Author Interview:
1. Are you a pantser or a plotter? I’m definitely a pantser. I can probably count on one hand (with fingers left over) the amount of times I’ve plotted out my books. I think it reminds me too much of forced outline writing in college! I like to just sit down with music and write until I stop. Or fall asleep (FYI: kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk does not count as novel writing, haha).
2. What authors have inspired you to write? I am inspired by the passion and commitment of JK Rowling and her ability to create entire worlds with their own laws, rules, games, and forces or good an evil. Robert A. Heinlein inspires me with the foresight and creativity he showed science fiction in 1950s and 1960s. And, of course, George R.R. Martin inspires me with this spunk, sass, and commitment to writing the way he wants to write.
3. How important are names to you in your book? For me, naming a character is like naming a child. You’re going to be with this person for the entirety of your book/series. Try going outside and yelling the character name over and over again. If you don’t get sick of it, that’s the name you should go with. This is also how my husband and I named our second child.
4. Is there a certain type of scene that’s hard for you to write? I’m bad with sex scenes. For the sex scene in the first historical novel I wrote, I couldn’t even bring myself to look at the screen while I typed.
5. What is With Me Now about? With Me Now is about Madison Monroe, a college student on her first archeological dig. She’s working in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and finds something buried on the battlefield she didn’t expect to find.
6. How much research did you do? I’ve been Civil War reenacting since 2001 and met my husband at Gettysburg, so I’m very familiar with every nook and cranny of the battlefield. In 2004, my husband and I were volunteers at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in the living history department. For approximately two days, I worked on an archeological dig and, from that, this novel was born. Most of the research I did was archeological terminology and techniques of speaking/interacting with ghosts.
7. What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors? Never quit. It’s too easy to get frustrated: with writing, editing, submitting, rejection. If this is what you want, work for it! Believe in your idea and your writing.
8. What are you working on now? Right now, I’m working on the sequel to With Me Now, toying around with two other paranormal romances, and one historical. There’s always another Chapter 1!
9. And finally, two just for fun: If you wrote a book about yourself, what would the title be? Probably something along the lines of, “So this happened….”
10. What are five adjectives you feel describe you? Loving, nerdy, awkward, rambunctious, and groovy
Excerpt:
Heather Hambel Curley is a 2004 graduate of Robert Morris University, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in Communications. She’s been writing since the fourth grade, but didn’t get serious with writing until she reached her thirtieth birthday (metabolism went down, determination to write went up!). With Me Now is her debut novel. Her historical fiction novel, Anything You Ask of Me will be released in August 2015. Heather currently resides in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not writing or working as a disability claims analyst at an insurance company, she enjoys traveling and training to run 5ks. She also enjoys white wine, One Direction, and getting tattoos.
Twitter: @Heather_Curley
To purchase book: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/
Thank you so much for having me on your blog! It's been a fantastic first few weeks as a published author. Please feel free to stop by my blog anytime!
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