Interview posted on YA Booklover Blog

I had the chance to be interviewed by for the YA Booklover Blog.

Here's how it went:

The Interview

1. Okay, I ask this question every time. I am a huge name fanatic, and I just have to know - how did you come up with the names for your characters?

For the vast majority of my characters, the meaning of their names relates to them as a character in some way. For example, Rinan means "rain". One definition of Eliana refers to the "sun". Abrecan means "storm". This takes some research on my behalf, but I think it adds a layer of depth to the story.


2. When you were younger did you like writing? Or did it come over time?

My first short story was written in 4th grade. It became one of a series of short stories called "The Chronicles of Space Adventure". Catchy title, eh? I have dyslexia, so spelling has been something of a mystery to me. It wasn't until word processor software came out that I felt like I could write without having to look up every other word on how to spell it. Like anything, you get better at it over time.

3. How did you come up with the title for your book?

The title, The Hidden Sun, came to me very late in the writing process. I had no idea what I was going to name my novel for the longest time. There is a lot of symbolism in the book dealing with the sun and rain. And without giving anything away, the name holds a double meaning. Once I decided on The Hidden Sun, it just felt right. From there, it inspired me to come up with the names of the next two books: The Waxing Moon and The Zealous Star.

4. What do you think about the cover of your book? Did you have any say in it?

I love the cover. It think it stands out from many of the covers that are "in vogue" right now. I had given my publisher some basic ideas I had for the cover, and they took it from there. Overall, the response has been very positive for the cover.

5. What is your favourite part of being an author?

I'll have to say it's a tie between two things. First, I love the creative aspect of it. When I'm in full writing mode, the world around me disappears. I become part of the story--and I try to imagine how my characters are feelings when they dealing with whatever situation I've put them in. Second, it's rewarding to see comments from readers that I was able to cause an emotional reaction in my writing. I've had people tell me how much they hate the villain. I've had people tell me how much they love the hero. I've had people tell me they've stayed up late to finish the book because they had to see how things ended. Most of all, I enjoy when people "get" the message I'm trying to tell.