I’m not sure how I kept friends.

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