An Interview, An Author, and a Magic 8 Ball: P.J. Hoover

The next author in my interview series is P.J. Hoover. Up until a few months ago, I didn't know much about P.J. Sure, I'd heard her name over the years, but it wasn't until I connected with her on Facebook that we found out we have a lot of unusual things in common (a love of Star Trek, to name one).

I've also read Solstice and really enjoyed it, so I'm excited to host P.J. on my blog today. I think you'll love reading her answers to my questions!

PJ: Thanks so much for letting me be here! I’m excited to meet your blog readers. :)

MJ: Tell me a bit about your novel, SOLSTICE, in your own words - not the official synopsis.

PJ: SOLSTICE is set at least eighteen years in the future when global warming is basically killing the earth. This girl, Piper, gets a mysterious box as a present for her eighteenth birthday, and her entire world shifts. She discovers that, in addition to her global warming world, there’s this world of mythology, and somehow she’s deeply connected to it. Her mother is psychotic and won’t give her any freedom, so when Piper gets a rare opportunity for freedom, she seizes it. And the next thing she knows, her best friend almost dies, she visits the Underworld, and gods are walking the earth. And that’s only in the first eighty pages. :)

MJ: Did you pants or plot while writing your first draft?

PJ: I’m kind of a half and half person. For SOLSTICE, I plotted out general ideas of what I wanted to have happen in the story, and then, while writing, I totally diverged from this plot. And I love when this happens. In fact, I’ve come to count on it while writing, because I think these inspired breaks from the plan really bring something special.

MJ: What’s your next release going to be?

PJ: I. Don’t. Know.

Okay, that’s not quite fair. Most likely, my next release will be the sequel to SOLSTICE, but I’m still in the revision stage for that, so it won’t be until next year.

MJ: Now for the fun stuff. I sent P.J. eight questions and asked her to answer three. She answered all eight! BONUS!

If you were trapped on a deserted island and you could only bring three books, what would you bring?

PJ: Wait, does the Nook count as one book? Okay, seriously, I’d bring the three longest books I could find on my bookshelf. Probably CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, WAR AND PEACE, and Dante’s INFERNO.

MJ: Who is your celebrity crush?

PJ: Thor. He was the perfect mix of arrogance and humility.

MJ: What is your favorite color?

PJ: Red.

MJ: Wolves or vampires or zombies? 

PJ: I guess vampires, though I’m not much on any of them.

MJ: What do you wear when you write?

PJ: Since I go to Kung Fu most mornings, lots of the time, I am still in my Kung Fu pants and a tank top.

MJ: What’s your favorite vacation spot? 

PJ: DisneyWorld.

MJ: When you were a teen were you a cheerleader, a sporty girl, the smart one, the band geek, or something else? 

PJ: Not only was I a cheerleader, I was the captain of the varsity cheerleading squad. Yes, that was me. No, all cheerleaders are not bimbos and bitches. But I should point out that I was also the smart one and used to have Calculus study groups at my house.

MJ: Do you have any pets? 

PJ: I have a darling Yorkie who sits by me constantly when I write and two Sulcata tortoises, King Tort and Nefertorti, who will grow to 150 pounds and live to be 180. I need to sell lots of books to provide for their future.

MJ: Now, I need YOU to ask ME a question about absolutely anything under the sun. It has to be a yes or no question and will be answered by my 9-year-old’s all-knowing Magic 8 Ball! The question can be serious or silly - it’s up to you.

PJ: Will it ever be back under 100 degrees in Austin, Texas?

M8B: My reply is no.

MJ: oooooh, that sucks....but sooooo appropriate considering the subject matter in Solstice.

Thanks so much to P.J. for hanging out with me on my blog today. You check out her book and her website:

Website - Roots in Myth

Buy Solstice on:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

P. J. Hoover first fell in love with Greek mythology in sixth grade thanks to the book Mythology by Edith Hamilton. After a fifteen year bout as an electrical engineer designing computer chips for a living, P. J. decided to take her own stab at mythology and started writing books for kids and teens. P. J. is also a member of THE TEXAS SWEETHEARTS & SCOUNDRELS. When not writing, P. J. spends time with her husband and two kids and enjoys practicing Kung Fu, solving Rubik's cubes, and watching Star Trek. Her first novel for teens, Solstice, takes place in a Global Warming future and explores the parallel world of mythology beside our own. Her middle grade fantasy novels, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, and The Necropolis, chronicle the adventures of a boy who discovers he’s part of two feuding worlds hidden beneath the sea.