Katie Hines – Guardian
Q: What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?
Author: I think that we all wonder, at some point, about our destiny, our purpose in life. “Guardian” is a story about a boy who is faced with both. It is encased in the vehicle of middle grade urban fantasy, but is there nonetheless.
Q: How long did the book take you from start to finish?
Author: Three years.
Q: What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?
Author: Knowing what was going to happen next.
Q: What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
Author: That it still takes a lot of time, from the time the contract is signed, to produce the finished book.
Q: Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?
Author: There is a chapter in the book dealing with chickens. I had a great time writing that chapter and laughed all the way through it. I hope my readers will as well.
Q: What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?
Author: Well, of course, I want them to be entertained, but I also hope that I given them one way of looking at their own place and purpose in life.
Q: What projects are you currently working on?
Author: I have two chapter books about an old lady called Grandma Helga who has adventures with her grandsons that I’m working on. I also am working on a young adult book, “My Name is Bib,” and another middle grade urban fantasy.
Q: Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?
Author: Writing is my sole career…but it always comes after family.
Q: Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?
Author: I did a lot of research for “Guardian.”
Q: How did you come up with your title?
Author: One has to read the book to understand.
Q: What books have influenced you the most?
Author: A fantasy series by Terry Brooks, the first of which was “The Sword of Shannara.”
Q: Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?
Author: 4RV Publishing. While I was writing my book, I was a part of several forums. I would happen across publishers that I thought would be interested in my book, and saved them to a file. When I was ready to submit, I went through my file and chose the first three publishers. 4RV Publishing was my second choice.
Q: What did you do to prepare – such as research – to write your book?
Author: I read, read, read, books about writing: characters, plot, beginnings, POV, and so forth. Then I did a ton of research into my topic, which included online research about the Knights Templar, the Oak Island Treasure story, and buying books which also dealt with the same subjects. It wasn’t until I did all that that I began to write my book.
Q: How did you decide which information to present in your book?
Author: This was kind of interesting. I found that the depth of knowledge that I had gained through my research aided considerably in adding depth and richness to my story, and I was able to interview history into the context. I was very pleased with the way that turned out.
Q: Did you seek the support of a writer’s group or class?
Author: Absolutely. I know that my book would not have been accepted were it not for the vetting I got through my critique group and with the aid of an individual critique partner.
Q: What can we look forward to in your next book?
Author: My next book is another middle grade urban fantasy, and I’m excited about it. It will be another story full of twists and turns, and what I hope are memorable characters. It is entitled, “Glassblower.”
Thank you for taking the time to be part of this interview!
To learn more about the book and Author, please visit – http://katiehines.com/
