Wednesday, May 15, 2013

[Interview] Presenting Mia Hoddell author of Deadly to Love



Today, we have something new on my blog. If hadn't guessed already from the title it's an interview with an author!


Book Nerd Paradise is thrilled to be talking about author Mia Hoddell today. Hoddell just published her third book, "Deadly to Love," and the first in her Elemental Killers Series.


I'm a fan of Mia herself. She was one of the first people to welcome me to Book Blogs, a site we're both members of. 


One great thing is that she's young and a fairly new writer in the professional world, which means she will continue to improve as she gains experience. If you decide to pick up her book and you enjoy it then you can expect even better things from her in the future. 


**A note for all you grammar bitches, ahem, I mean enthusiasts: Hoddell is from the UK, so keep in mind my fellow Americans that they spell things and use words differently than we do.


Now, enough from me. Here's a little bit about the book:


Title: Deadly to Love (Elemental Killers #1)

Author: Mia Hoddell

ASIN: B00BDQ3QGA

ISBN: 978-1-291-41025-9

Genre: YA/NA/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/Romance


Description


There is a love that is so dangerous, so powerful, so intoxicating that it embraces your heart and smothers your mind until it leaves you defenceless.


Serena knew that but still, it didn't stop her. His name was Kai. He was the most beautiful, irresistible man she had ever encountered. Their attraction was too compelling to fight and she knew she would go to the end of the world beside him. That is love.

However behind the allure was hidden a deadly secret – a secret that threatened her fragile life... But secrets best left unsaid never remain hidden forever. When Kai reveals his true identity, she is exposed to a frightening world she had no idea existed. Controlled by powerful Elemental forces her life is placed in mortal danger.
Unbeknown to them, their lives have been entwined from the beginning and it leads her to discover an even greater secret about who she really is. As the pieces begin to unravel and death becomes a reality, Serena is forced to decide what is more important...her love or life.

"Mia Hoddell used the senses well to add depth and engage me as a reader, especially during action sequences or heightened moments. I really struggled to stop reading this book!" ~ L. Morgan 5/5


Get a copy



And without further ado, here's Mia Hoddell ladies and gentlemen...


Author interview with Mia Hoddell


So tell us a little about yourself and what you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love writing and always have weird ideas floating around in my head - which is probably why I have a total of nine books planned already. On the rare moments where I am able to switch off though, I enjoy photography. So I will go walking around the countryside/forests near my house. Also, I am studying Drama, English Language and Modern Domestic History as A-levels (thankfully in my final few weeks) so my life is pretty hectic at the moment. When things calm down though I enjoy relaxing with my cats and a good book, as I also review novels.


Brief description of “Deadly to Love” your third novel:

"Deadly to Love" is a fast-paced, action packed YA/NA romance novel that has elements of paranormal, fantasy and urban fantasy in it. It also has a modern romancewith a few twists to it.

The story centers around Serena and how her world is changed when she meets Kai and finds out things are not what they appear. As secrets about both of their lives are revealed it becomes obvious the world they live in is a lot more deadly than she first thought. The fact that they have to face the Elementals together leaves her fighting for both her love and her life.


If you could cast any actress and actor as Serena and Kai who would it be?

That’s a hard question for me to answer. I have used people I know to base the characters on, I won’t say who they are though as those people aren’t aware of the fact. I’d prefer readers to create their own image of the character. Personally, when I am reading I tend to like the characters I have created myself better, so when I see the actors chosen for the movies it ruins it slightly for me.


What was your inspiration for this book?

"Deadly to Love" was originally going to just be a romance without any paranormal aspects but when I started to plan it, I just wasn’t enjoying it as much as thought I would – it felt like something was missing. I started to research possible paranormal creatures I could use, and trust me when I say I found some very surreal creatures such as a plum-headed dragon or a fishtailed goat. I had a lot of fun reading about them. I settled on the Elementals as they stood out to me as there seemed plenty of routes I could take to develop them. After delving deeper into researching them I wanted to change their history as I didn’t like the religious ties. I wanted to make them the antagonists and so started to turn them into their own species with their own motives and abandoned the heavenly aspect.

Once I had found the Elementals, everything else just kind of fell into place and I started to get really excited about the series as a whole. I used some real life experiences which helped me develop some of the narrative as I wanted to make a modern romance with new twists, but other than that, it was simply a matter of sitting down for a whole day and thinking the plot line through step by step. Like I said, the plans kind of wrote themselves with both the first and second book.


