Today, we have something new on my blog. If
hadn't guessed already from the title it's an interview with an author!
Book Nerd Paradise is thrilled to be talking
about author Mia Hoddell today. Hoddell just published her third book,
"Deadly to Love," and the first in her Elemental Killers Series.
I'm a fan of Mia herself. She was one of the
first people to welcome me to Book Blogs, a site we're both members of.
One great thing is that she's young and a fairly
new writer in the professional world, which means she will continue to improve
as she gains experience. If you decide to pick up her book and you enjoy it
then you can expect even better things from her in the future.
**A note for all you grammar bitches,
ahem, I mean enthusiasts: Hoddell is from the UK, so keep in mind my fellow
Americans that they spell things and use words differently than we do.
Now, enough from me. Here's a little bit about
the book:
Title: Deadly to Love (Elemental Killers #1)
Author: Mia Hoddell
ASIN: B00BDQ3QGA
ISBN: 978-1-291-41025-9
Genre: YA/NA/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/Romance
Description
There is a love
that is so dangerous, so powerful, so intoxicating that it embraces your heart
and smothers your mind until it leaves you defenceless.
Serena knew that but still, it didn't stop her. His name was Kai. He was the most beautiful, irresistible man she had ever encountered. Their attraction was too compelling to fight and she knew she would go to the end of the world beside him. That is love.
However behind the allure was hidden a deadly secret – a secret that threatened her fragile life... But secrets best left unsaid never remain hidden forever. When Kai reveals his true identity, she is exposed to a frightening world she had no idea existed. Controlled by powerful Elemental forces her life is placed in mortal danger.
Unbeknown to them, their lives have been entwined from the beginning and it leads her to discover an even greater secret about who she really is. As the pieces begin to unravel and death becomes a reality, Serena is forced to decide what is more important...her love or life.
"Mia Hoddell used the
senses well to add depth and engage me as a reader, especially during action
sequences or heightened moments. I really struggled to stop reading this
book!" ~ L. Morgan 5/5
Get a copy
And without further ado, here's Mia Hoddell
ladies and gentlemen...
Author interview with Mia Hoddell
So tell us a little about yourself and what you
like to do when you’re not writing?
I love writing and always have weird ideas
floating around in my head - which is probably why I have a total of nine books
planned already. On the rare moments where I am able to switch off though, I
enjoy photography. So I will go walking around the
countryside/forests near my house. Also, I am studying Drama, English
Language and Modern Domestic History as A-levels (thankfully in my final few
weeks) so my life is pretty hectic at the moment. When things calm down though
I enjoy relaxing with my cats and a good book, as I also review novels.
Brief description of “Deadly to Love” your third
novel:
"Deadly to Love" is a fast-paced,
action packed YA/NA romance novel that has elements of paranormal, fantasy and
urban fantasy in it. It also has a modern romancewith a few twists to it.
The story centers around Serena and how her
world is changed when she meets Kai and finds out things are not what they
appear. As secrets about both of their lives are revealed it becomes obvious
the world they live in is a lot more deadly than she first thought. The fact
that they have to face the Elementals together leaves her fighting for both her
love and her life.
If you could cast any actress and actor as
Serena and Kai who would it be?
That’s a hard question for me to answer. I have
used people I know to base the characters on, I won’t say who they are though
as those people aren’t aware of the fact. I’d prefer readers to create their
own image of the character. Personally, when I am reading I tend to like
the characters I have created myself better, so when I see the actors chosen
for the movies it ruins it slightly for me.
What was your inspiration for this book?
"Deadly to Love" was originally going
to just be a romance without any paranormal aspects but when I started to plan
it, I just wasn’t enjoying it as much as thought I would – it felt like
something was missing. I started to research possible paranormal creatures I
could use, and trust me when I say I found some very surreal creatures such as
a plum-headed dragon or a fishtailed goat. I had a lot of fun reading about
them. I settled on the Elementals as they stood out to me as there seemed
plenty of routes I could take to develop them. After delving deeper into
researching them I wanted to change their history as I didn’t like the
religious ties. I wanted to make them the antagonists and so started to turn
them into their own species with their own motives and abandoned the heavenly aspect.
Once I had found the Elementals, everything else
just kind of fell into place and I started to get really excited about the
series as a whole. I used some real life experiences which helped me develop
some of the narrative as I wanted to make a modern romance with new twists, but
other than that, it was simply a matter of sitting down for a whole day and
thinking the plot line through step by step. Like I said, the plans kind of
wrote themselves with both the first and second book.
What’s next for you?
