Please welcome author Mindy Hardwick to the blog today...
Mindy Hardwick is a published
children's writer whose books include, STAINED GLASS
SUMMER and WEAVING MAGIC. She facilitates a
poetry workshop with teens at Denney Youth Juvenile Justice Center, and both
books are based on this experience. Mindy is the co-editor of four anthologies,
written by the youth at Denney, as well as their blog at www.denneypoetry.com She is included on
the Washington State Arts Commission
Teaching Artist Roster. Mindy holds an MFA in Writing for Children
and Young Adults. She is a member of SCBWI.
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What motivates Mindy
the author? Why do you write?
The challenge! I love how just when I think I might have
something figured out—from telling the story through the publishing process,
everything changes and I have to relearn again. I get bored easily, and I am
never bored in writing!
What was one of the hardest things about writing a novel
for young adults?
Writing in two voices and making sure both characters had
an equal side to the story! At times, it felt like I was wrestling WEAVING
MAGIC to the ground. Most of the time, Christopher seemed to have the stronger
story, and it took a long time for me to find Shantel’s story. It wasn’t until I played with making her an
unreliable narrator, that I realized how her story worked with his!
How did you get into eBook publishing?
I first learned about ebook publishing by attending the
Seattle RWA Conference. Angela James gave a workshop on ebooks. At the time,
she had just been hired at Samhein. She
showed us her different e-readers and I was hooked!
How many hours a day do you devote to writing? Do you have
a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?
I try to devote at least two to three hours a day to
writing. But, at times, it can be very challenging. I’ve had two books come out
in the last six months, and my writing time is getting eaten up by all of the
work that goes into promoting a book. I’m looking forward to things settling
down a bit again!
Who is your favorite author? And, if given the opportunity
to meet them, what would you ask them?
Cynthia Voigt! I would ask her how she created all the
stories based around the different characters in the Dicey saga, and how she
kept them all straight for each book!
What did you do when you found out your first book had been
contracted?
I cried! And then I got on the e-mail and I sent out a big
yahoo to one of my best writer friends who lives in Cyprus, Greece. We went to
graduate school together and have been e-mailing daily ever since. She is my
lifeline when I am writing! We critique each other’s work, celebrate, and when
things aren’t going well, complain about writing together!
Do you have any words of inspiration to aspiring authors?
What advice would you offer a writer trying to publish?
Patience, persistence, and keep working on making your
story the best it can be!
Tell us about your current release.
WEAVING MAGIC Blurb:
He loves magic. She loves romance. But the biggest illusion
is the one Shantel and Christopher tell 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.
Buy Link:
Do you have any upcoming projects in the works?
I am working on a tween novel for boys.
Where can readers connect with you?
Website: www.mindyhardwick.com
Twitter: @mindyhardwick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weavingmagic
Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Ella!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining us;)
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