What’s next for you?

I finished the first draft of the sequel to "Deadly to Love" a few weeks ago so I’m in the process of re-drafting that right now. However, my writing is taking a backseat at the moment as I’ve had to start revising for my final A-Level exams in June. Once those are out of the way I will be releasing the sequel as soon as I can and then working on the third installment in the Elemental Killers series and a new stand-alone novel that I’m dying to get down on paper. I have a year and half off so I’m sure I’ll get a lot of writing done.


What’s one of the first things you remember writing?

I’ve always loved writing. The first thing I can remember was a poem about a giraffe named Jack when I was four. I used to have a little notebook filled with scribbled down poems and ideas that I took everywhere with me. I wrote poetry mostly, up until the age of 12. Then I moved onto short stories after getting htree poems published. I started my first novel at 14 and since then that’s what I have stuck with.


What is the best piece of advice you received from someone?

The best piece of advice I’ve received is don’t let other people get in the way of your dreams and something you love doing. I have had many people tell me that I should just go to university instead of taking a year out to write as it’s an unpredictable career that doesn’t guarantee an income. However, I am at my happiest when I am writing. It’s something I want to pursue, and listening to other people's opinions on my life would not lead me to follow a path that would make me happy.


For those who are aspiring writers what advice would you give to them?

I’m still learning as I go along, and I wouldn’t consider myself an expert, but I’d say if you love it enough just go for it. Develop a thick skin and ignore everyone who says it’s not a good idea. For me, writing doesn’t seem like a job or a chore. If it brings you the same happiness, it should feel easy.


What was one mistake you learned from when you first started out?

I’ve learnt it’s best not to rush the release process. I had been working on my first novel for three years and by the end I just wanted it out there which meant not everything was up to the standard I wanted. I now delay publishing for a few hours or a day and think through whether I have done everything. I don’t want to think of something after I hit the button.


What author inspires you?

There are many who inspire me as I read a lot and I’m learning all the time. However the author who has probably inspired me the most is Julia Golding. Her books firstgot me into reading and it wasn’t until I started reading that I considered moving away from poetry and short stories to full length novels.


What one interesting thing that people would be surprised to know about you?

People who don’t know me are generally quite surprised by how loud I can be once you get to know me. Although, this can be quite annoying as a lot of people judge me as ‘quiet’ at a glance. It is a nice feeling when you see the shock on their face. A good example of this is when some family members and friends watched a DVD of a drama performance of mine. One of the reasons I took drama was to develop confidence and shock my family as they didn’t think I could do it because I was too quiet. It’s safe to say I was in fits of laughter as they watched me run around the stage screaming and shouting.


Is there anything you would like to add that I missed?

Um…thanks to everyone who has read "Deadly to Love," I appreciate the support and if you’re even the slightest bit interested in "Deadly to Love go buy it." You will have my eternal gratitude! :)


A little about Mia

Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading and her preferred genre is Young Adult, Paranormal Romance. Before 2009, Mia wouldn't even pick up a book and was more interested in sports. However she finally found some novels that captured her interest and developed a love of both reading and writing. Mia began with poems and after getting two published in separate anthologies she moved on to short stories. Although she enjoyed this, Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so later on she created her first series The Wanderer Trilogy and from there other ideas have emerged which she hopes to turn into novels as well. Elemental Killers is her second series and book two will be out soon.


Reviews


"It was a very original idea, not to mention modern. I loved that little twist. This story had such a good plot and the story structure was sound." ~ Kacii - The Kooky Bookworm 5/5 
“I read this book in one sitting as I just couldn't put it down. The story line was original, intriguing and made you feel like you were part of the action.  As well as this there were many twists and turns that kept me hooked and the book was really well written with a solid plot. The book didn't reveal everything straight away which was great as it left in suspense right up until the end.” ~Lucy M 5/5
 “I found that it's surprisingly original concept was quite common in real life but not so much in books. I found it a delightful read that I will look forward to reading in the future. And the new cover! Marvelous.” ~ Kathy H 5/5 
“All I can say is WOW! This book was amazing and different. I love the twist and detail she used I was instantly pulled in and felt like I was there with the characters.”  ~Brianna 5/5 
"This book surpassed all of my expectations and kept me hooked from beginning to end. In Deadly to Love the action is constructed incredibly well, it is fast paced but filled with loads of detail that leaves everything easy to imagine and visualize." ~ Billie 5/5

More about Mia








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