I finished the first draft of the sequel to
"Deadly to Love" a few weeks ago so I’m in the process of re-drafting
that right now. However, my writing is taking a backseat at the moment as I’ve
had to start revising for my final A-Level exams in June. Once those are out of
the way I will be releasing the sequel as soon as I can and then working on the
third installment in the Elemental Killers series and a new stand-alone novel
that I’m dying to get down on paper. I have a year and half off so I’m sure I’ll
get a lot of writing done.
What’s one of the first things you remember
writing?
I’ve always loved writing. The first thing I can
remember was a poem about a giraffe named Jack when I was four. I used to have
a little notebook filled with scribbled down poems and ideas that I took
everywhere with me. I wrote poetry mostly, up until the age of 12. Then I moved
onto short stories after getting htree poems published. I started my
first novel at 14 and since then that’s what I have stuck with.
What is the best piece of advice you received
from someone?
The best piece of advice I’ve received is don’t
let other people get in the way of your dreams and something you love doing. I
have had many people tell me that I should just go to university instead of
taking a year out to write as it’s an unpredictable career that doesn’t
guarantee an income. However, I am at my happiest when I am writing. It’s
something I want to pursue, and listening to other people's opinions on my life
would not lead me to follow a path that would make me happy.
For those who are aspiring writers what advice
would you give to them?
I’m still learning as I go along, and I wouldn’t
consider myself an expert, but I’d say if you love it enough just go for it.
Develop a thick skin and ignore everyone who says it’s not a good
idea. For me, writing doesn’t seem like a job or a chore. If it brings you
the same happiness, it should feel easy.
What was one mistake you learned from when you
first started out?
I’ve learnt it’s best not to rush the release
process. I had been working on my first novel for three years and by the end I
just wanted it out there which meant not everything was up to the standard I
wanted. I now delay publishing for a few hours or a day and think through whether
I have done everything. I don’t want to think of something after I hit the
button.
What author inspires you?
There are many who inspire me as I read a lot
and I’m learning all the time. However the author who has probably inspired me
the most is Julia Golding. Her books firstgot me into reading and it
wasn’t until I started reading that I considered moving away from poetry
and short stories to full length novels.
What one interesting thing that people would be
surprised to know about you?
People who don’t know me are generally quite
surprised by how loud I can be once you get to know me. Although, this can be
quite annoying as a lot of people judge me as ‘quiet’ at a glance. It is a
nice feeling when you see the shock on their face. A good example of this is
when some family members and friends watched a DVD of a drama performance of
mine. One of the reasons I took drama was to develop confidence and shock my
family as they didn’t think I could do it because I was too quiet.
It’s safe to say I was in fits of laughter as they watched me run around the
stage screaming and shouting.
Is there anything you would like to add that I
missed?
Um…thanks to everyone who has read "Deadly
to Love," I appreciate the support and if you’re even the slightest bit
interested in "Deadly to Love go buy it." You will have my
eternal gratitude! :)
A little about Mia
Mia Hoddell lives
in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or
reading and her preferred genre is Young Adult, Paranormal Romance. Before
2009, Mia wouldn't even pick up a book and was more interested in sports.
However she finally found some novels that captured her interest and developed
a love of both reading and writing. Mia began with poems and after getting two
published in separate anthologies she moved on to short stories. Although she
enjoyed this, Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so
later on she created her first series The Wanderer Trilogy and
from there other ideas have emerged which she hopes to turn into novels as
well. Elemental Killers is her second series and book two will
be out soon.
Reviews
"It was a very original idea, not to mention modern. I loved that little twist. This story had such a good plot and the story structure was sound." ~ Kacii - The Kooky Bookworm 5/5
“I read this book in one sitting as I just couldn't put it down. The story line was original, intriguing and made you feel like you were part of the action. As well as this there were many twists and turns that kept me hooked and the book was really well written with a solid plot. The book didn't reveal everything straight away which was great as it left in suspense right up until the end.” ~Lucy M 5/5
“I found that it's surprisingly original concept was quite common in real life but not so much in books. I found it a delightful read that I will look forward to reading in the future. And the new cover! Marvelous.” ~ Kathy H 5/5
“All I can say is WOW! This book was amazing and different. I love the twist and detail she used I was instantly pulled in and felt like I was there with the characters.” ~Brianna 5/5
"This book surpassed all of my expectations and kept me hooked from beginning to end. In Deadly to Love the action is constructed incredibly well, it is fast paced but filled with loads of detail that leaves everything easy to imagine and visualize." ~ Billie 5/5
More about Mia
Twitter:
No comments:
Post a Comment