What is your
name, where were you born and where do you live now?
My
name is Annette Hart. I was born in
Ewell which is not too far from where I live now in Fetcham, Surrey.
Did you always
want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I
have always wanted to be a writer but I also wanted to teach and I have been
very lucky to do both.
When did you
first consider yourself as a "writer"?
I
think I first considered myself a “writer” when I finished my first attempts at
a full, book-length story and considered sending it off to publishers.
Did it take a
long time to get your first book published?
It
took several years of writing, then submitting work, to get published. The first book I got published was part of a
series and I felt I had to draft the 3 stories I had in my head before
submitting the first – just in case it got nowhere and I gave up on the
stories!
Do you work
another job as well as your writing work?
I
am a primary school teacher. At the
moment I do supply work as well as writing but that may change as my youngest
children get older and more independent.
What is the name
of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what
would you say?
My
latest book is called “Love and Restitution”; book three in a fantasy series
finishing the adventures of Bryony and friends in their rebellion against the
unlawful King.
Who is your
publisher? or do you self publish?
My
publisher is Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie.
How long does it
usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing
it?
It
can take me a year to write and rewrite a book – and another year in the
official editing stage. But I will have
more than one story on the go. I like to
leave a story for a few months and come back to it with fresher eyes before
redrafting.
Which of your
books were easier/harder to write than the others?
I
really enjoyed going back to one of my first stories and rewriting it for
kindle (called “The Keystone). It’s
simpler as it is for a slightly younger reader.
Strangely, I found redrafting the follow up to it tougher, I don’t know
why, and haven’t finished it yet.
What can we
expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a
different genre?
Hopefully
a mixture: I have written more fantasy books for older children/teens but I
have also written a fantasy for adults.
I am also currently writing a historical romance set in WWII. I am not sure yet if it will be part of a
series or stand alone – I will see where the story and characters take me!
What genre would
you place your books into?
At
the moment, most of my books are fantasy, although I tend to make it
historically based alternative world rather than magical.
What made you
decide to write that genre of book?
I
suppose I chose fantasy because I have always enjoyed reading fantasy and have
always loved myths and legends.
Do you have a
favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite?
I
think that is a very tough question! I
do particularly like a book that I haven’t yet published; it follows on from
the 3 I have published in my Athlandia series and I explore some different
characters and different places, covering some tough events. In “Blood and Allegiance”, the first, I stuck
more with my lead character but as the series has progressed I have enjoyed
developing the other characters more. I
have also tried to make them ‘human’ and not perfect.
If you had to
choose to be one of your characters in your book/books which would you be? and
why?
I
would definitely be Keely from “The Keystone” because she eventually gets the
chance to go to Camelot and she meets knights from the Round Table!
Where do you get
your book plot ideas from? What/Who is
your inspiration?
I
have always been a daydreamer so I have always found initial ideas easy, places
to start; it’s persisting with and developing that idea which can be
tougher! I have always loved myths and
legends: I wanted to create worlds like Tolkien and C. S. Lewis and I wanted to draw them like Pauline
Baynes.
Do you have
anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release
them?ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know?
I
do ask members of my family to read my books at various different stages to get
feedback on what needs changing or developing.
Also, a fresh pair of eyes is always good during proof reading to pick
up the little mistakes.
Do you gift
books to readers to do reviews?
I
am a member of Goodreads.com and enjoy doing giveaways through them. My books can end up anywhere in the world!
Would you ever
ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your
book/books?
No,
I would not ask them to change their review as it is their opinion. As a writer, you have to accept that not
everybody is going to like your books, just as a reader I don’t enjoy every
book I pick up. It would be a dull world
if we all liked the same things!
However, it does hurt if someone doesn’t like your book as you have put
so much of yourself into it. Sometimes I
have had to bite my tongue when someone has misunderstood an element of a story
or put forward a view I strongly disagree with.
I remind myself of the fans who keenly anticipate the next book I write!
Do you choose a
title first, or write the book then choose the title?
I
write my story first then choose a title.
I struggled with the title for my first published book “Blood and
Allegiance” and I employed my children to help as my first ideas were rather
‘namby-pamby’. However, I also chose it before “Twilight” and vampires became
big or I might have chosen differently!
The next 2 books in the Athlandia series, “Escape and Betrayal” and
“Love and Restitution”, were easier as they followed the style I had set in
book 1.
How do you come
up with characters names and place names in your books?
