There’s something incredibly compelling about this author and the world is just about to partake in an exciting uncovering. As soon as one sits down to read Miss England's first debut middle grade novel, Discovering Harold, they're just going to fall in love with the story she created and released for all to experience. Start getting to know this talented, young author, who is destined for stardom, with her very first interview:
Q. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
A. I like to read and draw.
Q. What do you think makes a good story?
A. Action and a little bit of mystery, conquest and excitement. I think those things make good stories, but you don’t have to have all of them at the same time.
Q. What do you want to do when you grow up?
A. Be a Mom and a writer.
Q. What book are you reading now?
A. Ivanhoe and Pollyanna Grows Up, plus lots of school books.
Q. Do you have a favorite theme/genre to write about?
A. Animals, particularly wild cats.
Q. What strange writing habits do you have (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?
A. I sit in the corners of my bedroom and write. I have to change the corner I sit in every week or so, depending on how much I write. It helps me think better.
Q. What are you working on now? (What might we see coming soon??? See picture to right -- it's a clue!)
A. A lion story, and I recently finished a book about cheetahs that is in the editing stages.
Q. What is your next project?
A. A dolphin story that takes place on the coast of Australia.
Q. How long did it take you to write your book?
A. I had the idea when I was about senen, but I started writing it when I was 10. I put it away for about 2 years while I was learning other things like swimming, sewing, and cooking. I forgot about it, actually. Then about a year and a half ago, I looked at the story again, and I thought it was dumb, so I began to rewrite it. I finished it last spring. So, I guess it took me about three years, with a lot of breaks in between.
Q. What message is in your book you want readers to grasp, if any?
A. Nothing, really. I just wanted to write a good story.
Q. Talk about your cover; how it came to be.
A. My brother Alex drew the illustrations. One of the illustrations for inside the book was supposed to be the man bandaging Harold’s leg and carrying him off the meadow. Well, my brother misunderstood and he drew Harold with his leg bandaged inside the man’s home in front of the fire. I really liked the illustration, so we decided to use it for the cover instead of inside the book.
Q. Were there any challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing your book to life?
A. No, it was pretty easy. [Mom inserts note here -- Hannah had the easy part of writing the book, but the self-publishing process, formatting, et cetra was a bit of a hassle.]
Q. What’s your favorite part about Discovering Harold (try not to give any spoilers)?
A. The parts where he keeps eating their food.
Q. Talk about your homeschooling experience.
A. It’s pretty easy. I like working at my own pace in things. If I’m behind in something, I can always go back and not be kept back. I can spend the extra time on something if I need to, and then move on. There are a few distractions, but that is not my fault. It is mostly from my brother, Alex.
Q. Make any other comments you’d like readers to know about you and your aspirations for writing.
A. I was inspired to write the story about Harold from the book The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. I recommend everyone read that book. I love it, but my favorite book is White Fang by Jack London. One of my goals is to right novels like Swiss Family Robinson, the length of it, not really the idea.
Read Discovering Harold today
The author is located at the following links:
Amazon page: http://amzn.to/1Pna0y3
Discovering Harold - book: http://amzn.to/1Pnae84