Author Interview with Holly Schindler + Giveaway

Holly Schindler

Books:

Playing Hurt
A Blue So Dark

Website / Blog / Twitter / Buy the Book

______________________________

Star basketball player Chelsea “Nitro” Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college—and everyone’s admiration in her hometown. But everything changed senior year, when she took a horrible fall during a game. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.

As a graduation present, Chelsea’s dad springs for a three-week summer “boot camp” program at a northern Minnesota lake resort. There, she’s immediately drawn to her trainer, Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player who’s haunted by his own traumatic past. As they grow close, Chelsea is torn between her feelings for
Clint and her loyalty to her devoted boyfriend back home. Will an unexpected romance just end up causing Chelsea and Clint more pain—or finally heal their heartbreak?

___________________________________________________

Describe PLAYING HURT in five words or less.
Steamy summer romance between athletes.


Did you always know you wanted to be a writer, or did you just kind of fall into it?

I always knew—decided shortly after birth, I think. I was already writing short stories when I was about seven—seated at my child-sized rolltop desk! I illustrated them and bound them with ribbon…


When writing, what is your preferred method—longhand, on a typewriter, or on a computer? Why?

I typically write a bunch on notes, sketches, outlines, in a spiral-bound notebook (I always say those notebooks are the world’s most perfect laptops). But rather than writing the book out in notebooks, I type it on one of those NEO AlphaSmarts—it runs on AA batteries, and has no Internet capabilities—so no distractions! I can write anywhere on the thing—it’s pretty durable—and then it just transfers to my computer (I don’t have to retype that draft…though I do plenty of retyping as I revise)…


What advice would you give people who “run out of creativity” when writing?

Use it or lose it. Really—the more you write, the more creative juice you make! You really do get in this groove when you write every single day—and one idea sort of leads to another, another…


What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Are there daily writing goals you set?

I keep really long hours—anywhere from eight to as many as twelve hours a day writing. I usually think of my work in terms of pages, rather than words, and I usually set just crazy goals—Revise 100 pages today, for example. Those nearly-impossible goals really help propel me forward.


What is one question that you’ve always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Thing is, bloggers have been so incredible about these interviews…I’ve been asked so many questions that surprised me, that I really did have to think about…One thing I’ve done quite a bit that I’ve loved are character interviews. I think that’s such an inventive way to talk about a book. Love those…


Quick! Can you share 5 random things about yourself?

1. I am the best dog spoiler on the PLANET.
2. I taught piano and guitar lessons as I worked on my earliest manuscripts.
3. I am terribly nearsighted—20/700 vision—and when I was younger, I used to pick out the ugliest glasses ever in an attempt to guilt my mom into getting me contacts. Yeah. Didn’t work.
4. I’m a big live music fanatic, and met just about every hair band musician in the late 80’s, early 90’s.
5. Though my second novel is about a couple of athletes, I’m really not athletic at all—I think I could fall around corners!


What do you like to do in your spare time, when you are not writing?

I generally refer to music as my “refresh” button—whether it’s listening or playing. I also spend so much time glued to my computer screen that I’ll also jump at just about any chance to get outside in the sunshine. For some reason, I’m drawn to the water—even some muddy old creek. I tend to think a house on the lake would be heaven…


If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?

Probably a literature professor. My original goal in college was to get my PhD…after I got my master’s, though, I just HAD to give the full-time writing career my all. The PhD is on the bucket list, though…


Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

I’d just like to say thank you. Those of you who have read my work, put up blog posts, sent me emails to tell me you loved my book, I just can’t tell you how special all that is to me…You guys are the absolute best…


Thanks so much Holly Schindler for stopping by!

________________________________________________

HOLLY SCHINDLER dove headfirst into her writing pursuits after obtaining her MA from Missouri State University in 2001. Having penned a pile of drafts that literally stretched to the ceiling of her office, she was thrilled to release her debut novel, A Blue So Dark, with Flux in 2010. A Blue So Dark received a starred review in Booklist, was named one of Booklist's Top 10 First Novels for Youth, became a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year, and won a gold medal in the IPPY Awards. Her second novel, Playing Hurt, released March 8,
2011.

