Hey there folks!

Got a couple of Author Interviews lined up back to back for you all, so why don’t we indulge in some wild wonderful worlds of words with some very talented authors.

First up is author H.M. Gooden, who has established herself with an entire Fantasy series, so let’s find out more about this epic universe as soon as possible!

Thanks for reading and as always, have fun people! 🙂

 

Hi there HM, a sincere pleasure to have you here today to discuss your novels, along with your own passions, influences and writing experiences.

Let’s start first with all of your books. You have several novels in your Fantasy series for us to check out. Please begin with telling us about the plot and themes of all your books.

Sure, here are their summaries.

Dream of Darkness – Rise of Light Series Book 1

Tired of moving yet again, Cat McLean finds herself in the town of Valleyview when her dad is transferred to a new job. Along with her older sister Vanessa, she must find a way to fit into another new school for what feels like the millionth time. And if that wasn’t enough to deal with, shortly after their move, Cat and Vanessa are involved in a near-fatal car accident. Waking to find that she has the ability to see auras and to heal others, Cat is horrified to also discover an ancient evil that means to destroy her new home. Cat must join forces with her sister and a new friend to defeat it, or die in the attempt. Will she learn how to harness her new powers before the darkness comes for them? Or will she succumb to the darkness she fears?

The Stone Dragon – Rise of Light Series Book 2

Cat has finally settled into her new town and is happy with her life just the way it is. Until the day that her friend Evelyn shows up on her front step, with a recurring nightmare that began after they defeated Declan. A dark stranger surrounded by fire and destruction tortures her every night, and in order to help her, Cat must discover the truth about the dark man and his origins. This time, they must face a much older evil on new ground. With the addition of a new ally, the girls will stand against the darkness together. Will they be victorious, or will they fall to his power the way so many others have?

The Phoenix and the Witch – Rise of Light Series Book 3

Fresh from their triumph against Dub in San Francisco, the girls are content to return to their normal lives, unaware that their fight against the darkness is not over.

Although they succeeded in destroying their previous adversaries, another threat has risen in a far away country. This time, they must travel to Edinburgh to confront the darkest of all evils.

The origin.

As the conclusion to this trilogy, this adventure will set the course for everything in their lives and they will learn that even their friends may not be what they seem.

Will they succeed in fighting back the dark or will they be left irrevocably changed?

Dragons are Forever – Rise of Light Series Book 4

Mai has everything. Friends, a job, and a loving boyfriend. But just when life is perfect, he pops the question. Suddenly, everything changes. Once Jake declares his undying love, their journey of discovery begins. Swept up in a sea of adventure, Mai will travel to Norway to meet the most dreaded creatures in the world-the inlaws. Along the way, Mai will battle all manner of supernatural creatures to get to the altar, only to find that this is just the beginning. Life as she knows it will never be the same.

The Raven and the Witch Hunter – Rise of Light Series Book 5

Vanessa lives a charmed life as the rising star in a hit new TV series. She has family and friends that love her, as well as the secret perk of having air magic and being able to turn into a raven and fly away if things get stressful. But when her best friend moves away and a mysterious woman enters her life warning her of impending danger, her perfect life takes an unexpected turn. Not only is Vanessa confronted with the very real threat of someone trying to kill her, but her own emotions will become inexplicably tangled. What is it about this Witch Hunter that breaks every rule Vanessa has for herself? And what the heck is she supposed to do about it?

If you could invite any one of your characters to dinner, which one would it be and what would you cook for them? (Since you have multiple different novels, feel free to pick more than one if you prefer 😊)

Oh I’d love to have Cat and Vanessa over for pizza and a Harry Potter marathon! And no cooking- take out so much tastier!!

If any of your novels were to be made into films (or even a TV series), who would you cast in the lead roles?

Oh wow! Well, that is so tough! If I could make a few adult film stars teens again it would be easier. Like if Dream of Darkness was made into a movie, Vanessa would be a young Catherine zeta jones and Cat would totally be a teenage Julia Roberts.

What would you choose as your own personal mascot or spirit animal when it comes to you and your style of writing?

My mascot? Likely a minion haha! I love stream of consciousness and humour, and they do that well!

