How do you move on in your life after a horrible tragedy? That's what
Hope Kilpatrick must ask after losing her family in a horrible car
accident right before Christmas. Unable to deal with the pain, she
leaves the haunting memories of her New York home behind and escapes to
Texas with an estranged aunt that is her only family. Still reeling
from her loss and the culture shock of her new home, she must also deal
with a school bully that has set her sights upon her. Hope's only
solace is the quiet girl at the vacant lunch table, an eccentric history
teacher, and the introverted handsome young man she meets at a Texas
parade. Finding Hope in Texas deals with the tragedy of loss, the
sardonic struggles of teenage life, and the sanguinity in finding a
special someone that will help her discover the strength to live again.
1)
When you write, do you plan the storyline or
just go with the flow and see where it takes you? Plotter or Panster?
I have to plan, it's just my nature. Still, getting to the next page, chapter, or twist is part of the fun.
2) Where do you
do most of your writing? Do you have a special spot?
I do most of my writing on the couch with my laptop. I usually have the TV on in the background. It works for me.
3) Are any of your characters based on people you know?
In my first book, The Life He Never Knew, I took the personalities of a lot of my Civil War reenacting friends and created actual Civil War soldiers out of them, which was fun for me, and fun for them trying to figure out who was who. In my second book, Finding Hope in Texas, I can only say that the history teacher is based off of me. He's kind of a jerk, but has a good heart.
4)
Who was your favourite author as a child? Who is it now?
I
was one of those kids that fought reading as a child and really didn't
get into books until high school. I still don't have a favorite author,
but I like authors from different genres. I teach history, so a lot of
what I read is historical. I have enjoyed Eric Larson and his
historical books though.
5) Did you always want to be an author? If not
what was your ambition?
Well, like I said, I'm a history teacher.
History was my calling and what got me into reading finally. I enjoy
what I do. My only greater ambition would to be teach at a junior
college or something like that.
6) A lot of
authors have playlists for their books. Do you like to listen to music whilst
you write and if so can you give us any recommendations?
No,
it's the background noise of television that helps me. I think I would
get confused between my writing and my singing outload if I played
music.
7) Can you tell us a bit more about your book and how it came about?
Hope has gone through a
horrible tragedy at home. Her family was killed in a car accident and
she wants to get away from their memories. She moves to Texas to start
over, with an aunt she hardly knows, only to find that a school bully is
trying to make her life worse. She makes a new friend though, is
encouraged by a teacher, and meets a handsome young man at a Texas
parade. Finding Hope in Texas
is a story about survival from tragedy, bullying, and culture shock. It
really came from me wanting to write something that I think many
teenagers nowadays could relate to. Many have difficulties in their
lives and I wanted to make a character that even though she is
struggling, she continues to have the strength to keep going, to do the
best she can, and is a better person because of it.
8) What made you want to write for the YA
market?
It's probably a little bit of the teacher in
me. Like I said, I wanted a character and a story line that teenagers
could relate to. I wanted them to see that even though they may go
through tough times, it's their will and determination that will make
them better people in the end.
9) Do you ever get writers block and if you do,
how do you beat it?
I
do. And for me, I just have to get away from writing for a bit.
Sometimes I can knock out many pages in just one sitting and sometimes I
will go days or weeks without looking at my laptop. I have to do other
things so that I have time to think, reflect, and evaluate what I need
to do next. I'm not on a time limit, so I write when I know I can only
give it 100%, which, with two little guys in my house, is usually
between 9 and 11pm.
10) If you could take only 3 things with you
onto a desert island what would they be and why?
Food, clothing, shelter, because I want to survive.
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