We LOVE Colleen Hoover. Reading a book by this author reminds us why we like to read in the first place. She is sooo talented. Her words easily pull us into the story and transport us in to the character's world. She takes us on a journey that makes us feel every emotion. There is witty banter, humor, lust, heartbreak, devastation and redemption and love. My favorite thing about reading her books is that they are unpredictable. Since Kara and I are such huge fans, we asked Colleen Hoover for an interview so we could find out more about her as a person. I about peed my pants when she actually responded to my request!! Hope you enjoy her responses as much as we did. And if you haven't read her books, what are you waiting for??
What is your typical day like?
I can't say there is a such thing as a typical day for me. I stay pretty busy. When I'm at home, I spend most of the day locked up in my office. This year I've had so many book signings that I also spend a good portion of my days traveling and attending those signings. This career is really a 24/7 commitment, so I'm always focused on work. Of course, I always set aside time to spend with my family.
Coffee, tea, pop or water?
DIET PEPSI. Wait. No. I quit Diet Pepsi.
Let me explain. I have been addicted to Diet Pepsi for, well, a really long time. My sister has spent the last ten years trying to convince me how bad the aspartame and other chemicals in diet sodas are for me. So, I recently decided to work on weening myself off the DP. They sell this really delicious stuff at Wal-Mart called Sparkling Ice. It has zero calories and it's delicious. It has some ingredients that I'm unfamiliar with. They're probably just other chemicals that in five years we'll find out are just as bad as aspartame. But until then, that's my answer! Lol.
Dancing - in your seat, on the dance floor, on top of the bar or not at all?
Not at all. Well, unless of course there's some wine and a karaoke machine around.
Tell us 5 people you'd like to have dinner with (alive/dead, sister/friend/kids).
Paul Rudd
George Gergenblatt (from Wanderlust, played by Paul Rudd)
Peter Klaven (from I Love You, Man, played by Paul Rudd)
Chuck (from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, played by Paul Rudd)
Anyone who can get Paul Rudd to have dinner with me.
What are your favorite books/authors?
I have come to know so many great authors since this career started, so it's hard to narrow it down. However, a couple of books I read when I first started writing that really moved me are The Fault in our Stars by John Green and The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay.
What is your secret obsession?
........diet pepsi. (Shh, don't tell anyone, I'm supposed to be quitting.)
What/who was your inspiration to write your first book?
My mom. My first book was intended to be nothing more than a Christmas gift to her. She encouraged me to write my whole life so I am forever grateful to her for that.
What books/authors influence your writing? Is there someone you consider your mentor?
Not really. To be honest, I hadn't really even read many YA/NA books before I wrote Slammed. I had no idea I was writing a YA book. Genre wasn't even something I considered. I just wrote, and Slammed is what we ended up with!
Any unexpected pro's/con's to publishing your books?
I think it was all unexpected. Before I signed on with Atria, I didn't really know what the differences were between self-publishing and traditional publishing. When you are self-published, you are in complete control. But that also comes along with a lot of extra stress. There are plenty of wonderful things about self-publishing, but I'm grateful for the support I get from my publisher.
Will you continue to self publish?
Probably. Atria only publishes books intended for a very specific target audience. If I ever decide to branch out from NA/YA, and the book is not a good fit for Atria, that may be an opportunity to self-pub again.
Do you write yourself into any of the characters in your books? And if so, WHO??
No, I've never written myself into any of my characters. For the most part,they are purely fictional. However, Kel, from the Slammed series, is loosely based off of my own sons. I have a son named Cale, which is how I came up with the name Kel. And many of the things Kel does in the book are things my kids have actually done. For example, using kool-aid to make a snowman look bloody, calling lasagna "basagna", and talking backwards. Also, my husband's first name is William, but he goes by his middle name. I didn't intentionally name Will after my husband, but I'm sure I subconsciously did.
Who was your favorite character to write & why?
Daniel and Six were both really fun to write. Six is from Hopeless and Losing Hope,and Daniel is just in Losing Hope. (Since we got the interview responses, Colleen Hoover released Finding Cinderella, a novella featuring Daniel and Six. And it's FREE!!)
Do you write the stories from beginning to end? Or does inspiration sometimes strike out of order?
I mostly write from beginning to end, but sometimes I will think of something I want to go back and change or add to a part I've already written.
Do you decide the title and then write the book, or write the book and then come up with a title?
I usually come up with the main points of the story in my head, then think of the title, then start writing.
How did you come up with the covers for your books? Is it difficult to work with someone to turn your vision into an actual cover?
The original covers were just designed by me through CreateSpace using free images they have to offer. Hopeless was designed by Sarah Hansen with Okay Creations. I kind of just let her take the reigns with that one and she did a wonderful job. The newer covers for Slammed and Point of Retreat, as well as This Girl and Losing Hope, were all designed by Atria. It hasn't been very difficult to work with any cover designers thus far. They basically put together a cover for me, I tell them what I do and don't like about it, and they tweak it until it's right.
What is the most challenging part of writing/publishing a book?
It takes SO. MUCH. TIME. I love every minute of it, but sometimes I just wish there were more hours in the day (don't we all?). Seriously, if someone would go ahead and invent a pill that prevents us from ever needing sleep again, yeah, that'd be great. Kthx.
Who would you cast to play Will and Lake if Slammed makes it to the movies? Any updates on movie production of your books?
Some people have suggested Bryce Draper or Ian Harding for Will. Readers have also suggested either Phoebe Tonkin or Emma Stone as Lake.
<<< Bryce Draper. I approve!
Do you plan to write any other genres (edgy, racy, more adult or paranormal??)? Will you use a pen name if you do take on a different genre?
Yes. Probably nothing paranormal, but I am working on something a little more racy and adult, called Ugly Love. Unfortunately, it doesn't come out until next year, so you'll have to be patient! :)
When I first started writing, this wasn't something I thought about. I was writing for my mom. That was it. Now, I guess my target audience is young adults, because that's the category most of my books fall under. But honestly, I have readers of all ages and even some men like my book. I really just write what's in my head and in my heart and hope that some people will enjoy it.
If you had to do it all over again - become an author - would you do anything differently?
Heck no! I don't regret a single moment of the last 20 months.
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Amazon Buy Links:
Finding Cinderella (free book!!)
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Post a comment below and I'll pick a winner Thursday, 10/31/2013, to get one (your choice) of Colleen Hoover's books in e-book format. Tell us your favorite Colleen Hoover book, character, scene or anything Colleen Hoover related!!