Minions from the film Despicable Me

What do you think most characterizes or defines your writing? Do you have any writing quirks or themes that constantly crop up in your stories?

I have noticed when I’m hungry they tend to eat, and when I write cold they have tea. As I live in Canada, there is a lot of hot tea or chocolate in my books!

What do you find the most difficult thing about writing? And what do you find the easiest?

The most difficult part for me is finding enough time to get it all done! The easiest part is the ideas – I have a list of 60 right now, and I could write an entire novel on most of them!

Who are some of the authors, musicians, poets and/or historical figures that inspire you?

I love strong women like Marie Curie, or early female physicians, too many to name, who did what they had to despite the barriers and stereotypes. I love poets and authors who wrote at times they weren’t supposed to – like Aphra Ben, who was an amazing female playwrite before Shakespeare’s time.

Do you listen to music when you are writing and if so, then what type of music do you listen to?

I can’t because I end up singing every time! I usually write in silence, so the voices are clear lol.

What sort of research do you do to write your books?

I have travelled to many countries that pop up in my books, as well as reading voraciously since childhood. I do spend time with touching up my myths and legends.

Why do you write? What inspired you to become a writer?

I write because I love it! I was in love with reading from day one and have been driven to write at various times in my life to attempt. It finally stuck when the last kid was ten months old and I was awake at 2 am and figured now was the best time to start. Once I started, I couldn’t stop!

What keeps you motivated during creative slumps? How do you deal with Writers Block?

I haven’t had a slump yet – exhaustion yes! So when I’m tired, I take a break and let myself relax and then start again.

You have access to a time machine. What advice would you give to your younger self?

It’s OK – you’ll get there!

How do you spend your free time when you are not writing?

Free time? Ummmmm I don’t really have much of that! Kids, work, family and sometimes reading if I’m lucky.

What are you views on audiobooks and would you consider having your novels made into audiobooks? If so, then who would you get to narrate them?

I love audiobooks! I would definitely consider making mine into audio and I’d love to narrate then, but if it wasn’t me I would love to have someone I could see as Cat narrate. Who that is, I’m not sure yet.

Tell us more about your upcoming projects. Are you working on anything specific or have plans in the pipeline?

I have a new shared world with J.A. Culican, a YA Fantasy and I will be writing in that series over the next year, and I have 3 more books in the process of editing for the Rise of the Light series, and another spin-off trilogy due soon!

Finally, are there any nuggets of wisdom that you can impart to other aspiring writers?

Just start. We spend so much time making excuses for why we can’t do something, or planning what we’ll do that we never start. You can always change what you’ve written but not if you haven’t written something first!

And that’s a wrap! Thank you ever so much for joining us HM, we can’t wait to go escape to your fantastically crafted worlds soon 🙂

Bio:-

H. M. Gooden has been scribbling on everything since she first learned how to hold a pencil. While often told that her handwriting was atrocious, she persisted, and upon discovering computers and learning how to type, she realized that she was no longer limited by her (admittedly) messy writing.

Unfortunately, life and work and family have conspired to make it only possible to write in the wee hours or at coffee shops, so most of her love of reading and writing are indulged at times when only vampires and insomniacs abound.

Beginning in October of 2017, her love of writing and the characters in the world she has created burst into public view in her first book, Dream of Darkness, which follows the adventures of a group of girls fighting evil with abilities that H. M. Gooden would love to have. As a result, 4 am has become even busier trying to find out what will happen to her paranormal buddies in the future, and book six, seven and eight are in the works.

You can connect with her via the following Social Media channels:-

Bookbub:- H.M. Gooden – Author (Bookbub)

Facebook:- H.M. Gooden – Author (FB)

Goodreads:- H.M. Gooden (Goodreads Author)

Instagram:- @hmgoodenauthor (Instagram)

Twitter:- @HMGoodenauthor (Twitter)

Website:- The Website of Author H.M. Gooden

You can buy her books here:-

Buy H.M. Gooden’s books in the UK/Europe

Buy H.M. Gooden’s books in the US/Rest of the World

If you too would like to be interviewed on my blog at TooFullToWrite and you have a book or a series of books that you would like us to chat about then fill out the Contact Me form here with your details and we can arrange a future interview slot.