Interview with Christine Hart

www.christine-hart.com

Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

I discovered my love for writing as a teen when I began keeping journals, but I didn’t consider writing as a career until my first year of university. I began training for journalism and communications, always planning to work in a marketing role. I started writing fiction in my mid-twenties and haven’t looked back!

Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?

Having published articles since my student days, I always knew I wanted my fiction to be published as well. When I finally had a manuscript I was ready to share, I approached the book publishing industry in much the same way I had worked with magazines and web sites.

Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?

My latest novel, Stalked, will be released very soon – just after Labour Day this fall. The story follows Victoria teens, Amy and Elise as they land their first real jobs and travel to Hornby Island for an exciting summer away from home. Amy’s ambition to win a scholarship has her chasing an important reference letter, but she soon becomes caught up in a complicated relationship with her new boss.

The one thing I’ll say about Stalked, is that you’ll find the story inspiring if you would have a hard time standing up for yourself in the face of an intimidating person who holds your greatest dream in his hands.

What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?

I don’t think I could pick any specific source of inspiration; I use the basic strategy of write what you know. My characters and plots are fictional, but inspired by issues I’ve watched people struggle with at one time or another. My British Columbia settings and social context are as real as I can make them. When I talk about the Okanagan or Vancouver Island, I’m describing the regions with as much real detail as I can.

Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!

My family is my greatest source of support. My husband constantly nudges me forward and my parents are always proud, which keeps me going when discouragement strikes. My younger sister is just starting her career as an elementary school teacher and looks forward to working with me whenever possible.

Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?

Oh, that’s a tough one. But I think I’ll pick ice cream, specifically the Island Farms soft serve you can get in and around Victoria. It’s the best stuff on earth!

What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?

When I wake up in the morning, I use the radio instead of a buzzer, so I don’t get jolted out of bed. I jump in the shower and then eat breakfast, usually cereal. I’m a pretty average morning person, but now that I live in Vancouver, I have to get up at 6 am to make it to my day job on time.

If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?

I think the most bizarre thing would be the boxes of old computer parts and watch parts you’d find in the closet of my spare room. I have a hobby of turning junk into jewelry which keeps me busy when I’m not writing.

Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?

I would be blue. Not a cold icy blue, but the warm aqua of tropical waters. Some of the most relaxing places I’ve ever been on earth have that color of water.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

My favorite cartoon character is Garfield. He’s not afraid to spend the day napping and he knows his lasagna!

Which cartoon character is most like you?

It’s a bit obscure, but I think Daria, from Beavis and Butthead. When I was in high school, I didn’t worry too much about what people thought of me and I enjoyed doing well in class.

If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history, where and when would it be—and why?

I’m a city girl and I don’t think I could give up my modern conveniences permanently, but I’d love to see Victorian England. I wouldn’t be able to stay long because my feminist beliefs would get me into trouble quickly, but I’d love to see the dresses, parties, and palatial homes. Whenever I get the chance to visit my extended family in the UK, I like to see an estate (one that’s open to the public) and just picture what it was like to live there.

So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?

I wish I could listen to music while writing. I’m one of those people that can’t talk on the phone and to the person next to me at the same time. But when I do listen to music – usually on the train to work – I like hard rock, punk and some metal.

Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you saw at the theater?

My favorite television shows usually indulge my love of all things supernatural. So naturally, Supernatural is on the list, along with True Blood and Medium. And I still watch old episodes of X-Files and Twin Peaks. I just watched Van Helsing on television, but my last trip to the theatre was for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?

Following your dreams and sticking your neck out can be hard and scary, but it’s worth it. Once you figure out what you want to do with your life, put in the time and effort to achieve your goals. The emotional rewards are amazing.

One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?

I’m working on a collection of short stories and a trilogy, both of which return to the speculative path I started down when writing my first novel, Watching July. I see the audience for both these projects being more in the New Adult category of slightly older readers, but I’m excited to see how it turns out.

Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!