Today I am pleased to have Larissa Hinton, author of Everblossom and Angel Diaries, on my blog.
Interview
About the Author
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Here is my author bio…
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.
Larissa Hinton is currently author of Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology and Angel Diaries: Volume One (YA paranormal romance). However, be on the lookout for Everblossom 2: A Second Anthology of Short Stories and Poems!
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
After writing my first book, Timestoppers, I knew that I was a writer. That feeling of joy right after finishing that book just made me feel complete.
How much of yourself, your personality or your experiences, is in your books?
In short: A lot! My sarcasm is very apparent in my books and I do that on purpose. Some of the characters have some of my weird quirks and talents (like being able to pick up foreign languages quite easily).
Do you outline your books or just start writing?
I use to just start writing it, but I have learned the hard way (especially with Angel Diaries) that was quite possibly the worst thing for me to do. I would add all kinds of extra dialogue that was hilarious but it would slow down the plot.
Now that I write with outlines my writing is much tighter and more focused than ever before.
Her Latest Book
Please tell us about your current release.
My most recent release is Angel Diaries: Volume One, a young adult romance novel. Here’s the blurb:
He was forbidden. Uncontrollable. Never to be seen, mentioned, or otherwise talked about. Until the nightmares began. Searing the screams, carnage and death into her skull. Forever.
Before this, Lindsey had a normal life. Somewhat. She had a boyfriend who was acting strange, an ex-boyfriend who has been too flirtatious and a best friend who turned psychic.
Once upon a time, the hardest decision Lindsey had to make was who she would take to the upcoming Winter Dance: her boyfriend, Philip, or her ex, Luke. Now, she’s not even human. She’s an Angel.
This book is recommended for 16 years or older due to adult scenes and situations.
What inspired you to write this book?
To be honest, it came out of a slight frustration of writing the same type of story. I loved writing happily ever after stories with dreamy hereos and strong female leads (and of course with a heavy dose of sarcasm in a fantasy world). The problem was I didn’t know what direction to go in. I loved the fantasy world and romance, but there wasn’t a book like that. Then I read Twilight and everything changed. I decided to write my first young adult paranormal romance and ever since, my writing hasn’t been the same.
Which of your characters is your favorite? Do you dislike any of them?
Funny enough, my favorite character is Jia (she’s the side kick to Lindsey, the main character in Angel Diaries). I even wrote a full length screenplay about her in her adulthood. Additionally, I wrote a few short stories about her and included one of them in Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology. What I love about her is her tough, weird, quirky, witty exterior and her soft, feminine, vulnerable shell that cracks through in the most unusual of circumstances.
I use to detest Phillip, Lindsey’s boyfriend in Angel Diaries. A lot of my readers knew I didn’t like him. Yet, in order to get the plot to work out, I had to learn to love him. Or at least, find out what Lindsey loved about him. And the more I delved into his character, the more I found out why I disliked him so much but loved him all at the same time.
Did the story turn out the way you planned from the beginning? If not, what change happened that you didn’t expect?
I didn’t realize how interwoven the theme of love is in the novel. I thought the main theme would be about responsibility and honesty. However, after I wrote the ending and fixed relationships in the novel, it just seemed as a natural byproduct of the novel.
Just for Fun
If you could jump in to any book, and live in that world, which would it be?
I would love to jump into Cassandra Clare’s world of Infernal Devices series with Tessa. Will and Jem. I love the steampunkery aspect of it. Really, any book with steampunk elements I would just love to be in. (As far as television series wise, I would love to join Artie, Claudia, and Myka in Warehouse 13.)
Do you have a specific snack that you have with you when you write?
I use to chew on cashews while writing. I love nuts, especially chewing on them while trying to figure out plot points. Unfortunately though, they have a lot of salt and they actually cause my teeth to stain for some odd reason. Therefore, I have laid off all nuts while writing instead I chug water.
Book Description: Everbloom
An anthology that will quench your thirst for more than the ordinary.
Everblossom is a journey through poems and short stories that may seem ordinary on the surface but dig a little deeper and the world not only shifts. It changes.
From the author who brought you Iwishacana/Acanawishi, she now brings you a dash of everything from dark fantasy to the paranormal to even romance. So prepare yourself to delve into the three stages of the flower from bud to blossom then back to seed, you’ll go through them all with a whole new perspective on what it all truly means.
Book Description: Angel Diaries
He was forbidden. Uncontrollable. Never to be seen, mentioned, or otherwise talked about. Until the nightmares began. Searing the screams, carnage and death into her skull. Forever.
Before this, Lindsey had a normal life. Somewhat. She had a boyfriend who was acting strange, an ex-boyfriend who has been too flirtatious and a best friend who turned psychic.
Once upon a time, the hardest decision Lindsey had to make was who she would take to the upcoming Winter Dance: her boyfriend, Philip, or her ex, Luke. Now, she’s not even human. She’s an Angel.
This book is recommended for 16 years or older due to adult scenes and situations.
Larissa’s author bio is listed at the beginning of the interview or you can find out more about her on her blog.
Everbloom is available on Amazon.
Angel Diaries: Volume One is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Into Another World 