Thank you so much for being here, Mindy Hardwick
1: What genre do you write?
I write young
adult, tween and contemporary adult romance.
2: I
envy people who write young adult. I tried and I just can’t seem to do it. So
tell us, how long have you been writing?
I’ve been
writing since I was in seventh grade, but I’ve been calling myself a professional
writer for seven years.
3: That’s
terrific. And what do you like the most and least about writing?
I love making
up stories and characters. I love seeing how my characters interact on the page
and what they do when I toss obstacles on them. I’m easily bored and I find
that writing is never boring! There is always some new challenge to overcome or
something to learn!
I think the thing I like least about writing is the
submission and rejection process. It’s always hard to get that e-mail or
rejection letter for something that I’ve worked hard on.
4: Oh
I know that feeling. I think I can wallpaper my room with all my rejections. What
do you for fun and relaxation when not writing?
I love to cook, travel, and do collage art. I keep
an art journal, and find that, many times, when I am stuck writing, if I sit
down and do some art journaling, the writing will unstick itself! I also love
to visit the Oregon Coast and have two or three days of a reading vacation
where I do nothing but take a big bag of books and read and take walks on the
beach!
5:
I love cooking too. Wish I could travel, but finances don’t allow it. Okay, tell us which
authors do you like to read?
Everyone! Seriously. I read a lot of romance (all
subgenres), young adult, and memoir! My favorite author is Jennifer Donnelly. I
first read her young adult historical fiction, Northern Lights, and then I found her adult historical fiction
series, Tea Rose, Winter Rose, and Wild
Rose.
6: What’s the one thing you’d
most like people to know about you?
I work really hard. Writing successes don’t come
easy, and behind each success, there is always at least one moment when I
almost threw in the towel and gave up on that story!
7: Well
I’m glad you didn’t, but I understand your frustration. Tell
us about your current novel, where we can find it?
I’m very happy that my first full length young adult
romance novel, Weaving Magic, will be
published by Muse It Up in April 2012!
Story
Blurb: He loves magic and she loves romance. But the biggest illusion is the
one Shantel and Christopher are telling each other. Sixteen-year-old Shantel
and Christopher are falling in love, while failing to deal with some serious
issues. Christopher's feelings about his father’s imprisonment and Shantel's
feelings about her mother’s suicide are smothered beneath blankets of denial
and addiction. Even though Christopher attends AA, and is trying to stay sober,
the unacknowledged roots of their problems refuse to stay buried, and soon, the
two are headed toward a disastrous magic trick which sends Christopher to
juvenile detention and forces both of them to move beyond magical illusions to
find true love.
8: Wow,
serious stuff. It sounds great. So, do you have any tips for
aspiring authors?
Explore multiple genres and stay open to where the
story leads you.
9: Great
advice. Tell us, do you base your characters on real-life people?
Yes. In my young adult novel, Weaving Magic the story is based on some of the young teens that I
work with in the poetry workshop at Denney Juvenile Justice Center. (You can
read their poetry at: www.denneypoetry.com
and see their art at: www.denneyart.com)
10: Wow,
that’s some great poetry and awesome artwork. Sounds like interesting work. How
did you come up with the idea for this book?
See above.
11: What are you currently
working on?
I’m working on a spin-off novella from two of the
minor characters in Weaving Magic. I
love the novella form and think it’s perfect for e-books. I’ve never thought
that the two minor characters, Marissa and Michael, have a book length story,
but I do think they have a novella!
12. Where can we find you? Website? Blog?
Stop by my blog/website at: www.mindyhardwick.com
Also, I am on Twitter at: @mindyhardwick
And please visit Weaving
Magic’s Facebook Fan Page at:
3 comments:
Glad you could join us today, Mindy
Mindy, best wishes on your upcoming release. Enjoyed your interview.
Thanks!
Post a Comment