Here is a great interview with a writer so good, I didn't realize that just anybody could post on Wattpad for a long time because her story was one of the first I read and I thought it was a site for professional writers.
Hrtsmom is the writer of a superb fantasy series that starts with Silver and Blood. Then there's River's End, The Throne of the Sun, Return to Dawn, and Dreams of Darkness. She also has a couple of great collections of short stories, Tellers of Tales and Unlikely Muses; and she is currently posting Cherish the Fire, Trackers and TOTSIA (The One That Started it All). You can spend a lot of time reading her work because it is enchanted, engaging, and amazing.
She's also a great friend and a very supportive Wattpadder and I am thrilled to be able to post this interview that she did with me.
Enjoy!
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1. How long have you been writing? What got you started?
I started reading around the age of four. I don't know if that's unusual these days, but back then it was. I think because I started that early, I always put reading and writing together. If I was writing something, I would tell a story if I could. My first writings for myself were diary entries; I have a copy of one I wrote when I was six. By the time I was 13 I'd read Star Wars (after seeing the movie), Madeline L'Engle's Wrinkle In Time series, the Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. After that I was pretty much set in the fantasy/sci-fi genre for my writing. I wrote my first novella around that time. It was horribly derivative and honestly cringe-worthy, but I had the bug.
2. If you're not writing, what are you doing?
I read as much as I can: books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, Wattpad stories. I got a Kindle for Christmas and I despair of ever having enough time to read everything I want to, but I carry on. My other main occupation is my business, Hrtsmom's Jewelry Etc.; I have two online shops where I sell my books as well as jewelry and bookmarks that I make. I chat with friends online, keep up with Twitter and Facebook, play The Sims (too much, probably!). And I love movies and music; I never know what's going to spark a story idea. (As you know, I can even find stories on Twitter!)
3. What was the happiest moment you'd care to share with the rest of us?
Last spring after I published Cherish the Fire, I suddenly realized that I'd finally written a book I could feel comfortable letting my 12-year-old daughter read. I loaned her a copy and she read it in about 24 hours. She discussed it with me over breakfast, reader to writer. Then she brought it to her English teacher and asked him if he would share it with the class. He bought the copy and did indeed read it to the class. The fact that my daughter liked my work enough to share it with others - that was brilliant.
4. Pick three words that describe you best.
Creative, busy and ... odd
5. What is one thing that drives you crazy?
So many choices. So many. Usually when something drives me crazy I stew about it until I can write about it, either in my private journal or in my blog. A big benefit of being a writer! For example, this morning I ranted a rant on my blog about a person I saw retweeted on Twitter, who said that depressed people are "self-pitying" and should just think positive. It made me a little sad to do the rant because the person who retweeted this garbage is someone I admire and I had to call him out on it, too. But it was something I had to say.
6. What's your favorite song?
That is nearly impossible to answer! I tend to have favorites for a while and then move on to something else, because I listen to so much music. One song that's almost guaranteed to make me smile is Bobby Darin's "Beyond the Sea." Not just the lyrics but the way his voice turns; it's amazing. My recent favorite is a song called "Early Frost" by Fitzsimon & Brogan. It's so sad and beautiful. There's a part of the lyrics that goes: "A thousand days/Years go by/But this love will never die/So go to sleep, now don't you cry/Don't you cry." It's heart-wrenching; I love it.
