An author who writes, eats, sleeps and dreams Young Adult, author Patti Larsen made herself available to me for interview. Her passion is to not only share her vision and her work with as many people as she can reach, but to encourage and nurture the same fire within others. With a love of all things creative and other passions such as screenwriting, singing, inventing and now sculpture, she is definitely a woman to watch out for!!Patti Larsen is a middle grade, young adult and adult author with a passion for the paranormal who writes a great deal of horror for someone who is afraid of the dark. She lives on the East Coast of Canada with her very patient husband Scott and four enormous cats. Read on to find out a little more about Patti and her inner workings through her answers to my questions.
*Where are you from?
I live in Prince Edward Island, the smallest province in Canada, just north of Maine. If your readers have heard of Anne of Green Gables, that’s where I’m from. But no red braids, though I do have a few freckles.
*When and why did you begin writing?
I was twelve, in a family of avid readers. I’d just finished a Nancy Drew harcover, one of the few kid’s books I read (my father was into hard core fantasy and science fiction). I realized when I set it aside that I could write a book. And just like that, I was a writer.
*When did you first consider yourself a writer?
This is a tough question. I’ve always been a writer and called myself one. But the first time after I sold my business to write full time and had someone ask me what I did, it was so surreal to tell them I was a novelist. At first I felt like a fraud, how funny is that? Now it’s just what I do.
*How personal is your writing?
Very. I feel sometimes like I’m channeling these kids I write about (for?). When I write in first person point of view, it’s as if they take over (dear heavens, this sounds BAD doesn’t it?). And when I write third person, they are beside me, telling me what happened. I love it, love the intimacy of it. I get lost in the worlds I create and the people who inhabit them very easily.
Mind you, I’m careful not to take things personally, as in criticism, but I feel very connected to the books I write. I really think it’s a necessary part of being a writer.
*Which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?
It totally depends. For Family Magic, my recent release based on the teen witch I mentioned, Syd (the lead character) came first. But when she arrived she brought the entire story with her in that one statement.
For The Hunted series, I had the image of a boy running through the woods in the dark. It honestly varies. Understanding how I think and being willing to say yes to the ideas is key. And I find the more I do it, the faster the ideas come. And with more clarity.
*What sparked the idea for your series?
I woke up in the middle of the night (this happens to me a LOT) with a voice in my head, a teen girl who told me her father was a demon and her mother was a witch but she herself just wanted to be ordinary. Ever since then, I’ve learned to listen to the voices.
*What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
So much advice… seriously. This is a wildly changing industry right now, with so much happening both in the traditional and self publishing camps. Never have authors had the ability to control their own careers before. And yet, large publishers are still powerful and appeal to many. So I suppose my best advice is do your homework. Talk to writers. Join groups on Facebook and follow writing blogs. Learn what’s happening before you take the step and decide for yourself which path is best for you.
*If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
My dad. Just one more time. So he would know that I did it, after all these years. I know he watches me from somewhere out there, but it would have been nice to see him smile when I handed him my first paperback.
*Tell us your latest news?
I’m releasing the sequel to Family Magic, Witch Hunt, on the 20th, and book three and four of that series (Demon Child and The Wild) in December. I’m excited to release this series.
Find Patti:
Her new series, The Hunted (Run, Hide, Fight and Hunt), and her paranormal YA novels Family Magic and Witch Hunt are available now at Smashwords and Amazon.
You can find her at
and her work on Amazon.com.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and your interest in author Patti Larsen. Have a great day!
A room without books is like a body without a soul. -Cicero
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