Showing posts with label urban fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label urban fantasy. Show all posts

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Interview with Julie Hutchings, author of Running Home


I have a few guilty pleasures in life, and Julie Hutchings is one of them. If you don't know her, that needs to change. She is a fantastic lady, radio show host, and author extraordinaire. So naturally I was tickled when Julie agreed to come on my site for an interview! 

Julie is the author of upcoming release Running Home, which simply put is a novel about vampires but it's SO much more than that! You can read more about Running Home here Let's jump to it!

Q. What inspired the book Running Home?

The big one? Having a baby. Being pregnant and having my son made me more afraid than anything I have ever been afraid of. Not that I couldn’t do it, but that I would lose him, or my husband, that one day he would be gone. I have a horrible fear of death, for good reason, and it became enormous when I got pregnant. That’s where the idea of Ellie being followed by death came from. And then on maternity leave, I read Twilight, and wanted that kind of sense of wonder in an ordinary world that it gives you for grown ups.

Q. What was the hardest part about writing your book? The ending? The middle? Or did all of it seem to flow?

It flowed really easily for me, actually, but the hardest part was in editing, getting that first chapter right. The super horrible kill yourself hard part was going back and digging deeper to make sure that Ellie was as complex as she should be. I really struggled with ‘well, what if there’s nothing else to give her? What if this is all she is/this is all I am and it isn’t good enough?’ Ugh.

Q. How long did it take you to write?

About 4 and a half damn years. And it was all in longhand, so then I had to type the whole thing up.

Q. Do you ever dream about the characters in your book?

Nope. Those suckers know when to punch the clock.

Q. What are you reading right now?

Live and Let Drood by Simon R. Green which kicks the ass off of my ass.

Q. What is your writing habit? Wine and snacks? Music and pictures of Robert Downey Junior?

I’m not a wine girl. When I write with Kristen Strassel, there’s beer involved now. A lot. When we used to write together when she lived on the beach, though it was always coffee and hot chocolate. But just about all of my writing happens at home, and I like to get up nice and early, like 5, have a shower, a shitload of coffee, listen to music and bust it up.

Q.  What is your next release going to be? Do you know yet?

I do not! I only have a one book deal for Running Home, though it is most definitely a trilogy.

Take note, booky suitors. ;)

Q. What is your next release going to be? Do you know yet?

I do not! I only have a one book deal for Running Home, though it is most definitely a trilogy.

Q. If you could give on piece of advice to writers out there, what would it be?

Write what the hell you want. Don’t worry about the genre, about the market, about publishing. Write it because you have to write it. That’s what makes a good book.

Q. Where will Running Home be available for purchase?
The scheduled release date is July 22nd, though it looks like it may be a bit later on the press’s end. The paperback will be out early fall.

Q. Who is your favorite author?
Also by Julie Hutchings

Simon R. Green. I adore the Nightside series, and the Droods, as well as Shadow’s Fall. He’s amazing to me, such an imagination.

Lightning round:

Coke or Pepsi? I don’t ever drink soda. My karate teacher made me quit when I was 15.

M&Ms or Skittles? M&M’s

Coconut or Pineapple? Coconut
Beer or Wine? Beer, always
Hot or Cold? Hot drinks, cold weather
Being attacked by ninjas or being attacked by pirates? Pirates don’t stand a chance. Ninjas.
80’s hair or 80’s spandex jumpsuit? Spandex jumpsuit. David Lee Roth style.


Don't forget to check out Julie's new release- coming soon!

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About the Author
Julie’s debut novel, Running Home, an Urban Fantasy  giving you vampires with a Japanese mythology twist will be published by Books of the Dead Press July 22nd, 2013In the meantime, the Muscle and Wildcard of the Undead Duo is working on the sequel, Running Away, and a new and fun freakshow called The Harpy. Fear not, the Egyptian sex god, The Animal, patiently awaits a second draft. Julie revels in all things Buffy, has a sick need for exotic reptiles, and drinks more coffee than Juan Valdez and his donkey combined, if that donkey is allowed to drink coffee.  Julie’s a black belt with an almost inappropriate love for martial arts. And pizza. And Rob Zombie. Julie lives in Plymouth, MA, constantly awaiting thunderstorms with her wildly supportive husband and two magnificent boys.

How to connect with Julie:

Friday, December 7, 2012

My Next Big Thing: Bump in the Night


My Next Big Thing

hopping-bunny
I’ve been invited by the lovely Lauren Spieller to participate in My Next Best Thing! That said, I'm pumped to talk about my novel Bump in the Night.

1. What is the working title of your book?

Bump in the Night

2. Where did the idea for your book come from?

I've always been a huge fan of the macabre and of monsters. There's always been shows like Supernatural, etc where there are lots of men hunting down the things that go bump in the night... but where are the girls?! That's where the idea came from. That and years of reading Goosebumps.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

Bump in the Night is a YA urban fantasy novel with strong elements of horror.

4. What actors would you chose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I would love to see this on a big screen! This was actually pretty tough, but here's what I have:
Samantha- Ass-kicking, fearless protagonist
Troian Bellisario

Deacon- Love interest / Sheriff's son
Logan Lerman

Tyler- Deacon's best friend
David Henrie

Marcheline- Sam's best friend
Aimee Teegarden

Victoria- Sam's Mom
Reese Witherspoon

Eliza- Sam's Grandmother and Mentor
Maggie Smith

5. What is a one sentence synopsis of your manuscript?

16-year-old Samantha fights monsters as a Guardian of the Day, while trying to live her life as normal as possible and investigate her Grandmother's disappearance.

6. Will your book be self published or represented by an agency?

Agency. 

7. How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Bump in the Night was started in 2011 and finished during May 2012. I've been editing it ever since.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within the genre?

Bump in the Night is probably a cross between Spookygirl by Jill Baguchinsky and Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. I love both of these novels so so much! Also, Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs holds some similarities.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My love for writing strong female protagonists and my obsession with horror stories/monsters.

10.  What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

I think there is something for everyone in Bump in the Night. There's a love story. A mystery. Monsters and fighting. There are normal growing pains. Loss. I love my story. But then again, don't all writers? I just hope someday, other people might love it too.

Thanks so much for stopping by to check out my novel! I'm passing the torch onto one of my favorite writerly people, and one of the best writers I know: Haylee Qualls.


If you have any questions about Bump in the Night, don't hesitate to ask!