Monday, November 24, 2014

Author Interview - Heather Hamilton-Senter

 

 The Speculative Fiction Showcase interviews Heather Hamilton-Senter, author of Bound in Blue and To Make a Witch.

These days, most writers are glued to their laptops, tablets, and/or e-readers. A few still swear by print books and typewriters, the question is: Do you move at all?
Oh, I’m desperate to get a treadmill desk! I sit far, far too much.

Apple or PC?
The hubby is a tech genius and highly sought after information technologies consultant. This has landed us firmly in the PC world.

Do you use Scrivener or Word?
Word and a huge wipe board. Scrivener seems fantastic, but it just doesn’t match how my brain works. Maybe I’ll give it another try sometime.

Do you have any pets? Do they influence your writing?
No pets. (Unless you count my 7 year old son ;) )

Would you rather see your stories on the big screen or the little screen?
I love genre television and must absolutely say the small screen. The complex and ongoing storytelling in shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, The X-files, etc... is what I aspire to in my books. 

Are you hooked on any science fiction or fantasy TV shows? If so, which one(s)?
See the previous answer and add to it The Walking Dead and Gotham.

Do you own copies of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings DVDs? The extended version? Do you ever watch them?
All the DVDs, all the extended versions, all the time!

Have you seen the first two parts of the The Hobbit? Are you planning to see the final instalment?
Saw them. Didn’t love them, but will be back for the end.

You write YA fantasy, a genre that's currently experiencing something of a boom. So which are your favourite YA fantasy series/novels?
While I disliked the rest of the series, I kind of have to stand by Twilight as a book that really captured something special in YA fantasy. My favorite middle grade/YA series is The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper. I love A Wrinkle In Time, Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle Trilogy, The Hunger Games, The Riddle-Master trilogy by Patricia A. McKillip, the Dragonriders of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey, the Witchworld novels by Andre Norton. I’m kind of old-school.




In addition to being a writer, you're also a cover designer. So do you have a favourite book cover you'd like to share with us? 
Other than my own, my favorite covers are probably the 3 that I did for the Daughters of Darkness series, particular number 3. They’re deceptively simple, but actually required a great deal of digital painting.  

Are you a Luddite? Or do you prefer to be on the bleeding edge of technology?
We’re early adopters in our family when it comes to technology. I wasn’t always this way. I’d never touched a computer until I was married and my husband introduced me to a paint program. Now we each have our own office filled with computers, printers, laptops, and monitors. 

Are you--or have you ever been--a gamer?
Nope.

What kind of foods do you eat? Are you a health-food-nut or is it strictly junk?



 I’m picky, picky. I love salad and chocolate (not together).

Do you cook? What is your best/favourite/most popular recipe?
I can cook, but don’t enjoy it. 

Have you ever heard of or had a green smoothie? If you’ve ever had one, what did you think about it?
I’ve seen, but haven’t tried. I do love carrot juice though – I go orange.

Do you have a garden? Have you ever grown your own food? 
I have a pitch black thumb.

Have you ever been to Starbucks or any other coffee shop?


Rarely. I don’t drink coffee or tea, so I’m only in Starbucks if I can’t resist the allure of a big cookie, or a scone.

Coffee or Tea or Water? Espresso, Drip, Instant, or French Press? Bag or Looseleaf? Bottled, Filtered, Tap or Rainwater?


Water – tap which has been carbonated using a Sodastream machine. 

Do you wear socks?
Only in winter. 

What are you wearing right now? 
Yoga pants and loose top – all black – and socks (we got hit with snow yesterday up here in Southern Ontario, Canada).

How often do you wash your hair? 
Every day. 

Do you do your own laundry?
Unfortunately, yes.

Does life fascinate you?
 I have never, ever been bored. It drives me crazy when my kids complain of being bored. There are too many fascinating things to see, read, and think about to ever be bored! 

What would your animal totem be? 
 House cat.

Do you recycle?
Absolutely. 

Do you do Yoga? Meditation? or Deep Breathing? Does it help you cope?
I pray. And it’s the only way I cope! 

On a scale of 1-10, how eccentric are you?  
I think most people who know me would say 6, but I have a degree in Acting and manage to keep a lid on some of that eccentricity. The truth is probably closer to 8 or 9! 

What’s your astrological sign?
Libra.  

Do you consider yourself a slave to the muse? 
I wish. If I was a slave, I wouldn’t be able to find excuses to procrastinate and put off writing. The muse would whip me into shape and I’d be at work bright and early every day! 



About Heather Hamilton-Senter

Heather Hamilton-Senter grew up in a family where books of myth and legend were used to teach the ABCs and Irish uncles still believed in fairies. Raised with tall tales, she has always told stories too- first as an actor and singer, then as a photographer, and now as a writer.

Heather lives in rural Ontario, Canada raising Summer, Holly, and little Stephen to tell their own stories, cheered on by her biggest fan, her husband Steve.

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