I would like to welcome my special guest:
Larissa Hinton
Tell us about you.
The young adult fantasy and paranormal romance author, Larissa Hinton, grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia and Chesapeake, Virginia. She now lives in northern Virginia, but she always looks forward to going back to the sweet smell of the salty ocean. Larissa has always loved writing since the age of 12 and hasn’t stopped since. After many years of writing whimsical tales of romance and fantasy, she is now proud to be a self-published author. When she’s not writing, she’s teaching English at a local middle school. When seen out of the classroom, Larissa is shopping for the next great Wii game, searching for undiscovered treasure (a.k.a. sparkly jewelry) and plucking some fresh fruits (or vegetables, dependent on the year) out of her small garden. Larissa Hinton is currently author of Everblossom: A Short Story and poetry Anthology. However, be on the lookout for Angel Diaries (a paranormal romance) and Everblossom 2: A Second Anthology of Short Stories and Poems! If you want to know more about this author and her sarcasm, then check out her blog (http://teacherwritebookaholicohmy.blogspot.com/) and click on FAQs.
Tell us about your book.
Everblossom: A Short Sort and Poetry Anthology is a collection of short stories and poems that explore the three stages of a flower that correlates to the human different stages of life but with a paranormal and fantasy twist. Here’s more information about it in the blurb:
An anthology that will quench your thirst for more than the ordinary.
Everblossom is a journey through poems and short stories that may seem ordinary on the surface but dig a little deeper and the world not only shifts . . . It changes.
The author who brought you Iwishacana/Acanawishi, now brings you a dash of everything from dark fantasy to the paranormal to romance. So prepare yourself to delve into the three stages of the flower from bud to blossom then back to seed; you’ll go through them all with a whole new perspective on what it all truly means.
What motivated you to write this particular story?
Funny enough, there wasn’t any inspiration at all! I know, such a bad answer for a writer, but I am telling the truth. You see, I was taking a Creative Writing class and for the first time ever, I had to write short stories. Before this point in my life, I never wrote a short story but I found something funny about it: I loved it. I was able to delve into the characters I loved, create new stories that would inspire bigger ideas, and it was a way to play with the inner thoughts that floated my mind. Even at one point, my professor told me that all of my novel ideas were really short stories. Granted, at that time, I did not appreciate him saying that, but some of my ideas were short stories. I just never knew it.
The poems in the anthology however, were inspired by mostly my personal life. And other times, by the urge to write it down. I don’t think I could fully explain it properly, but when an idea hits me, it’s like lightening and I’m alert and aware that a poem is in me that needs to be written. I’ve literally tried to go asleep with that feeling, but I couldn’t. I had to write it down into poetic form. It doesn’t happen so often (like once or twice a month) but when it happens, I have to write that poem down or I can’t think straight.
Oh, and one of the poems, In Death You Speak, it was inspired by boredom in class. I was sitting in one of the English Literature classes listening to them drone on and on about something, so I wrote a poem instead of listening. 
I know. I’m horrible. A-soon-to-be English teacher not paying attention in an English classroom? Shocker.
What can readers expect when they open your book(s)?
Three words: Creatures. Mayhem. Love.
What makes your book(s) unique?
I think the fact that I mixed short stories and poetry together combined with my writing style makes book unique.
Where do you get your ideas?
Everywhere and nowhere. Ideas just land in my lap and it becomes my duty to bring them to light.
Are you an avid reader? Anything that you reading right now? Why did you chose that particular book(s)?
Absolutely. I’m reading three books at this current time actually, two books are teacher books and one is a fantasy book called Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. I picked the two teacher books (which names are escaping me) because I’m on my way to transitioning from student to teacher. Very soon, before I will know it, I’ll be moving to a foreign city and teach students. Therefore, I need to make sure I have a game plan (also known as a lesson plan) before I start teaching. I’m reading Incarceron by Catherine Fisher because I like the concept but I’m struggling to imagine it for some reason. In other words, I like books that challenge just enough to keep me interested. Especially plot wise.
Who are your favorite authors?
Top five: Shel Silverstein, Meg Cabot, Andrea Cremer, Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Bruce Coville
Are you currently working on a project?
Yes, it’s called Angel Diaries which is a YA paranormal romance novel. Here’s a sneak peek of the rough blurb:
Lindsey’s life couldn’t have been any more ordinary. So, she had two guys fighting over her, a psychic friend and a school dominated by Goths but, other than that, life was good. That is until horrible nightmare start about her mother being ripped apart by a monster changed her life from the inside out. Literally. Her whole world was full of lies. She’s not even human. She’s an Angel.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as a writer?
Saying goodbye to traditional publishing limitations and inquiries. Releasing myself from their validation. It’s absolute freedom to say goodbye to traditional publishing. Not for good, but not using someone else’s measurements of success or great writing to say that I’m a great writer and I don’t need your validation. All I need is to write and find my own audience my own way through self-publishing. That’s my greatest accomplishment and one of the best damn decisions I’ve ever made.
Have you experienced any setbacks for your writing along the way? If so, will you share these with us and how you overcame them?
Absolutely. I’ve been stuck in a writer’s block for four to five years. The only advice I could give to somebody to try to overcome writer’s block is to keep writing and never to give up.
What advice do you have for others who are trying to get published or going self published?
The first piece of advice I would give to an newbie writer is to never give up. I really cannot stress this enough to writers.
It seems like defeat is fate for writers. Traditional publishers and agents are dishing out rejection slips as if it’s the new hottest trends. Self-publishing seems like giving up on your dreams altogether.
But reconsidering your options, doing research on your plans in publishing and joining a support writing group makes all the difference.
Throughout your writing career, just remember to never give up. Never give up and believe in your talent, and from there you’ll know where to go.
Can you explain your writing process?
I can try. Basically, I come up with an idea. A sudden glimmer or insight into a life that could be interesting to write. It sticks in my brain, it rolls and rattles through trying to pick up the lost pieces. I write these pieces as I continue on my journey. It could be while I’m driving through traffic, standing in line or even talking to my family. I make notes wherever I go about the scattered pieces. Then after a while I try to fit them together like a giant puzzle piece. Then I start outlining the story one piece by one piece. Then I write it down, word by word. Sometimes, I go back to fix somehting that doesn’t sound like the character. And other times, the character changes the story into something I could never see in the first place. Then I continue writing until it is completed.
Any fun facts your are willing to share?
Fun fact: I use to write on the type writer until it ran out of ink.
Social Media
Twitter: @FeedMyNeedL
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Feed-My-Need-For-A-Good-Read/246525292064861
Blog: http://teacherwritebookaholicohmy.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141087.Larissa_Hinton
What format does your book(s) come in?
Ebook and print
Links to your books?
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/80600
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/everblossom-larissa-hinton/1104907595
Contact Information
Email: pocahantas89@yahoo.com
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