Interview with author, T.L. Haddix of the Firefly Hollow!

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Denise Alicea

This blog was created by Denise in September 2008 to blog about writing, book reviews, and technology. Slowly, but surely this blog expanded to what it has become now, a central for book reviews of all kinds interviews, contests, and of course promotional venue for authors, etc

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The mysterious recluse…

Owen Campbell holds himself apart from other people. Badly scarred from emotional wounds that have never healed, he doesn’t expect to find true love or happiness. He remains isolated in a prison of his own making, determined to not let anyone close enough to hurt him again.

But his willpower is shaken to the core when Sarah Browning enters his world.

The girl next door…

Sarah Jane Browning is three years into her college degree when a call from home changes everything. Back at the family homestead in the heart of Appalachia, she’s forced to reevaluate her hopes and dreams for the future.

Distraction from her heartache comes in the form of her parents’ neighbor. Whispers about “odd Owen Campbell” abound in their small community, and Sarah’s curiosity is aroused. When she breaks the rules and trespasses onto his land, what she finds is beyond her wildest imaginings.

As Sarah struggles to overcome tragedy and loss, her burgeoning relationship with Owen is sorely tested. Will love conquer all, or will the secrets from Owen’s past tear them apart forever?

Firefly Hollow is the first in a new Romance series by T. L. Haddix, author of the Shadows/Leroy Collection, a series of standalone Romantic Suspense novels. Titles include Secrets in the Shadows, Under the Moon’s Shadow, Shadows from the Grave, and Hidden in the Shadows.

 

Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself!

I’m originally from eastern Kentucky–a teeny town called Happy, if you can believe it–but have been a resident of southern Indiana since 1999 for the most part. I’m a thirty-something wife, mother of three cat-children, and a writer. I manage the small business my husband and I own, and I keep my husband on his toes. He never knows what direction my mind is going to go in – murder or mayhem, shapeshifting or baking cookies. 🙂

 

 Tell us about your book? How did it get started?

Firefly Hollow came about when I started writing a story a couple of years ago. I think I only got about 1,500 words in, and then I had other things that crept over and took my attention away. In any event, after I finished writing my fourth Shadows/Leroy book (my Romantic Suspense series), I was wanting and needing to do something different. Firefly Hollow started teasing me, and I wrote the outline down on night in about an hour. I started writing the next day, and wrote pretty much non-stop for the next three and a half weeks. It’s the fastest I’ve ever written a book, and it left me completely exhausted.

 

How do you create your characters?

Part of that is a mystery even to me. They’re just there, at least the nebulous idea of them is. When a character starts pushing me to develop them, or when I sit down to plot out a storyline, I just make notes about the character–what they look like, smell like, dress like, act like. Their beliefs, their hobbies. I also tend to map out their genealogy if they’re going to play a large role in a story. I need to know where they came from in order to know where they’re going.

 

What inspires and what got your started in writing?

Life inspires me. Everything from watching a bird perch on the honeysuckle-lined fence in my backyard, to watching people at places I go. Little things are just as important as big things. Every action tells a story.

As to what got me started in writing, that’s a little more complex. I’ve always been able to write well; I say that as a matter of fact. It’s just part of my makeup, like my blue eyes, short stature, and blonde hair. I can write. I love to write, as well. Growing up, I think I always knew I’d be a writer, but then once I graduated high school, life and reality set in. Through a series of circumstances I won’t go into, the dream of writing became something that didn’t seem plausible.

In 2008, I lost my job. I could not find another one, and after about a year of looking, I simply gave up. I figured I’d always wanted to write, and I’d probably never get a better chance, so I sat down and started. It snowballed from there.

 

Where do you write? Is there something you need in order to write (music, drinks?)

I tend to do the majority of my writing in the living room. I’m on my third chair in three years now, and hopefully I don’t wear it out as much as I have the others. I have to have at least one cat nearby, I have to have my green-striped pillow, and unless I’m writing the outline by hand, I have to have my ergonomic keyboard. I usually have the TV on some non-fiction channel, like NatGeo or History, going in the background, and ice water is my drink of choice.

 

How do you get your ideas for writing?

I honestly don’t know. They’re just there. Sometimes it will be something I see out in the real world, and sometimes I have a dream that lays out an entire storyline. Something as simple as seeing a red car, or hearing a plane flying overhead late at night, can spark a neuron and and idea. Other times, they’re just there, and I’m eternally grateful that they are.

 

What do you like to read?

I primarily read historical romance, with some romantic suspense thrown into the mix. One of the dirty little secrets of writing, and something I did not expect, is that I not only don’t have nearly as much time for reading as I did before, but I am very picky now as to what I’ll read. Once you start writing, you tend to see books differently than if you were just a reader. That completely surprised me.

 

What would your advice to be for authors or aspiring in regards to writing?

Don’t slap something together and expect that people will want to read it. Care about what you write, and that will show.

Don’t let the fact that you may not be technically perfect hold you back. You can hire editors, and you can take creative writing classes, as well as basic writing classes. Technique can be taught; good storytelling cannot.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot or should not write–even if you don’t write well, and only you and your dog read what you write, if you want to put paper to pen, do it.

The best way to become a better writer is by writing.

Gather people around you who support you, and people who’ll be honest about what you’re producing. Flattery from well-meaning friends and family that is inaccurate is only going to hurt you in the long run. You want someone who’s not afraid to tell you if your writing sucks. You also want someone who can tell you why it does or does not suck.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Just this–I always thought I’d write my first book before I was thirty. It didn’t happen, and after I passed that big 3-0, I questioned a little bit whether it was worth it or not to even continue. Thankfully, I did. I was 34 by the time I published “Secrets in the Shadows.” I’ve met people who were in their 70s or 80s when they published for the first time. It is never too late to chase after something you want, whether it’s writing or hang gliding or a college degree. The only person holding you back from reaching for your dreams is you, and the only person who can achieve your dreams is you. No one is going to hand that to you, and you won’t appreciate it if they do. Don’t wait on other people to seek your own success. Don’t be afraid to fail, because in failure we gain knowledge.

 

Thanks so much for having me. I very much enjoyed your questions. Regards!

1 comment

T. L. Haddix 02/01/2013 - 2:45 pm

Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for having me in to chat. I enjoyed it. 🙂

T. L.

Reply

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