I
have tended to give the characters and names in my Athlandia series an
Anglo-Saxon feel. When that changes it
usually means the character comes from another country. I usually have ideas for some characters
names before I start but others develop as I go along (especially as I might
add characters). The king I deliberately
named ‘Unwin’ as it means ‘the enemy’.
Do you decide on
character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or
as you go along?
I
usually have a good idea of my main characters’ traits before I start but
sometimes they might grow/change/develop along with the story.
Do you basic
plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you
let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
I
try to sketch out the basic plan for the book before I start writing but I do
like to give room for it to change and grow.
I find that writing often sparks new ideas and new characters can add
layers or twists to the plot.
How do you
market/promote your books?
As
I am with a smaller publisher I have to do a lot myself which means getting
involved as much as possible online (having a webpage, blogs, interactive
reader sites, review sites, booksellers).
I am learning all the time of new ways to get myself and my books
‘known’. It is nice, though, when the
chance comes up to do a book signing in a bookshop or to talk to children in
schools, allowing me to meet my readers face-to-face.
Have you ever
suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the
"block"?
I
like going for a long walk – that usually gets my mind roaming free and sparks
new ideas.
What do you do
to unwind and relax? Do you have a
hobby?
Writing
is my way of relaxing but I do enjoy drawing too and, as requested by some of
my readers, I have begun to include a few illustrations in my books.
Is there a
certain Author that influenced you in writing?
Finding
Susan Cooper’s “The Dark is Rising” series came at an important time in my life
and influenced both my reading and my desire to write. I then followed that series with C.S. Lewis’
Narnia series. I know my writing could
be described as old-fashioned, perhaps because of my influences, and sometimes
I wish I could write more ‘cleanly’ or sparsely , sticking to the action and
dialogue as a lot of modern writers do.
What is your
favourite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?
I
have more than one favourite author as I like to read different kinds of books
according to my mood: J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Austen, Daphne Du Maurier, Agatha
Christie. I have read “The Lord of the
Rings”, “Emma” and “Rebbeca” more than once.
What are you
currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or
paperback)
I
am reading Kate Mosse’s “The Winter Ghosts”; I am enjoying it but I am tempted
to take a couple of books my daughter has just read on holiday, “Across the
Universe” and “A Million Suns” by Beth Revis.
She read them very quickly which is a good sign!
Do you think
children at schools these days are encouraged enough to read? and/or do
Imaginative writing?
My
children are certainly encouraged to read and write imaginatively at their
school. They had a week long sponsored
read last year that certainly encouraged my son and they have regular writing
competitions.
Did you read a
lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in
your life?
I
had trouble initially in both reading and writing at school and had to have
extra lessons but once I got started I didn’t stop. Following those extra lessons my mum gave me
her old copies of “The Famous Five”; I was hooked and away!
Did you have a
favourite author as a child?
I
have already mentioned both C.S. Lewis and Susan Cooper as childhood favourites
but I also loved Leon Garfield, Alan Garner and Diana Wynne Jones.
Are there any
New Authors you are interested in for us to watch out for? and Why should we
watch out for them?
I’m
always buying books for my teenage daughter and occasionally read them
myself. I love Joss Stirling’s series
that has started with “Finding Sky” and “Stealing Phoenix”.
Is there
anything in your book/books you would change now if you could and what would it
be?
I
would have liked to change my title for “Blood and Allegiance” purely because
of the popularity in vampires that came after I published it. I chose ‘blood’ for family. I am also really pleased with the cover of my
book “Love and Restitution” and wish I had the option for a similar style for
the first 2 books in the series. I
expect there are lots of bits I would like to change and add to the actual
stories. I expect that’s true of all
authors; you could potter on a book for ever!
What piece of
advice would you give to a new writer?
Keep
going, keep persevering, as you never know when you will find the magic formula
for the perfect story. And just because
it is not a bestseller does not mean it isn’t a good book!
Do you or would
you ever use a pen name?
My
first stories are for children and teens so I have wondered if I should have a
pen name for any adult books I write with more adult content.
Where can
readers follow you?
My Website:
My Facebook
page:
Goodreads author
name: Annette V Hart (www.goodreads.com/author/show/3087229.Annette_V_Hart)
Tumblr blog name:
Athlandia
My
book details (easily available from Amazon and Smashwords):
“Blood
and Allegiance” (Athlandia #1) ISBN 9781903491799
“Escape
and Betrayal” (Athlandia #2) ISBN 9781903491973
“Love
and Restitution” (Athlandia #3) ISBN 9781907552267
“The
Keystone” B007C191RI
No comments:
Post a Comment