Today we’re welcoming author Larissa Hinton to Aside from Writing for our first author interview in quite a long time…With Indie Author Month starting in a few short days, we thought it would be a good time to ‘ease’ you into all the upcoming author features and interviews with one today…so let’s see what Larissa had to say…
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Link to Larissa's Goodreads Pages
About the Author: The young adult fantasy and paranormal romance author, Larissa Hinton, grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia and Chesapeake, Virginia. She now lives in northern Virginia, but she always looks forward to going back to the sweet smell of the salty ocean.
Larissa has always loved writing since the age of 12 and hasn’t stopped since. After many years of writing whimsical tales of romance and fantasy, she is now proud to be a self-published author. When she’s not writing, she’s teaching English at a local middle school.
When seen out of the classroom, Larissa is shopping for the next great Wii game, searching for undiscovered treasure (a.k.a. sparkly jewelry) and plucking some fresh fruits (or vegetables, dependent on the year) out of her small garden.
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Hi Larissa, welcome to Aside from Writing. Let’s start with your writing: how did you come up with the idea for your book?
Funny enough, my ideas came from my professors at the time (for Everblossom). You see, I was taking a Creative Writing class and for the first time ever, I had to write short stories. Before this point in my life, I never wrote a short story but I found something funny about it: I loved it. I was able to delve into the characters I loved, create new stories that would inspire bigger ideas, and it was a way to play with the inner thoughts that floated my mind. Even at one point, my professor told me that all of my novel ideas were really short stories. Granted, at that time, I did not appreciate him saying that, but some of my ideas were short stories. I just never knew it.
The poems in the anthology however, were inspired by mostly my personal life. And other times, by the urge to write it down. I don’t think I could fully explain it properly, but when an idea hits me, it’s like lightening and I’m alert and aware that a poem is in me that needs to be written. I’ve literally tried to go asleep with that feeling, but I couldn’t. I had to write it down into poetic form. It doesn’t happen so often (like once or twice a month) but when it happens, I have to write that poem down or I can’t think straight.
What do you consider to be the biggest influences on your writing?
The biggest influence on my writing is my life. It can stressful, crazy and fun at times to be me, but it has the biggest impact on my writing.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Always. I’ve always loved to read and write since I began learning how to do so. I haven’t stopped since.
What’s your favourite aspect of being an author?
I know for me, the most rewarding thing about being a writer is getting back reviews from people who have bought and loved your book. And understood your ideas! I was really wondering about the poems I wrote called WSV (Words Speak Volumes). For the longest time I debated about publishing them in the first place since all they were was words written down a page telling a story in an odd way. I thought that maybe people just wouldn’t get it.
It warmed my heart that not only did people understand my poems, they loved them! I couldn’t be more thrilled since my poems have never been out to see daylight (yes, I get the Emily Dickinson irony there)! Therefore, I’m always glad to receive somewhat of fan mail on how my writing has made people think in a whole new way once they read Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology.
And the most challenging aspects?
The hardest part about writing is putting your idea on paper and making it come across right. Especially for a novel. It’s a long journey from the first page until the last and to make sure it’s projecting the idea from cover to cover from word to word is the most difficult part. As a writer, you have to be consistent, persistent, and have excellent time management to be able to complete a novel with style, grace and be sane. Seriously. Ask some writers if they haven’t pulled their hair out over a story that just wouldn’t translate from their brain onto the paper right. Ah, the makings of a novel.
What’s coming up next for you? Are you working on something at the moment?
Absolutely! Right now, I’m editing Angel Diaries, a young adult paranormal romance. Incidentally, I just got the final proof for my cover! Here’s the blurb: Lindsey’s life couldn’t have been any more ordinary. So, she had two guys fighting over her, a psychic friend and a school dominated by Goths but, other than that, life was good. That is until horrible nightmare start about her mother being ripped apart by a monster, changing her life from the inside out. Literally. Her whole world was full of lies. She’s not human. She’s an Angel.
Thank-you for taking time to talk to us today!
Thanks for the fantastic opporunity!
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Want to know more? Check out the links!
Buy the Book:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/80600
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/everblossom-larissa-hinton/1104907595
Blog: http://teacherwritebookaholicohmy.blogspot.com/
Email: pocahantas89@yahoo.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AThreeWayTieL
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