Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a total nerd. Obsessed with Marvel, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Star Wars, D.C, the list goes on. However, I also play soccer. I like to bake brownies and attempt to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie (still searching). Sometimes I play the trombone, other times I act in plays. I am interested in a lot of things. Like, a lot. But writing holds a special place in my heart. Through it I can propagate my love of reading and, hopefully, spread some great stories along the way. So far I have written one book, Two Lies and a Diamond.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Two Lies and a Diamond is a contemporary YA novel with a twist of the fantastical in it. Reading this book involves suspending your disbelief to some extent because the characters perform amazing feats of bravery, intelligence, and foolishness all within the first chapter. I was inspired to write it by the blog post I read a few years ago that said “what would your eight-year-old self be sad that you weren’t doing today?” for me, that was writing.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write one chapter at a time. When I’m making the first draft of a book, I read the previous chapter I wrote, correct small mistakes, and then write the next one. This takes HOURS. I am not exaggerating at all when I say I have stayed up till two in the morning just writing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.K. Rowling is a big one (nerd, remember), but I also quite like the style of Margaret Atwood and Lewis Carol.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a fantasy book with reversed gender roles. I took a more organized approach to planning the plot for this book than I did the last, and have every I could possibly need to know laid out in this huge white binder. I have a feeling the appendix will be more than several pages long. For more updates on my current projects, see my website.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I quite like having my own website. It gives me the space to express myself and promote my work (which I struggle with at the best of times).
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find a mentor. This can be an English teacher, author, or friend but find somebody who is able to look over your work with a critical eye without breaking your heart. For me, this has always been my Grandmother who is an excellent poet full of sage advise.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Use less adverbs.
What are you reading now?
I just finished Woman at the Edge of Time, a truly amazing novel. The flow of narration was simply gorgeous.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Just, continue writing. Authors tend to get swept up in all the extra things – design a book cover, submit to a competition, etc. Me, I want to fill an entire bookshelf with my work someday.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
True Meaning of Smeck Day, Mysterious Benedict Society, HUSH (Batman Graphic Novel and best comic book of all time), and the completed works of J.K. Rowling. I know the last one was kind of a wish-for-more-wishes situation, but I’m totally not remorseful.
Author Websites and Profiles
Hazel Kevlihan Website