KATIE HINES' BOOK, GUARDIAN, HITS THE SHELVES!

Today, I have the pleasure of hosting an upcoming star author, Katie Hines. She has a wonderful writing style and stories that kids will get excited over. Her urban fantasy novel, Guardian, has hit the shelves! It's a MUST READ!

I asked Katie to write a BIO POEM for us. Take a look at her honest reponses to the serious life questions below.


BIO POEM

Katie
Who is organized, creative and fun
Who is sister of three siblings
Who loves my husband, and two daughters
Who feels overwhelmed, blessed and joyful
Who needs more self-discipline, lots of money, a job for my husband
Who gives of self to others, thought to my purpose in life, and to my family first
Who fears not making it as a writer, the golden years, and eating too much
Who would like to see my kids married and happy
Who shares life with the man of my dreams
Who is fat with contentment
Who is a resident of South Carolina
Hines


When Katie sent me an advanced copy of her book to read for this interview, I couldn't put it down. Here's part of the email I sent her when I finished the book. "Oh my God, Katie, I love your book! Your descriptions, intricate plot, and fresh verb usage remind me of my favorite author, Cornelia Funke. You intertwine fantasy and history seamlessly to create an intriguing mystery full of exciting twists and turns. Way to go! I know you will have incredible success with this book."

Kathy: Do you create a complete profile for each of your characters? How did you come up with Grandma’s character? She was so much fun!

Katie: I did create a profile for Drew, Mattie and Javon. Then, as I got further in the book, I didn’t continue to do that, and still think I did good with them. Grandma was fun to create, and a hoot to see in action. She got dreamed up along the way.

Kathy: Your descriptions are ingenious and full of energy, Katie. Example: An early cold snap arrived with a vengeance, stealing into homes and rattling old bones. Senior citizens cornered anyone who would listen, telling that a cold Maine winter would soon follow. Snaking its long fingers through the truck window Mr. Newman kept cracked, the cold touched and chilled the three young people who rode to the ferry, Bar Harbor’s “The Pirate’s Run.” How much of this kind of writing flows out of you naturally and how much is a result of hard work and rewrites?

Katie: That kind of thing is easy to write. But keeping the story real, and the characters honest, that I work on and rewrite a lot.

Kathy: I was laughing out loud when reading the chicken escapade in chapter 5. How important is humor in a young adult novel?

Katie: I’m glad you loved that! It is one of my favorite chapters. I think if we can’t laugh, then we take ourselves much too seriously, and life is too short not to have laughter along the way, for anyone.

Kathy: I loved the many twists and turns in your plot. Usually I can guess the ending of a book or movie before it’s over. You had me guessing until the end. Did you use an outline to plan the twists, did your characters dictate the story, or did the story take on a life of its own?

Katie: I kept a story board to keep track of all the revelations and antics. Basically, I have a physical board that holds about 70 5x7 cards. I do one for each chapter, keeping track of the page numbers, the POV character, the other characters and revelations or key points for that chapter.

As far as the ending is concerned, I had something else planned, but I wanted to make it exciting and unpredictable, so I brainstormed with my husband about some ideas, and came up with the ending as it is now.

Kathy:I see that your story is birthed from the actual history of the Holy Grail and the knight’s templar. How much time went into research? How many real facts are weaved into the story?

Katie: I spent about three months researching for the book. The Templars are real, as is King Philip of France, references to pirates, the story of Perceval and the Fisher King and of course, the Grail. And, I have to point to where it all began: the Oak Island treasure mystery.

Kathy: What’s your favorite chapter of the book and why do you like it?

Katie: My favorite chapter (next to the chickens) is the story of Perceval and the Fisher King. I like it because it is in storytelling mode, the subject is interesting, and it was something that enriched the story that I wouldn’t have put in there if I hadn’t done all the research that I did do. I think it added a lot to the story.

Kathy: What was your experience in looking for a publisher? Was there much editing required when the ms went to the publisher?

Katie: While I was writing “Guardian” I kept an eye out for publishers who might be interested in the type of story that “Guardian” is. When I finally quit editing “Guardian,” I chose the top three companies, and sent them query letters. It was rejected by the first one. The second said they didn’t feel comfortable editing kid’s stuff, but passed it along to another editor, 4RV Publishing, who did pick the book up.

You can edit forever. I finally had to make a decision to stop, and submit! Then was the real work of editing for the publisher.

Kathy: What are your favorite young adult novels and authors? What have you learned from these authors that you see appearing in your own books?

Katie: Because I am a lover of fantasy, my very favorite author is Terry Brooks. He has a fantastic imagination, and creates wonderful stories. He wrote an autobiography entitled, “Sometimes the Magic Works.” I love that phrase, and have tried to make sure that that is true of my book.

Kathy: Thank you for stopping by today on your book tour and sharing with us some insights to the writing of your YA Urban Fantasy, Guardian. Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of her book

Katie Hines Links:
Publisher - http://4rvpublishingllc.com
Website - www.katiehines.com
Blog - http://katiehines.blogspot.com

Kathy Stemke's websites:
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http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
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