Hi Guys,
Today I am thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for Hillary Grigonis' book Kaleidoscope Me. For my stop on the tour, I'll be hosting an author interview with Hillary. First though let's take a look at what the book is all about.
Jadyn’s world twirls out of control after her mother dies in a car accident and her forgetful Great-Aunt Nadine moves in. Her dad is never home and her best friend doesn't even know half of it. Jadyn is trying to keep it all together for her little brother, Trenton. But when Aunt Nadine disappears with Trenton in the middle of a snowstorm, Jadyn may be the only one who can find them.
Interview
1. What made you get into writing?
I've always been a reader and writing has always come easily to me. My fifth grade teacher told me he wouldn't be surprised to see my name on a book one day –so this has been a goal of mine ever since.
2. Have you always been interested in becoming an author?
I've wanted to be a writer for a long time, but I was interested in other things too. I wanted to be a veterinarian until we had to put my dog down as a kid and then decided I would never be able to do that.
3. What inspired this book?
I started writing a short story in my college writing class and just fell in love with the character. I started asking myself “what if” and turned a small story into a novel.
4. Do you have a particular writing schedule? If so, what is it?
I'm a web content writer by day, and I keep that pretty scheduled. Writing fiction, however, isn't nearly as structured. If I'm not in the “mood” to write, it sounds forced and turns out horrible. I do have a few tricks for getting in the right mindset for writing, but I'm pretty flexible with a schedule.
5. Are you a planner or do you wing it?
Both, actually. I plan some things, mostly the larger aspects of the plot. I jot down ideas I get from my dreams or the things that I see and usually end up incorporating them somewhere. Some things though actually surprise me as I write. The characters sometimes have a mind of their own. I always have an idea about where I'm going with the ending, but I'm not always sure how I'm going to get there until I sit down to write.
6. Where do you do most of your writing?
Typically, I'm either writing at my desk or curled up with my laptop and a blanket in the comfiest chair in the house. When the weather is nice, I love to write outside.
7. What's been the most challenging thing about becoming an author?
Writing the book is the easy part and doesn't even feel like work. The challenging part is to separate myself from what I've written enough to make the edits that are better in the long run.
8. What's been the most rewarding thing about becoming an author?
For me, the most rewarding part is just being able to sit down and write. I love it, whether ten people read my book or ten thousand. Publishing was certainly a goal of mine and reaching that milestone was certainly an exciting feeling, but the writing is really what feels most rewarding to me.
9. If you had one piece of advice for aspiring authors, what would it be?
Write like no one is watching. But when you have a draft, give it to someone who isn't afraid to be honest. Get feedback and discover what you do well and what you can improve on. It's different for everyone.
10. Do you have any future projects that you're working on?
I've started my next book already, but I'm not far enough into it yet to share very much. I love the characters and this beginning process of getting to know them is absolutely fascinating to me. It's a young adult novel, with a bit of mystery and maybe even a little romance.
11. Anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. To stay updated on my work, follow me on Facebook or Twitter @HillaryGrigonis
Thanks for being on the tour, Hannah!!
ReplyDelete-Nichole