Thanks to Holly, I have a copy of Playing Hurt to gievaway.

Official Contest Information:
- fill out the form below to enter
- contest deadline is July 15, 2011
- must be 13 years of age or older
- contest open to US only

Author Interview: Holly Schindler

Holly Schindler

Books:

• A Blue so Dark

Website / Blog / Buy the Book

Terrified that her mother, a schizophrenic and an artist, is a mirror that reflects her own future, sixteen-year-old Aura struggles with her overwhelming desires to both chase artistic pursuits and keep madness at bay.

As her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet keeps drawing Aura toward the depths of her own imagination—the shadows of make-believe that she finds frighteningly similar to her mother’s hallucinations.

Convinced that creative equals crazy, Aura shuns her art, and her life unravels in the process.

Describe your book in five words or less.

Does art free or cripple?

Okay—so that’s a bit vague. I’ll explain. In A BLUE SO DARK, Aura Ambrose is terrified that her mother, a schizophrenic and an artist, is a mirror that reflects her own future. As the novel opens, we find Aura struggling with her overwhelming desires to both chase artistic pursuits and keep madness at bay.

As her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet keeps drawing Aura toward the depths of her own imagination—the shadows of make-believe that she finds frighteningly similar to her mother’s hallucinations.

Convinced that creative equals crazy, Aura shuns her art, and her life unravels in the process…

Essentially, for Aura, art and madness are inextricably linked. And there’s no denying that many of our great artists have been both creative AND mad…so, for her, the central question is, DOES ART FREE OR CRIPPLE?


When and why did you begin writing?

When? Ah, shortly after birth. Seriously—I was writing short stories at my child-sized roll top desk by the time I was in the first grade.

I was a painfully shy kid. The kind of shy that had me crying when my mom tried to take me to the playground, because I couldn’t stand to interact with other kids. Sometimes, I think I started writing to give myself a “voice.”


Why did you choose to write for young adults?

I decided to devote myself to my writing full-time as soon as I got my master’s degree in the spring of ’01. In order to pay those pesky bills, I taught piano and guitar lessons and offered English tutorials out of my home. As I began to interact with my students, I realized just how similar they were to the kids I went to school with…sure, the fashion’s different. When I was a teen, we talked for hours on landlines instead of texting on cells…but our experiences, at the core, are so very much the same. So many experiences, I realized, really are universal.

To reconnect with my own teen voice, I mined the notebooks and journals I kept in high school. Once I saw how similar it felt to my nearly thirty-year-old voice AND to my students’ voices, I was off and running on that first draft!

…Before teaching and tutoring, I’d been writing strictly for adults…I really have my students to thank for inspiring me to write for their age group!


Do you have a favorite theme or genre that you like to write about? Is there a genre that you’ll probably stay away from and why?

I actually hope to tackle as many different themes and genres as I possibly can…Following the release of A BLUE SO DARK in ’10, I have a second YA and an adult novel due out in ‘11. And already, my three acquired books are pretty diverse. I’ve tackled literary fiction, romance, comedy…and the book I’m currently working on now is completely different than those three! My writing interests are as varied as my reading interests. I love it ALL…love stories, horror, mysteries, adventure, literary, fantasy…


The cover is gorgeous!! What was your reaction to seeing it for the first time?

That was pretty much it: It’s GORGEOUS! Deep gasp. Goose bumps all over the place. I adore it. Completely.


What is one question that you’ve always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Hmmm…How ‘bout this: What is your greatest passion OUTSIDE of writing?

Music, music, music. My CDs and vinyl and concert ticket stubs (yeah, I’m old-school…no digital-music-playing-whats-its for me) all reveal that I’ve loved metal and bluegrass and just about everything in-between. In fact, I’m still very much like I was as a teen about my music. I find something I like and become completely obsessed. (I can play the same song over and over until my entire neighborhood knows the words.)

I can’t WRITE to it…I just get too involved in it. But if I get too bogged down in my writing…if I get muddle-brained, I can take a music break for a few minutes and feel completely refreshed and invigorated.


Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

Only that I’m in this for the long haul…I hope we spend the next SEVERAL decades becoming great friends!

__________________________________________

Thanks Holly!!